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Obama Courts Working Class Through 'Future Generations'
UPDATE LISTEN TO THE FULL OBAMA April 6. FUNDRAISER SPEECH HERE
Barack Obama's town hall meeting in Levittown, PA, yesterday was, in the sphere of political conversation, the epilogue to Michael Sokolove's fine essay in the New York Times Sunday magazine blending a reminiscence of the changes in Levittown since his childhood there with an analysis of Obama's chances with Levittown voters. At a fundraiser in San Francisco Sunday night, Obama dismissed Sokolove's conclusion that blue collar Levittown might not be quite ready to vote for a black man. "People are misunderstanding the way the demographics in this contest are broken up the way they are. Because everybody just ascribes it to white working class don't want to vote for the black guy. There were intimations of this in an article in the Sunday New York Times today--kind of implies it's sort of a race thing. That's not what it is."
If that's not what it is--then what is it? For two hours, I talked to people waiting for the doors at Levittown's Harry S. Truman High School to open for the Obama event. The conversations would seem to support both Sokolove's and Obama's realistic appraisal that Levittown is not Obama Country. Obama's analysis of his cool reception from the working class is that it stems from a feeling of having been betrayed by government and subsequent cynicism. But it's precisely this cynicism that makes men like Ed and Frank, both Vietnam Veterans and union electricians, willing to take a flyer on Obama. In their estimation, Hillary and Bill Clinton are part of the world's wealthy ruling class that "knows exactly what they're doing but not telling us." Like many people in line--and indeed Americans everywhere--Ed and Frank said that "we need somebody new."
Most of the Levittown town hall meeting crowd were older folk, and many of them were from New Jersey. It's only a 20-30 minute drive from Princeton to Levittown, so Princetoners have been working for Obama in and around Levittown and lower Bucks County. When I asked Afton, a pet shop owner in Princeton, if she thought Obama was right about Levittown and race, she replied, "he hasn't been on the canvass." Both she and her husband, who is determined to sell Obama on Rhodesian ridgebacks as the dogs of choice for his daughters, shook their heads. "A lot of white men are not voting for him here." Debbie, a former army brat and currently a worker for peacecoalition.org, concurred. "There's a lot of misinformation--Muslim, that he'll subvert the Pentagon." Debbie said that some of her neighbors had re-registered as Republicans just so they wouldn't have to vote for either Obama or Clinton.
Indeed larger Levittown itself seemed to be absent from the Levittown town hall meeting. The group that came out in force to see Obama were the local teachers, the people who hold communities like Levittown and its neighbor Bristol together. Many of these teachers were women and Clinton supporters who nevertheless wanted to hear Obama before finally making up their minds. Melissa, a teacher at Truman High, said that she was for Clinton because "men have messed up things too much." And, yes, "race and gender are not irrelevant" in Levittown, but "I hope we're not that shallow." Jo Ann, another local teacher, described herself as "an open-minded supporter of Hillary Clinton." She felt that Clinton had the most detailed plan to overhaul No Child Left Behind. When I pointed out that Clinton wants to "scrap" N.C.L.B. and that Obama wants to "overhaul" it, Jo Ann said she didn't see much difference, but that she'd be interested to hear what Obama had to say about education.
In the subsequent town hall meeting, Senator Obama did talk about education, as he always does, although for the Levittown and Bristol teachers he wasn't as detailed and specific, or as impassioned, as he can be on the need to improve education in America. He had arrived late at Truman High and was a bit rushed. This may have been one of those missed opportunities to which all campaigns, due to the rigors of the road, succumb. Having followed the Obama Campaign for almost a year, I have come to believe that education is the lodestar for the direction in which Obama wants to take us. The significant moment in Levittown yesterday was Obama's comment that we must be "willing to sacrifice on the behalf of future generations." As I've written before, the call to sacrifice has been a chord, at first muted, now louder, in Obama's speeches from the beginning. But Levittown was the first time I've heard him say anything more specific about that sacrifice--and the implications of "future generations" for a place like Levittown are many and not least in the field of education.
