It Takes Real Chutzpah for a Guy Who Owns Eight Houses (McCain) to Call Barack Obama an "Elitist"
McCain doesn't lack "chutzpah." Yesterday his campaign actually accused Barack Obama of being an "elitist" for saying that it's not surprising that people in small Midwestern towns are bitter after seeing their standard of living systematically destroyed over the last three decades.
Damn right they're bitter; they have good reasons to be. And most of those reasons are the economic and trade policies that have -- and continue to be -- championed by George Bush and John McCain.
The McCain campaign is managed by a cadre of Washington-insider special interest lobbyists. He and his current wife are estimated to be worth about $100 million. He reportedly owns eight houses. His let-them-eat-cake economic policies are based on George Bush's failed radical conservative "you're on your own buddy" philosophy. One after another he supported trade agreements that protect the rights of corporations, but ignore the rights of labor, and have devastated one Pennsylvania community after another. He gets most of his campaign cash from the wealthiest corporate interests around. And he has the gall to call Barack Obama an "elitist"?
This is the same Barack Obama who spent years of his life organizing out-of-work steelworkers on the south side of Chicago -- people just like those who live in Allentown or Erie or Pittsburgh or the Monongehela Valley in western Pennsylvania. He stood shoulder to shoulder with them, sat at their kitchen tables, spent hours in their church basements.
He didn't do those things as a famous candidate, but as a community organizer being paid $8,000 a year by a coalition of churches. You don't build a resume or a client list organizing unemployed steel workers. You do it because you respect the people and you care about justice.
In fact, the trademark of Barack Obama's campaign for president is the honest, respectful way he talks to everyone -- and stands up for everyday Americans.
If you want to talk about patronizing, or "elitism", you need look no farther than the way Bush and McCain attempt to use fear and division to divert the attention of middle class people from the economic policies that pick their pockets, lower their wages, destroy their unions, and outsource their jobs. And all the while they use our money to bail out Wall Street, and give giant tax breaks to the real "elitists" -- the economic elite.
It is Barack Obama who can lead a movement to change the way things are done in Washington. He can do it by empowering and inspiring the people who live in small-town Pennsylvania, and all of the other middle class Americans who have been left out by Bush-McCain policies that have benefited the "masters of the universe" on Wall Street and the Gucci-shoed lobbyist set on "K" Street.
As for Hillary Clinton, who joined in attacking Obama's statement: she should know better. She knows that Obama is the furthest thing from an elitist, and she should know better than to join in the Republican narrative about the candidate who is the likely Democratic standard bearer in the fall.
Robert Creamer is a long-time political organizer and strategist and author of the recent book: "Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win," available on amazon.com.
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Here here.
If we all were to take a deep breath, we would realize that there is a group of people who understand the frustration of not seeing opportunity and relying on tradition and sometimes antipathy towards others all too well: African Americans. As an AA, I consider myself lucky that I didn't have to grow up in the south of the 20s and 30s like my father or even the Midwest of the 40's like my mother. Instead my family clung three things: church (faith and community), family and school. This is the same formula that millions of people regardless of color hold on to.
Bitterness--we know full well that bitterness is a part of life--especially when facing unfair circumstances. But, when juxtaposed against the American ethos of fairness,democracy and opportunity, it can be a much bitterer pill to swallow. What we all want is to *at least try* to make things better going forward.
What do any of us want as Americans? A fair chance at realizing our dreams and a reasonable way to provide a future for our families. When that comes into question, what we do about it defines our existence. It would seem that at this juncture, we can collectively let today's parlor game of "Gotcha!" distract us from trying to make things better for average working people or we can stop all the BS talk and actually try to do something.
What about the 109 million dollar couple? That takes alot of chuzpah to criticize when they have been getting rich off the backs of the middle class they helped to destroy. Remember, it was the clintons who opened the floodgates of free trade and have been pushing it ever since. Only last year did Hillary begin to pretend she was against it. But, her record speaks different.
And all those big shots they owe favors to as well as the influence peddling they have done.
It is not just McCain but, his partner in crime, Hillary as well.
I love this country as much as anyone. Jefferson and others have said that to keep silent about your country's errors is UN-patriotic!!
Everything the reverend said is true. Only the charges about Hiroshima and Nagasaki are arguable.
Jim Crow, massacres of native Americans, internment of Japanese-American CITIZENS without charges or trials etc.
Are you pleased with those? What if you had been on the receiving end?
This nation is wonderful, it is perfectible, and much still needs to be done. Absent criticism, nothing will be done.
Let's elect Obama so we can get back on track!!
Good job, Robert. Now, let's see. A few weeks ago Obama was either too black or not black enough. Before that he was not patriotic enough. Now he is either an elitist with an attitude problems toward people. Appears to me his opponents are reaching, clutching and grasping..
From all I can gather from Mr. Obama's policies and campaign, he would be better described by the antonyn of elitist which is egalitarian:
Affirming, promoting, or characterized by belief in equal political, economic, social, and civil rights for all people.
The bottom up design of his campaign confirms this to be the case.
Obviously, you're an elitist.
