Obama Calls Smalltown Pennsylvanians 'Bitter'

Barack Obama, speaking at a fundraiser in San Francisco, called smalltown Pennslyvanian's "bitter" this week:


blog.washingtonpost.com...

I don't think that is going to go over well with Pennsylvanians, who are hard-working, salt-of-the-earth people.

Obama pretends to represent all of America, but it is clear he only panders to the elitist left.

What's wrong with what he said? I think a lot of small-town Americans who have been hit the hardest with massive layoffs, etc. are in the best position to be bitter in their outlook. I am from a town in Wisconsin that has suffered a bit since jobs started "going south" in the late 90's, and a lot of those people are pretty bitter about the government and the character of our politicians.

Unless it is differnt in the US small towns tend to rely on one primary source of employment such as a freezing works or a factory . Once the primary source of employment is gone small towns virtually die out. As I said on the AP show Obama has shown that is more in touch with the wider population .

Being in touch with the wider population and being able to deal with the problems at hand are still differnt things . Obama stance on race is also a differnt issue which I have dealt with elsewhere on AP.

reply to post by The Cyfre

Originally posted by The Cyfre
What's wrong with what he said? I think a lot of small-town Americans who have been hit the hardest with massive layoffs, etc. are in the best position to be bitter in their outlook. I am from a town in Wisconsin that has suffered a bit since jobs started "going south" in the late 90's, and a lot of those people are pretty bitter about the government and the character of our politicians.

Being bitter about a job loss is a natural reaction. That's not the problem. What he did wrong was imply that people turned to guns, religion, and mistrust of foreigners because of their bitterness. He painted a whole working class as uneducated, reactionary people. He doesn't know PA at all, or small town America.

Originally posted by The Cyfre
What's wrong with what he said?

PLENTY.

Bitter? Yes.

But that 'clinging to guns and religion' part .. that was seriously condenscending. We have a constitutional right to our guns and religion and we aren't going to let any marxist idiot like Obama is going to change that. Oh .. and as far as Illegal Aliens goes ... people don't want them here because they are BAD for America. They cost us billions of dollars and they take jobs that welfare recipients could be doing.

Obviously Obama doesn't understand even the basics of life in America.
Either that or he doesn't care about them.

THOSE are what was wrong with what he said.

Oh please everyone these days take things to personnel, his statement was the truth, and the truth is rarely very nice sounding, it is usually something that most people think they want to hear but no one really does. I think he has a good idea no tax money for any company moving jobs out of the country just so they can increase there profits, there comes a time when you have made all the money you can and there is no more profit to be made, expecting an increase in profit every years is just stupid.

You guys are joking, right? Some kind of belated April Fool's Day joke?

Originally posted by jsobecky
What he did wrong was imply that people turned to guns, religion, and mistrust of foreigners because of their bitterness.

Imagine losing your life-long career with a company that has moved your job from your home state to a foreign country. The church is a GREAT source of local community and support, and brings people closer together, especially in more bleak situations. You develop a closer relationship with your church and your neighbors. Outsiders begin to look more and more foreign to you not just because they have an accent but because they're not familiar to you. The things ruining your life are only unfamiliar, so you're quicker to shun the unknown. It's not pretty, but that doesn't mean it's a lie.

Originally posted by jsobecky
He painted a whole working class as uneducated, reactionary people.

That's interesting. It's not how i perceived it. After hearing what Obama had to say, i didn't feel as though he was trying to make the working class look uneducated or reactionary. Not at all.

Really. What is the motive here for Obama to start offending Pennsylvanians? Do you think his strategists think that's a great idea? Do you really think Barack Obama and his staff are so arrogant to think they could roll onto the scene and be arrogant, condescending jerks? Which Americans do you know would vote in a guy like that? Even Bush isn't arrogant, condescending or a jerk.

Consider for a moment that Barack is telling us the ugly truth about Pennsylvanians because he wants to HELP them. I know, it's quite a shock to the system. Yeah it was ugly what he said, but we can choose to see it and be offended or see it and be open to it.

After a slim three and a half years of marriage, the number one thing i've learned is NOT to be offended when someone says something you take as critical. Just because you're taking it a certain way doesn't mean it was intended that way. If i'm not open to the perceptions my wife has of me, then my marriage is bound to fail. I guess i try to treat these candidates like i'm going to be married to them for four years!