The one thing everybody waiting in line to hear Senator Obama agreed on is that change is in the air. Lower Bucks County is going Democrat (despite the neighbors who have re-registered as Republicans), Central Bucks County is going Democrat--all Bucks is going Democrat. The reality is that the white working class guys who won't vote for a black guy, or a woman, are getting old and slowly passing on. With the loss of manufacturing jobs, Levittown may be dying, but new and different towns are sprouting nearby. Everybody talked about the growing African-American communities and the million-dollar homes five minutes away. Lower Bucks County is becoming a bedroom community for people with good jobs in Manhattan, a 50-minute train ride. These commuters are, in a spiritual if not a literal sense, the children and grandchildren of the aging Levittowners, a more prosperous generation who have been able to afford bigger and better homes than those in the tracts of Levittown and Bristol Township. Perhaps someday, long after Barack Obama is President but as a consequence of his policies, a well-educated work force with twenty-first century jobs will appraise the beautiful bones of Levittown and Bristol with an eye to tearing down the old tract houses and building for a newer and greener world. Nothing lasts--everything passes away--change is inexorable. In the light of this paradoxically immutable truth, Barack Obama is right to focus in the distance, beyond racism in places like Levittown, lest he get mired in the here and now.
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This Clinton strategy is right form Karl Rove's play book and they laugh how it works over and over. Mark Penn admires Karl Rover:
http://tianews.blogspot.com/2004/10/dark-side-of-karl-rove.html
Here are a few clips:
Media Manipulation
One of Rove's most valuable assets is his ability to manipulate the media in order to achieve the desired result. Through a careful study of the patterns of reporting, Rove has distilled a few core principles. First, because of the media's over-reaction to charges of bias, the press will treat every story in a he said/she said manner - merely reporting what each side of an issue has to say with minimal, if any, determination of what the objective truth is.
Second, Rove relies on the fact that the media prefers to cover a controversy, so even if truth is not on your side, the he said/she said dynamic will be enough to create a controversy which in turn will breathe life into even the most scurrilous of rumors and innuendo in a self sustaining cycle. Rove has incorporated these theories into all facets of government, especially in the realm of marketing policy to the public
We are GOOD people in Pennsylvania. Not gun-toting-mex-hating-xenophobic-church-crutching-frustrated-bitter-hicks unfairly protrayed by this arrogant senator from Illinois. Yes, like the rest of America, we are experiencing the effect of bad economy, high fuel cost, high cost of living and unemployment. Inspite that, we have unrelenting HOPE, and hardly desperate to resort to guns. We are civilized. We use our Church for divine guidance, and not crutches to our pain and frustrations. We are VERY PROUD PEOPLE !
At our expense, you used our burden to make a political point . The audacity ! And what HOPE are you spreading, Sir ? We welcome you with open arms, and in return you sold our dignity for 30 pieces of gold.
Did you swayed the Californians at our expense ? Are we equivalent to 30 piece of gold, a negotiable instrument to pander you kind of HOPE ? Have you no compassion ?
Californians, and the rest of this proud nation - would you allow this arrogant man to step on our dignity ?
How dare you SENATOR OBAMA, how dare you !.
HuffPost's Pick
If Pennsylvanians can't hear the empathy in Obama's comments, all hope it lost. He was trying to explain to some of his supporters, who have good jobs and businesses, who can afford costly fuel, healthcare and the rest, why the working class might be bitter...because their government let them down. He was explaining why working class people do not vote their economic interests, but instead get caught up in the side issues of gun laws, abortion (religion), and immigration, issues fueled by the Republican party who could care less about unemployment and healthcare. He was defending the working class, not trying to offend or hurt anyone.
This video is of his explanation/excuse. The biting words were spoken high in the wealthy hills of Marin County/SF to groups of millionaires and billionaires. What you hear from him is his effort to make himself the victim, to condone his words. That's not empathy.
Watch video of him greeting crowds of people. The cringe on his face when someone in the crowd wants to touch him. Did you see the video of him approaching the single reporter/camerman in the Virgin Islands, the disdain in his face? Sure, he thought he was entitled to some private time with his family, but that's not a luxury this country gives people in the limelight. He thinks he is better than the people he wants to vote him into office. Not just any office, the Presidency. He promised the people of Illinois that he would serve the entire 6 years they elected him to. That lasted less than 2 years, and he broke his promise. He said he would serve the state of Illinois, but he doesn't do earmarks, so the money goes to all the other states. He saw the opportunities on the other side of a presidential term and he wants it sooner rather than later.