And possibly a terrorist, but I'll have to get back to you on that.
(Note... this post contains intense sarcasm)
Right on!!! Hillary's income is around 15million a year, her husband Bill is promoting free trade and she gave that useless speech about Obama being an elitist? Give me a break. Why is everyone bitter? Because jobs are shipped overseas. Americans have issues with immigrants legal or illegal. I am not only talking about the latinos, the asians too because they are seen to have taken their jobs. But this is not the whole story, I have seen seniors fighting for the same job with youngsters in McDonald. When someone is forced out of their home, they trashed the place!!! What do you call that? Bitter and angry!!!
Wake Bosnia Chick and Bomb Bombiran!!!!
The New Found friends John and Hill - yes, I put them both in the same boat without the same paddle heading down the same river -- that would be the No Clue River --- which makes perfect sense to me now --- it's why Hillary can't believe all the stories she hears along the campaign trail -- most of us hear and live them everyday. She doesn't have a clue -- and McCain --- well -- I think he's just wrapped up in his own life's tragedies and his trophy wife's money and drug and alcohol abuse and recovery to care about small town America.
Another day of Sillariness and McCoo-Coo-ness . . . .
Asserting that Obama is elitist is an underhanded attack on rationality. Telling unpleasant truths makes timid and mendacious politicans show. So, the only defense is to attack Obama's character for showing character (and no small amount of courage and respect for the intelligence of the American people).
If wealth is really the criteria to decide who is elitist and who is not... then the Obamas don't do too badly.
Let's see... they live in a $1.6M mansion (purchased with a little bit of help from friends like Rezko)... Michele Obama has a weakness for Gucci... etc. etc...
Creamer for Obama.....
Your boy is in the soup cest la vie.
Please try not to use the term "boy" when refering to a black man.
"Barack Obama of being an "elitist" for saying that it's not surprising that people in small Midwestern towns are bitter after seeing their standard of living systematically destroyed over the last three decades."
Nice spin.
You omitted the actual elitist part of Obama's comments. To wit, the Americans in the small towns are so stupid that they turn to religion and guns due to their economic hardships.
Oddly enough though, the Republicans have acted on that assumption over the course of several presidential and midterm elections and have pandered to those very attitudes.
The following topics come up as get-out -the-vote tactics every election year:
1) gun-control (anti) legislation
2) defense of marriage legislation
3)pro-life
4) anti-illegal immigrant legislation
Then those topics retreat to the backburner until another election season comes along. You can't tell me that the Republicans don't say those things behind closed doors, and then go ahead and play it to their political advantage.
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He didn't say they were stupid. He said they were bitter. And cynical.
But in reality, those of us who aren't living in the small towns throughout the rust belt, we're just speculating-- the real question is how do THEY feel about what he said?
Our opinion doesn't really matter in the long, or short run.
Obama did not say anything about people being stupid or ignorant - though I wonder why some people are so sensitive that they jump to that conclusion. At worst, Obama was speaking of the wedge issues that the Conservative party have used as ways of separating people from their real interests.
As I've posted previously, the Conservative party has played this violin in every election. And now Hillary has joined the orchestra - the Democrats are elitist, tax and spend snobs. What Obama said is on target.
Instead of voting for their real interests - national security and good jobs paying fair wages that could support a family, Conservatives play on the worst in people; they play the gun card or the gay card or the "they" are not religious enough or the not patriotic enough card.
If the so-called Reagan Democrats have not figured out that they and their families are worse off after thirty years of hollow Republican economic promises and that gays, guns, abortion or flags did not send their jobs overseas or triple gas prices in the last eight years, then they will not mind going Mexico for their Hersheys chocolate.
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Excuse me, but where did he say the "are so stupid" part? Aren't you putting words in Obama's mouth? I think he just said that they turn to religion and guns due to their economic hardships. A factual statement which doesn't need your editorializing.
Lets see who Hillary's biggest California supporter is:
Sen. (says she's a Democrat-CA) Dianne Feinstein, who is worth $25-30 million dollars despite only working at best 5 years in the private sector and whose husband is worth nearly $1 billion doing business with China (and getting Halliburton leftovers in Iraq). They own houses in CA, DC and Aspen.
So if she were to call Obama an "elitist": Pot, Kettle
BTW if Hillary does not get the nomination, look for Feinstein to (secretly) support McCain. Mark my words. (I am an Obama leaner, but I will NOT vote for McCain)
Face it, if you are not bringing in that kind of gelt, you don't even get to run. This is a money game and the corporations are pulling most of the strings. Middle class is there to sop up what ever trickes down, and that's about it. Our wages diminish. Our rights diminish. Our economic position vis a vis the "have mores" gets worse each year. We are being had big time and its time we started shouting loudly and persistently about it. I feel bad that my grandkids are going to have to live in this miserable mess we have created.
I am a Barack supporter and will not vote for a republican. That said, I read the article to learn more about the 8 houses as mentioned in the headline only to find he "reportedly" owns 8 houses. Not cool, put that in the headline or were treading into Drudge territory.
You mean the McCain's aren't "just folks"?
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