A Distinction Without a Difference

A minor controversy has arisen over the meaning of remarks made by a supporter of Sen. Barack Obama at a recent Florida rally. The woman told a Miami television interviewer that she was excited for the prospect of Sen. Obama's election because, among other things, she never thought, "that this day would ever happen." This is where the controversy begins. The woman continued, stating her beliefs about what a potential Obama administration would do for her. One transcription of her quote had her saying "I won't have to work on putting gas in my car, I won't have to work on paying my mortgage. You know, if I help him, he's going to help me."

One liberal blogger provides a different, supposedly clarifying transcription. He calls the original linked article a "low blow," as if the transcription was deliberately changed so as to cast aspersions on the supporter. This is a favorite trick of liberal commentators, and this one in particular. The aim is to discredit dissenting opinions by labeling them disingenuous, or attacks, or worse, rather than addressing them on the merits. There are no honest errors when it comes to political interpretations in many liberals' minds. In the new transcription, the woman is quoted as saying "worry about" rather than "work on." So, the full quote becomes, "I won't have to worry about putting gas in my car, I won't have to worry about paying my mortgage." The contention is that the meaning of the woman's remarks is completely changed by changing the two words.

But this is only the case if one ignores the rest of the Obama's supporter's comments. She says, "If I help him, he's going to help me." It is in this sentence where the supporter's expectations for Obama can be clearly seen. She believes that a President Obama is going to do something directly for her and others like her. She is not talking about general economic improvements that might occur under an Obama administration. She is expecting Sen. Obama to actively intervene in her personal situation, and in the situations of others in similar circumstances. Sen. Obama has told her, and the rest of America how he would do that as president. By increasing taxes on the successful in order to "spread the wealth around." This supporter has gotten the message.

All of this is conjecture, on both sides, of course. No one can really know what any supporter of either candidate is thinking when they make their decision. But if one looks at the rhetoric of each campaign, one can infer what supporters of a candidate would reasonably expect based on the message the campaign puts out. In this case, Sen. Obama has been putting out the message that he is going to right all the perceived injustices of class in America by taxing the rich more to give to the less well-off. As the original article stated, this supporter is proof that Obama's message is being received. That could be a problem for Sen. Obama, as last-minute undecided voters cast their votes, and for his administration should he be elected.