He isn't ready for the job, the country cannot afford to entrust their recovery from the Bush years to a man, who, by his own admission, is lazy, and who, by his resume, is not yet qualified to handle these enormous challenges.
I am from PA and I believe every word he said. You are one of the ones that wouldn't have voted for him anyway no matter what he said.
Your a good player there ang4ever, we know you and your remarks. You say the same thing everyday, get over it !
his comments are proof that he has no connection to the working class. The working class smells on phony for a mile away.
and you are one of those hypocrites promoting distortions on the jobless workers - wolf in sheep's clothing - pretending to care about people.... karma will come back on you 10 fold for promoting lies.
How foolish. Go Obama, eh?
THIS BOOMER recognises the privilege of the Sister Institutions when Ivy League undergraduate schools were all male. Pembroke, Radcliffe, Wellesley, Smith, Mount Holyoke, etc... was a path to the Junior League, marriage to a fellow preppie, and a lifelong love of the Republican party.
This lady supports this Wellesley girl who married a Yalie and who herself was a Yalie. This is a Hillbot article making us all remember that there are some very clear Hillary Clinton supporters among the Huffington Post editorial staff.
Mayhill does great work. The "clean" Obama campaign has incubated an incredible hate squad that is way out of control.
The Midwest is a patchwork of Blue islands in a sea of Red.
For once, we really having an honest, thinking candidate for President who reflects on the diversity of our country. We are a mixed bag of honest folks and angry folks and folks who are disengaged from anyone different from themselves. That is true in America's midwest small towns and the small towns of the San Francisco Bay Area (close to where this blogger taped Obama's words without his knowledge). We need an honest person like Barack Obama to be straightforward about our foibles; to make us reflect on our good and bad sides; to get parents to take responsibility for raising their sons and daughters to be hard-working, honest students; to get Americans to slow down and appreciate the good in others; to value our potential with good efforts instead of generating negative approaches and always blaming someone else. Let us go forward - toward Obama.
Ms FLOWER, I heard your comments on CNN. Please stop your hate of obama. this blog won't get you a job at fox news, ok.
Senator Obama is right that fear and cynicism is flourishing in this Country. Everyday I hear someone say "all politicians are corrupt,""America's day is done, "liberty has been traded for security," "we cannot fix anything," among other horribles. Senator Obama set forth the truth of his campaign in part in this simple sentence:
"I am not asking you just to believe in my ability to change Washington, I am asking you to believe in yours."
This gives me such hope in tomorrow. Not because I am "delusional" as Senator Clinton would have you believe, but because I know what I, my family and friends can do when we try. I know if you put millions of us together that we can change this Country-- not with a "celestial choir," but with plain old elbow grease, hard work and demanding that our government (including the President) be accountable. Instead, of pulling ourselves up by our boot-straps, we will pull this entire Country up by its boot-straps out of the mire in which we are currently drowning. Along the way, we will make certain that we get real healthcare reform and we won't settle for any travesty like the HMO's. We will improve our public schools and make certain that all of this Country's children get a good education so that all of our Country's children grow up to be educated citizens with the ability to compete in and contribute to our modern world. We can do this.
My whole family comes from Pennsylvania. Don't patronize us with your false compliments in order to attack Obama. Be a journalist. Do your job without exploiting Pennsylvanians.
The Mayflower Madame cannot seem to help but offend at every turn.
Mayhill writes: "When I pointed out that Clinton wants to "scrap" N.C.L.B. and that Obama wants to "overhaul" it, Jo Ann said she didn't see much difference, but that she'd be interested to hear what Obama had to say about education."
Yet in her other Obama piece she mentions a woman who says she won't vote for Obama because he doesn't put his hand over his heart for the pledge of allegiance. Even though this is false, Mayhill doesn't mention correcting the woman nor does she get a new reaction with the true information. This is the first time I've thought that Mayhill may have clear biases. Obviously all writers support a candidate but she should be aware of her biases and not let them get in the way of her reporting.
1) It was not the Pledge of Allegiance it was the song "The National Anthem" - it is customary to STAND and TAKE OFF YOUR HAT while the song is song. I wish all of America would get that one right!