Originally posted by Aikiman
his statement was the truth,

No it wasn't. It was just pure snobbery. Like I said - bitter? Yes.
But 'clinging to guns and religion' as well as his illegal alien comments -
tht was :shk:

Originally posted by The Cyfre
What is the motive here for Obama to start offending Pennsylvanians?

He let his guard down and the truth of how he feels about people came out.
It wasn't 'motive' ... it was his true feelings coming out.

Do you really think Barack Obama and his staff are so arrogant to think they could roll onto the scene and be arrogant, condescending jerks?

OF COURSE! He's a freak'n politician.

Which Americans do you know would vote in a guy like that?

Idiots. Obamatrons who can't see that this guy is just like the rest.
A liar. Corrupt. And obviously disgusted with Americans.
(heck, his spoiled rich-B**** of a wife hates America so much that she
was never proud of it until her hubby ran for president. If he doesn't
win I'm sure she'll go back to being ashamed. )

reply to post by jsobecky


Being from "small town PA" myself, I would have to agree wholly with jsobecky. I'm not bitter about the things he mentioned because of other problems. I'm bitter about the actual problems ie: illegal immigration, Patriot Act, this Administration and Congress/Senate and all the rest of the BS. I really hate when these puppets put words in our mouths...

Here is a nearly 10 min video of Obama related material. I found it to be quite informative...

SHOCKING Obama audio: bitter hate speech in books too
www.youtube.com...

And then this comment from Jesse Jackson Jr., as well...
The shocking comment Barack Obama does not want you to hear!
www.youtube.com...

I will however suggest the 2nd video a bit misleading when they refer to the murder as a 'racial murder' -- it was more of a murder due to extreme jealousy, the 'if I can't have you, no one will' type of thing. Which in that context, makes the comment even twice as bizarre, imo.

Don't worry about these morons we currently have to choose from. Here are the answers, come November (if we get there)...
www.abovepolitics.com...

[edit on 4/13/2008 by RabbitChaser]

[edit on 4/13/2008 by RabbitChaser]

Originally posted by RabbitChaser
SHOCKING Obama audio: bitter hate speech in books too
www.youtube.com...

Geeeeeeze .. I just watched the whole thing. He sure is obsessed with the color of his own skin and lumping all whites together. Whites this .. whites that ... If a non-black politician wrote a book lumping all blacks together saying blacks this and blacks that .. they'd be called a RACIST.

THIS BLOG has a CNN clip of a woman explaining why she was offended. It's very good.

Oh .... and his so called apology consisted of him saying 'what I said is true' AND ... get this ... 'if you are offended blah blah blah' In other words - he makes it the fault of the person who was offended instead of himself.

:shk:

Check this out Guess those small minded Pennsylvanians just aren't smart enough to be able to figure out what Obama is talking about, eh???

[edit on 4/13/2008 by FlyersFan]

This was a great quote – What Obama said was this - "Vote for me you corn-cob smok’n, banjo-strok’n, chicken-chokin’, cousin-pokin’, Inbred Hillbilly Racist Morons." blog here

[edit on 4/13/2008 by FlyersFan]

reply to post by The Cyfre


You don't need to be from smalltown Pennsylvania to turn to your church in times of adversity. Pennsylvanians don't "cling to" their guns or their church anymore than Texans or Illini or New Yorkers. And they don't look at anybody differently. That is the equivalent of calling them racist, imo.

Church is there to form a support system in times of need, not a rallying point to bring your guns to.

Originally posted by The Cyfre
Really. What is the motive here for Obama to start offending Pennsylvanians? Do you think his strategists think that's a great idea? Do you really think Barack Obama and his staff are so arrogant to think they could roll onto the scene and be arrogant, condescending jerks?

He was at a closed-to-the-press fundraiser in San Francisco, and he never thought his comments would get out into the public. Iow, he was pandering to an elitist leftist audience.

Originally posted by The Cyfre
Which Americans do you know would vote in a guy like that? Even Bush isn't arrogant, condescending or a jerk.

None, I hope.

Originally posted by The Cyfre
Consider for a moment that Barack is telling us the ugly truth about Pennsylvanians because he wants to HELP them.

I won't consider it, because it isn't true. What is true is that Obama knows nothing about smalltown America.