MyDD :: WOW

WOW

by hebi, Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 07:27:05 AM EST

Barack is so unbelievably good at fighting back when he hits a rough patch. He really blows me away every he time he has to dig deep.

The first time in my life I was really moved by a politicians speech, was when I heard Martin Luther King's "I have a dream". I'm a wet blanket, I cry when I see "Sleepless in Seatle" for the third time. So listening to Rev. King drenched my T-shirt.

The second politician that really moved me was Nelson Mandela. I had been folliwing South Africa for a while, and I was against Apartheid, but I was so afraid it would end in a bloodbath. I was to afraid for that to be in favor of a handover of power to the ANC. Seeing the grace with which Nelson Mandela handled this complicated proces and being relieved by the loving strenth that he used to bring South Africa to the next level, made me cry again.

The third politician that touched my soul was Barack Obama, when he should have been down and out in New Hampshire.
The bildup was huge. He had enjoyed a great victory in Iowa. His speech afterwards was great, tremendous energy, all the polls were predicting a blowout, and it didn't happen. He lost, plain and simple.
But somehow he was able to dig deep within himself, find his inner strength and he spoke out so beautifully about hope and unity. Strength in being united, the positive aspects of the United States of America.

YES WE CAN.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe751kMBw ms

In the following weeks the campaign continued with the usual tit for tat's, Some states (the small unimportant ones) went for Obama, other states (the big relevant ones) went for Clinton and suddenly it looked like everything would be torn apart by a close up of black anger. The only solution might be throwing a good man under the bus and even that would probably not be enough.
And again Barack reached deep inside himself and wrote a different speech. Not a wildly energetic YES WE CAN 2.0, but a long philosophical speech about race, about black anger and white resentment. About his fused multiracial background and about his flatout refusal to throw a good man under the bus for political reasons.
A MORE PERFECT UNION

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWe7wTVbL UU

And after a little help from a sleepdeprived senator from New York, the BHO campaign was on steam again. But still the progress with certain demographics was not what it should be, to make absolutely clear who should be the nominee for the Democratic party. Birkenstock waring, goatcheese loving, awfull bowlers like me are on his side big time, but strugling midwesterners and factory workers (even those who love goatcheese) are not yet overwelmingly supporting him. And answering a question, in his normal honoust and straightforward way, he spoke again about white resentment and industry town bitterness. He spoke in a way that was immediatly soundbitten to upperclass arrogance by his opponents in the race for the White house. He spoke honestly about real problems but the knee jerk reaction was exactly the same for the both of them.
And again, hitting the rough patch, he reacted exactly right for the moment. He connected to the anger and the bitterness of people seeing their home town slowly being destroyed by jobs being transferred oversea and trade agreements. Before he showed he can be energetic, inspiring, that he can talk honestly and loyaly about a difficult subject, but now he showed that he can fight back as well when he is attacked. He can fight back when his opponents play political games over the backs of strugling people in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

"Out of touch? Out of touch? I mean, John McCain--it took him three tries to finally figure out that the home foreclosure crisis was a problem and to come up with a plan for it, and he's saying I'm out of touch? Senator Clinton voted for a credit card-sponsored bankruptcy bill that made it harder for people to get out of debt after taking money from the financial services companies, and she says I'm out of touch? No, I'm in touch. I know exactly what's going on. I know what's going on in Pennsylvania. I know what's going on in Indiana. I know what's going on in Illinois. People are fed-up. They're angry and they're frustrated and they're bitter. And they want to see a change in Washington and that's why I'm running for President of the United States of America."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc9PepjyD ow&eurl=http://www.dailykos.com/stor yonly/2008/4/11/212019/438/254/494026

Tags: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, McCain (all tags)

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Re: WOW (none / 0)

god yeah, watching all the media, Obama will win this, heh, its great to show Hillary saying Hey no one is bitter,

then the clip, I am out of touch, no they are crazy people are bitter and they want change.

and then its a question, those people about to lose their houses, are they going to stand up and say damn right I am optimistic or damn right I am bitter.

man he is a great fighter.

