http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oGF3cyHE7M

I am not a Republican. I have voted Democratic for more than 25 years. But if Barack Obama wants to understand why people aren't voting for him, Dave, he need only read your screed.

I also read Pete Abel's entry and a comment that pyronite posted under that. pyronite was right on, that this is the other type of “PC”, patriotic correctness, when citizens say something against the US they must therefore be un-American. Therefore we must not be “bitter” in order to be patriotic citizens.

Lastly (and it goes without saying, I think) that there is a lot of personal psychology caught up in the reaction to Obama's words.
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First, back to Joe's statement that this is politics in America today (and then Hillary's spin.) I think this is THE PERFECT EXAMPLE of spin. I believe Obama was right-on with Americans (at least certain Americans) being bitter due to circumstances beyond their control and Washington being out of touch. I think this is the equivalent of Hillary and McCain “swiftboating” Obama on one of his strengths and Obama's ability to pick up on the mood of a large portion of the country that they (Hill and Mc) can not relate to.

Obama IMO is the most “in touch” of all three candidates. He didn't have money or family connections to support him in politics. He paid off his student loans with his books, which isn't in the distant past…. He started as a community organizer and his drive for politics is to bring much needed help to average Americans who are not the wealthy and politically well-connected.

Compare this to the Clintons (Bill was first elected as Arkansas gov. in 1978 and has spent the last 16 years under secret service protection… I doubt that Bill goes to grocery store to pick up bread and milk and chats with his neighbors about their problems- to be honest Obama probably doesn't do this either with his current secret service protection, but Bill is much further removed than Obama). And compared to McCain who apparently has eight houses and who believes the fix for Americans in dire economic straits is for those folks to take second jobs and stop going on vacations….

So I think Hillary and McCain both realize that Obama IS closer to the average American than Obama. H and M feel this is a big liability for them (Obama knows this too, which is why he brought it up).

Just like the Bushies successfully swiftboated Kerry on one of his greatest strengths (being a decorated war veteran) Hillary and McCain seek to turn this strength of Obama's against him. The Bushies swiftboating efforts were able to put enough doubt in voters minds that they couldn't trust Kerry, and they should vote to re-elect Bush (who was partying and getting drunk instead of fighting in that war). At least there are no 527 ads yet on this against Obama, though the campaign's language and intended effect are the same as the swiftboating ads by those 527s in 2004.

The reason I think this Obama flap is the perfect spin is simple. I feel the leaders of our country are looking out for their own interests and not the interests of the typical American. Bush inherited a budget surplus and lowered taxes on the wealthy. Growing up I was told, “if it ain't broke, don't fix it” which is exactly what Bush has done with the deficit, we were on track to pay down the debt. But Bush choose to “fix” it and it is now broken. Another simple truth I was taught was not to spend more than I earned. Unfortunately Bush decided to spend waaaaay more than the country brings in. Now the country is definitely broken- and Bush could care less. Bush also vowed to go after bin Laden until he was dead or alive in Afghanistan (and who vowed to attack us), but then Bush decided to go after Saddam, who was no threat to us. Bush has done all sorts of other things that make me mad. So yes, I'm bitter and I agree with Obama's statement that there are Americans who are bitter and want a change in Washington.

However Hillary is spinning this to her advantage and to feed on the same dynamic that Obama zeroed-in on. Hillary responded that the voters she met are optimistic. And though I'm certainly bitter in many aspects, I am also VERY optimistic that our problems can be fixed. Hillary is framing this to help her and hurt Obama (and that's politics), even though she is essentially agreeing with Obama. In other words Hillary (like Obama) recognizes that Americans are having problems but they are optimistic about the future. Just as Obama understands that people are bitter- and he's running for president to fix those problems (and the optimistic assumption is that he will fix those problems). That's why this is the perfect spin, Obama picked up on this first and framed it one way, but Hillary saw it as a huge weakness for her but she understands that if she attacks Obama's words and makes a couple changes, then she can also make this work for her. Obama is casting himself as a Washington outsider who is more in touch with Americans than the Clintons and McCain, who are most definitely part of the Washington elite.