2) Obama is NOT a Muslim he is a CHRISTIAN
3) Just because some wears a flag pin does not make them patriotic! Senator Obama IS patriotic - he is a U.S. Senator for goodness sake!
Those are the three things that get me mad all the time when people say them!
Obama = Generational change
Sick of the old farts in Washington screwing up my future with their idiotic policies.
We are tired of all the old farts consuming our money in social security and medicare. Time for a back lash against the old farts. Let's cut them off. Time for generational change.
one would have to be a grown up to run a nation, whinning about being a victim is not grown up.
Apparently, you have never taken the time to understand two or three generations above you, If you did you would not feel like a victim that needs to justify their rebel without a cause stance.
The Old Guard will not leave politely. Rock on, Rebel!
Is Mayhill OK today? She didn't disparage Obama; what the heck is going on?
I think it's cause she's starting to see that an Obama presidency is uniquely linked with an engaged generation- check out this video
http://youtube.com/watch?v=EOgunsUIWU4
entitled "Mom please vote for Senator Obama"
Go to the FAQ section of the rules for posting. You have posted this same message on every single article today. The 5 year old demographic is showing you to have the same absence of judgment as your candidate does!
I live and work in Bucks County, Pa(Levittown is just down the road) Can it not be true that folks are ready to vote for a black man but are not ready to vote for this black man.?
Seems that if you are not for Obama, you must be a racist.
We are just coming out of 8 years of right wing repression, it seems we have already entered the age of left wing repression.
People are ready to vote for a woman but NOT Hil-liar-y Clinton!
You have the right not to vote for him...this is a free country...go ahead vote Billary...they are the same people who invested in a scheme involving Catholic Churches in PA.(read it on this website)and countless other borderline illegal stuff.
Do you homework...don't cast your vote based on emotions
No, everybody has the right to vote for the candidate they prefer and no-one should call anyone "sexist" or "racist" simply because they prefer the other candidate. There isn't any "left wing repression" going on here, except maybe in the minds of the MSM who like to "categorize" all of us into little groups and then talk endlessly about what their newly minted categories mean. Don't listen to anyone who tells you what you must do, or tries to insult you into action. Vote for who you want to-- this is one of the rights our forefathers died to give us.
I prefer Senator Obama (after doing some significant research on all of the candidates) in large part because he inspires the heck out of me. For the first time in years, I believe it is possible for me to help rebuild my Country. I believe that Senator Obama can achieve real healthcare reform and get us honorably out of Iraq. I don't think his election will resolve racism, tribalism or any other kind of "ism." The last 7+ years have been a sad, tragic affair that almost took away my faith in my Country; Senator Obama has helped restore that faith for me. This is part of my rationale, but I don't owe an explanation of how I am voting to anyone and neither do you.
Racism is not the only reason whites will not vote for Obama in these areas of PA, but it's a big reason. One need only analyze the responses to certain questions and successive questions, as well as, the Clinton tactics to bring out this type of support.
HuffPost's Pick
The more I read about people and their choices and preferences, the more I get a sense that we are witnessing a generational change in this political season. The immigrants who settled in PA, for example, in the first half of the 20th century, to a large degree reflect their 'season in the sun.' They're following the tradition that they know, forged in the working class economy, the freedom of owning their own home and car, helping their children achieve better than themselves, the civil rights struggle, and the wars. The love of a country that gave them these opportunities runs deep, but is informed by particular realities that are fading away. A new generation is transcending gender, race, age, and class, in ways that are transforming the American landscape. As a 50 yr-old white man, I believe the youth are on the right track, and that gives me a lot of hope for the future. I encourage folks older than myself to vote moving forward, not back.
Patriot0259 - I like your HuffPo name.
I think Obama should close out the primary campaign in Pennsylvania with a very strong pitch for a sense of patriotism which returns to the ideals of the country and which restores our Constitutional rights. This is something the working class could understand and back wholeheartedly.
Patriotism is not something belonging to those on the right. It belongs to all of us, but it needs to be redefined as something positive about us, not as something negative about everyone else.
Obama doesn't have to promise working people jobs. He needs to make them see they can once again take back their country and know that with that will come new opportunity. He needs to be a patriot.
You are so right, #0259. We have one candidate who wants to take us back to 1992, another who wants to go back to 1892, and one who wants to move forward. Now is the time, and Obama is the person who can do this.
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