Obama said, as Bill beamed. "Thank you, President Clinton."

by TruthMatters on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 08:09:55 AM EST

Um? (none / 0)

Sorry, but he wouldn't have to be such a great fighter if he'd stop saying such stupid things. Just being real. Anyone who tries to spin it that this recent comment and the Rev. Wright fiasco are somehow gonna work to his advantage are just delusional. Delusional to the point that it's actually kind of scary (like Jim Jones Scary). I mean, I'm a Democrat too, and want us to win this fall, and I want Obama to stop saying stupid shit. If you think that there won't be ads out USING HIS OWN AUDIO saying, "bitter, clinging to God, small town Americans"- well then you need to pull your head out of the sand. These will work as great follow up ads to the "God Damn America!" ads. I want to jump on this Kumbaya train too, but I'm too much of a realist.
In the end Damage Control is Damage Control is Damage Control. Yes, Obama is pretty good at it (thank God)- but STILL................

by easyE on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 10:53:20 AM EST
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Re: Um? (none / 0)

There's no damage control when you refuse to back down from your statements. What he said was the truth, his original statement was taken entirely out of context, and he came back even stronger and made those who tried to misrepresent him look completely out of touch and pandering to the poor and middle class.

Attacks like this will be par for the course. It takes no effort to misrepresent and smear someone. It takes immense character and conviction to refuse to back down in front of it.

by upstate girl on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 11:00:43 AM EST
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Re: WOW (2.00 / 1)

lmao MLK MANDELA OBAMA?

you people need to take a breath.

he is no MLK or MAndela

please remind me when obama was shot or imprisoned for his beliefs?

by zane on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 08:29:31 AM EST

Re: WOW (none / 0)

I didn't want too but I just had too.

they tried, but he dodged the sniper fire

>_<

Obama said, as Bill beamed. "Thank you, President Clinton."

by TruthMatters on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 08:31:28 AM EST
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Re: WOW (none / 0)

I nowhere say that Obama is Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela.

I've only written what he means to me, how I respond to him, what I hear him saying.

He can't be the child of opression like MLK or NM, he is the child of liberation. The harvest of what Rev. King has sown.

by hebi on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 09:11:38 AM EST
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Re: WOW (none / 0)

It's blind love and nothing more. How else do you explain applauding his BS about Clinton and credit cards, when Obama voted AGAINST a 30% cap on interest rates. "Obama, the usury candidate."

by dhonig on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 08:47:02 AM EST

Re: WOW (none / 0)

Are you saying he was wrong about Clinton's record? Or are you avoiding the fact that he was seriously misrepresented by both McCain and Clinton?

You're not making a case for your candidate, you're only trying to tear down the other one. The fact that both McCain and Clinton's camps - along with the rest of the Republican base - fell on this so fast and were so fundamentally conniving and wrong says a lot about who is really trying to represent lower and middle class Americans.

by upstate girl on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 08:53:45 AM EST
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Really? (none / 0)

Take a look at (generally speaking) who is supporting Obama and who is supporting Clinton.

Representing lower and middle-class Americans? She gets that vote by a long shot. He gets the college grads. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with appealing to either of these groups, mind you. But it's obvious who's connecting with whom.

Tear the other one down? His whole campaign was started on this "she's the "status quo" candidate" and the "politics of the past" candidate. I guess those were supposed to be complimentary comments. Give me a break. Open your freaking eyes, girl. He's been negative on her since the beginning.

by DaTruth on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 09:25:41 AM EST
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Re: Really? (none / 0)

Its much more valid for me to look at my own situation. I live in a tiny town that hasn't had an economic upswing since the 70's. Its a dying manufacturing town in the Rust Belt. I am from the towns Obama is talking about. My family has been through medical bankruptcy, I've lived paycheck to paycheck, I come from a religious household. And people are sick of having their faith and their rights danced around by politicians who only want to get in office to keep the same old process going while our country dissolves.

For whatever statistics have been polled on who has the lower class vote vs. the college educated vote, there's more than enough overlap so that any kind of statement on which candidate truly represents the will of that demographic is specious to say the least.

And please, spare me the who started it line. Like that kind of situation makes a difference a year down the road, when Clinton is enthusiastically sending out Republican pundit talking points to specifically twist what Obama said, and insults the intelligence of everyone she's trying to "defend" at the same time.

by upstate girl on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 09:41:44 AM EST
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Re: WOW (none / 0)

He is way strong, that's why more people voted for him!

by Hope Monger 2008 on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 09:00:37 AM EST

Re: WOW (none / 0)

He is a good campaigner and is great with words. I'll grant you that.

