Poor, Stupid, Bitter White People

Sure, what else could Barack Obama have possibly meant by this?

You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.

Far be it from me to criticize my colleagues. In fact, I do no such thing. Individually, there's not a thing wrong with our coverage of this gaffe. However, this will be the 5th story we've done on this in less than 24 hours, and I have yet to see a fair analysis of what Barack was actually saying, here or elsewhere.

Without a doubt, these words are tough to hear, but I find it unimaginable that his meaning isn't clear to anyone with more than a passing interest in politics. I know for a fact it's clear to Hillary Clinton, but she is expected to blow this up. Members of the media know better, but they fret about "what voters will think of this" while they're telling them what to think. Gaffes make for easy headlines, easy ratings.

I know they know because it's a phenomenon we've all talked about a million times before, so why is it a big deal when Barack Obama says it? Everyone I've listed here has commented and debated on the ways in which middle-to-lower-class Americans get tricked into voting against their own interests. Is he being too uppity?

Update: Many of our readers have made awesome, devastating points. See some after the story.This isn't that complicated a statement to untangle. Are a lot of Pennsylvanians bitter about the rape of the American workforce at the hands of corporations and union-busting Republicans? As my buddy, Cenk Uygur, would say, "Of frickin' coooourse!!!"

Do politicians throw them red meat just to get votes, without helping them at all? Of cooourse!

I could not agree more with every syllable of what Barack said, but he is not attacking those people. They have been under attack, as have we all, by the same handful of rich a-holes since the beginning of time, since the first Republican figured out how to hit the other chimps with a legbone and keep some extra meat.

My distaste for gaffe politics is well-documented. I have consistently defended the gaffees in these situations, be they Republican, Democrat, fish, or fowl. Most of what the media calls gaffes nowadays, anyway, aren't really gaffes at all, but fall into the category of "Not baby-talk." With so much at stake in this election, it is particularly galling to see gaffes having this kind of effect.


I heard a story awhile back that I think is illustrative of this situation, the story of the "Hug Machine." A woman who experienced anxiety due to her autism invented it as a way to work through those episodes. She was inspired by observing that the squeeze chute at her Aunt's cattle ranch had a calming effect on the cattle as it held them in place to be branded.

The question now is, are people so bitter that, upon having it pointed out to them, they will indignantly remain in line to have their turn in the hug machine, right before they get another hot iron?

Update: Grangigi writes:

I didn't hear this kind of uproar when Barack mused about the bitterness that some AAs (African Americans) feel about their socioeconomic plight. He even indicated that much of that is misplaced. That was okay...

But offer an empathetic nod to the bitterness (i.e. anger, dissappointment) about their economic situation after the Clinton years of "prosperity and Peace" that resulted in NAFTA and 911 and all of a sudden he's being "elitest."

Who's the elitist -- the ones who don't recognize or care about the plight of those in pain and simply offer up a "keep giving one for the gipper" cheer or the one who acknowledges that there are problems that need to be addressed and who commiserates with those that are suffering...???

C Jenkins writes:

Wake up America,she is trying to hoodwink all of us. Both rural and urban habitants are angry and bitter that our government is shipping jobs overseas and Bill Clinton made $800,000 giving speeches to the Columbians in order to clinch a deal with The Columbia Trade Agreement. We had better all become bitter enough to get Bush out of office and keep McCain from winning this election.

William writes:

Just a quick question.... why is it that OHB makes a very true statement about people in small towns being bitter and everyone is shocked and pissed off,,, yet HRC says the small states arent importantant and its ok??? I was raised in a small mill town and could not wait to get the hell out, yet when i go back and talk to people that still live there they STILL say they are bitter and dont vote because "IT dont matter, what good is it gonna do me?"

Vanessa Guerin writes:

I think this uproar over Obama's words merely proves his point. Clinton and others have been using the poor and minority voters for years with fear tactics and trying to keep us for voting for real change. I'm insulted at the fact that she & Mccain are concluding that we as Americans can't comprehend truth. They are the ones that are actually looking down on Americans.

From Carl: (this was funny, Carl.)

True story: Two guys are sitting in a bar. One guy says to the other " Lou, I can't stand it.... you're so affected.... so elitist.... you are bringing me down....you're always puttin on airs..."

Lou thinks for a moment, looks up and says ... " Moi?"