That's why I don't believe this is a political blunder for Obama. But he has to continue to aggressively show that he is more in touch with the average American than either Hill or McCain, and Obama should compare his circumstances with those of McCain and Hillary. Clinton and McCain are hitting back hard to take away Obama's asset of being able to tap into this angst. If Obama backs down from this, then Hillary and McCain will have won. But Obama's read on the bitterness is right-on.
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As I mentioned earlier, pyronite also hit it right-on that there is a certain amount of that other “PC” going on here- the “patriotic correctness”. As I was reading all the comments I was struck by how many of the postings seemed to discount the fact that anyone could feel bitter in America. These “PC” people remind me of someone who has been diagnosed with cancer and because it's been caught early enough it's 100% curable. But because they feel fine and are optimistic they stick their heads in the sand and refuse to take the difficult steps in treatment, which would save them. The cancer goes untreated and the patient dies…. This country has serious problems which need to be addressed. As an American I feel the best thing I can do for my country is to point and and criticize the harmful policies (or suggest new policies) of this country. If I don't speak up for what's best then I'm allowing my country to decline.

Another way of looking at it is like a parent/child. If a parent sees their child about to pull a pot of boiling water off the stove onto themselves, that parent will speak up. Or if the toddler is running to the edge of the Grand Canyon, that parent will stop the child. So it is with patriotism. If we care about our country we need to speak up and let our representatives know. It is our right and responsibility to do this under the constitution. But many people feel that any criticism of our government is unpatriotic.
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As far as the personal psychology aspect….

Much of it dovetails with pyronite's observation- being “patriotically correct”. But I feel that part of that does have to do with some folks needing to retreat from a bad situation as a way of coping. So it strikes me that when someone finds Obama's comments “unbelievable” it might be an overreaction to cover-up deeper feelings which are painful. Consider it a denial.

Then there are those who simply flat-out disagree with Obama, and that's fine. Though I think any reasonable person who sees that our economy is heading into a recession, who understands that a lot of Americans are hurting economically, etc. can't discount Obama's comments simply because Obama's comments don't fit within their world. That's sort of like candidate Y saying that a lot of people have cancer and more should be done to combat cancer. But then I say that candidate Y is making outrageous statements- simply because I do not have cancer.

It is important to argue the issues, but it is either naive or self-centered or just plain ignorant to dismiss a candidate's statements just because those statements do not fit with your view/experience of the world. Certainly I may not have fighting cancer high on my list of priorities but that's no reason to withhold my vote for candidate Y.

Now if Obama had said that those people in PA were bitter and wanted to take up arms to overthrow the government, then that would be an unreasonable statement which doesn't mesh with what people are feeling. Then there should be an outcry against it.

Bottom line, Obama is reading a very real feeling in America and because he is most in touch with this, the other candidates feel threatened and are trying to take Obama's power away from him. Obama should do more to show he is in a better position to relate with voters and address their concerns than either Hillary or McCain. His statement isn't a political blunder, unless he allows Hillary and McCain to make it so.

What are Republican Family Values?

Apathy, Callousness, Greed, Self Serving Self Interest,
Narcissism, Inhumanity, Death, Looting, Plundering.

I don't feel this is a fatal blow to his campaign. But Clinton and Obama should know by now the way the existing political system, coupled with the mainstream media and the new media, work. They can be totally honest and say what they think but they need to be ready if they make an assertion that can be taken, used against them, broadened and exaggerated. quoted in print, run in campaign ads (if it is videoed or audioed)…with snippets taken out of context to show the worst part.

This is the REALITY of how our politics operates right now. Hopefully that wasn't lost when people read this post. A statement can be politically flatfooted and amateurish and still be honest and refreshing and in some cases true.

Neither Obama nor Clinton can afford to give their Democratic and Republican foes a box of ammunition to use against them. During this campaign both have had moments when they did. In both cases, it's a bit astonishing that they didn't realize how things could be picked up and used against them.

John McCain is now escaping all of this because the GOP primary is largely over.

One further note. The system and the way campaigns are conducted could change. But it ain't gonna change in this election cycle because this is the way politics is conducted: find an opening, rip it open some more, leap on it, and keep ripping and hitting on it until the candidate bleeds. The opening almost does't matter and the validity of the charge made against the candidate (do people REALLY think Obama doesn't care about people in small towns — most people making the charge probably don't but they have to say it because this is the way they advance their candidates' cause).

Think of American politics now as a combination ballet and bull fight.

Where the bull isn't just fought, but thrown.

Fine. Senator Obama is everything negative thing those have said about him. Just wait till your candidate says “something” and their words are micro-parsed for effect. Frankly, if all three candidates would go back to the Senate and we then pick candidates by a raffle, it would be fine with me. Just so that this silly season would end.

Wow. You really have to be an extremist to believe that anything close to this was said.

Bravo.

As for this whole controversy: it's political correctness gone mad. Obama is religious and anti-trade, by the way. I suppose that also makes him a self-hating liberal elitist.

Or maybe he just can't say the word “bitter.” What a joke — as if Americans AREN'T bitter with the political process in this country?

Again, the political correctness is astounding.