But like so many others, you seem not to be able to look past his words -- in this particular case, have you asked yourself 'how come Barack Obama believes this about people'? Have you seen real evidence that people who are bitter turn to guns, to gay-bashing and antipathy toward others who are not like them? Please post the link.. I'd really like to see the data.

I don't find his views mainstream at all.

by BostonIndependent on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 10:11:23 AM EST

Re: WOW (none / 0)

I'm right in the heart of the Rust Belt, and I see it every day. And you're also purposefully misconstruing his words. He doesn't say "gay bashing", for pete's sake. Talk about putting words in someone's mouth!

People are bitter their government has abandoned them and rips them off, and the same politicians that get away with it use religion and second amendment issues to distract voters from the real problems. And that's easy to do when you're manipulating people's faith into making them single issue voters, specifically so they vote against their best interests economically and politically.

There's not a thing he said that I found less than the truth. He's saying he hears we're upset - we're not happy to "roll up our sleeves" and get to work cleaning up behind yet another administration.

by upstate girl on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 10:19:07 AM EST
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Re: WOW (none / 0)

Sorry -- I did look up his speech, and you are right. He didn't say anything about gays. My mistake -- he said "religion".

I'm glad you see this sort of behavior where you live and can speak with authority. But you are not getting what I'm trying to say. I'm NOT saying people are not bitter about government or politicians in general, or that politicians can choose to use these issues to divide us.

These facts are independent of, and not causally connected to why people turn to guns, to religion or antipathy toward other people.

I will grant you that politicians "use" these issues to their advantage. Right now, just like Obama is deflecting this from being about "his beliefs about people" to "how other politicians use issues to make people vote". But isn't his own campaign the greatest counter example to that?

I for one, do not wish to believe that people are as dumb as that. I for one, choose to believe in a better America. I for one, choose to believe that even though our system has faults, and a great many politicisns (including Obama) have not a great deal to recommend them, that we can come together and work together -- indeed roll up our sleeves and get things done. That's what makes this nation great. It is becoming clearer and clearer to me that Obama perhaps really does not believe that. At his core. And his citing the credit-card rate cap bill is proof .. did you see the debate where this matter was discussed and Edwards' reaction to Obama saying he voted against it because he thought the cap was too high??!

by BostonIndependent on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 10:59:20 AM EST

Re: WOW (none / 0)

Ah, so its Edwards pining again. I understand Edwards was a favored candidate for a lot of people, but that's not going to happen.

If you're saying that people do not turn to faith, or to issues that represent things that are representatives of their values (such as the Second Amendment) when voting on issues like the economy fail (because no politician from either side seems to help), then you're a little further removed from understanding basic human nature. You're trying to make this into "Obama thinks this about them!" when he clearly says that he's been told time and again from the very people he's talking about what their motivations are.

The meme of Americans that "roll up their sleeves to get things done" is a potent one, and one that's been abused just as much as religion and second amendment rights has been. No one, certainly Obama, is saying that Americans don't want to do the hard work. He specifically says that Americans need to take a more active role in politics because things will not fix themselves. But to imply that Americans are happy to roll up their sleeves and work while the same old political smoke and mirrors continues to work against their best interests is saying that the American people are suckers. And I don't believe that.

by upstate girl on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 11:07:37 AM EST
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Re: WOW (2.00 / 1)

Of course some people roll up their sleeves and start trying to build something new when their town is ripped apart by a big factory being transported to China. Even when their government seems to care more about a big bank in trouble than about hundreds of small towns all across the USA. As you may have heard in the audio of the original remarks, Barack also acknowledges that, when he talked about the challenge of canvasing in Pennsylvania.
But there are also people who have given up, turned bitter and disillusioned because of it. And simply ignoring that fact and looking over these people, eyes fixed on the nice people who are roling up their sleeves enthusiastically, is arrogant and condescending.
And worse still ignoring these problems and not acknowledging that this is a reality too, will create even more problems in the future.
It's high time that someone stands up for these towns, looks the people there in the eyes, starts talking about their problems and starts helping them.

by hebi on Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 11:26:46 AM EST
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