Obama on Small-Town Pennsylvania...

[exopolitician]

This thread is sad.

[12th Doctor]

And expanding on Obama's personality, I really don't find his drug ridden emo search for self in his early years to be the least bit compelling or inspiring as a personal narrative.

OMG he had an identity crisis.  Why don't I think that's enough to make him President?  If anything, it just goes to show how many people out there are massively insecure with themselves and flock to someone who can show them the way.  If Obama were running to be the next Dr. Phil, I would have no problems.  Sadly, people seem to have confused The Real World with the real world.

[Bono]

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In wading through the bridgework about you dislike of the art of economics, I think I see the nub of your thesis. The US should go through periodic bouts of protectionism, so that the vulnerable can do some weight lifting, and muscle up, before having to get back into the dog eat dog global ring. Alas, the evidence is what happens is that the safety net causes coach potato behavior, and the muscles atrophy even more, until there comes a point that there is no fight left in the corpus; it's all adipose. Sometime adverting to empirical experience is useful. Protectionist regimes, even if meant to be temporary, ever caused an increase in economic fitness.

Tory has no idea what he is talking about, as 'competition' has nothing to do with economics.  Rather it is a politically imposed condition, forced upon workers by the State.  Another way to look at it is that the State must ensure that all benefits flow to the owners - the best way to do this is to make accessible to them the slave labourers of places such as China.  This undercuts the political position of workers in the US, who never had any power anyway, thus ensuring continued owner dominance.

The pretense that this is some sort of  immutable or 'neutral' 'law of economics' is assinine.  It is simply political power - one human bashing the others to make them pay.

Yea, people in China were livin' it up before western investment.

Your comment is completely irrelevant to my post, Bono, you simpleton. 

You talk about western investment in China as if it went to enslave Chinese people. On the contrary, it liberated them from a life of stagnation not that different from the one their ancestors lead 2000 years ago, and allowed them an opportunity to better themselves. The choice of the Chinese is not between $50 dollars per month and $1500 per month, but between $50 dollars per month or subsistence agriculture. And unlike what you allege there is no evidence of slavery because conditions in the plants are better than those the Chinese have in rural areas. You attack the terrible multinational corporations, but you don't understand, or refuse to understand how they help the Chinese workers. They are not going to have better work conditions if they have no choice but subsistence farming. And an eventual reduction of foreign investment in China, which can be the only result of the protectionist measures you defend, is only going to slow the development of an independent civil society capable of fighting for freedom. You attack investment in China without realizing, or perhaps realizing it all too well, that in its absence the Chinese people would be worse, not better.
It is in this issue that you reveal yourself to be much more reactionary and poor-hating than those you so attack for that. You're probably just afraid that if other salaries rise, your hookers will become too expensive.

[exopolitician]

And expanding on Obama's personality, I really don't find his drug ridden emo search for self in his early years to be the least bit compelling or inspiring as a personal narrative.

OMG he had an identity crisis.  Why don't I think that's enough to make him President?  If anything, it just goes to show how many people out there are massively insecure with themselves and flock to someone who can show them the way.  If Obama were running to be the next Dr. Phil, I would have no problems.  Sadly, people seem to have confused The Real World with the real world.

You seem so bitter....

oh wait...

[opebo]

And expanding on Obama's personality, I really don't find his drug ridden emo search for self in his early years to be the least bit compelling or inspiring as a personal narrative.

OMG he had an identity crisis.  Why don't I think that's enough to make him President?  If anything, it just goes to show how many people out there are massively insecure with themselves and flock to someone who can show them the way.  If Obama were running to be the next Dr. Phil, I would have no problems.  Sadly, people seem to have confused The Real World with the real world.

Oh come on - the other choices are Hillary or the ridiculous McCain(Bush).

[Wiz in Wis]

I Googled "Obama" and "bitter" and got more than 500,000 hits.

I googled Obama and Burrito and got 255,000, what's your point?

[Ban my account ffs!]

I think its funny both Clinton and McCain are calling Obama the elitist when both candidates probably have more money and more wealth than Obama could ever imagine having. What a load

Elitism isn't just based on wealth.

True, it's also based on your parents' privilege and the educational opportunities that go along with it.

Obama went to Columbia and Harvard.  Good argument.  Using your guidelines, McCain is easily the least elitist of the bunch.

You know, I'm really tired of this anti-education crap from Republicans. Heaven forbid you go to an elite school based on your intelligence. May I remind you he was the son of a single mom who was abandoned by his father and was only able to attend those schools because he persevered through his own intelligence and hard work. Yes, McCain has a strong background, and I wouldn't call him elite. But just because you work your ass off to get to college and make the most of yourself, doesn't make you elitest. Sheesh

There is something called context here, I suggest you look into it.  I wasn't saying people are elitist for having that kinda education.  I was refuting the claim that elitism and education opportunities go hand and hand.

There are 10 days before Pennsylvania... the real fireworks will be the debate. If Hillary goes after Obama on this, He may unload all holy fury on her. This type of response from Her will get him pissed off, and like in SC, he will slam her for her "midwestern values" That is what I am looking forward to.

Yeah, I hope he does, because if he thinks he can do that here, he is gonna get trashed today, tomorrow and in November.

Oh stop with your "Obama is out of touch with reality... only *Pennsylvania* sees the true Obama" crap.

As somebody who worked my ass off to get into a good school as a first time college-goer from a poor family with a disabled mother, I agree wholeheartedly that when things get bad and you feel powerless to change it, you instead become bitter and cynical and focus on other things.

People wouldn't be getting so pissy about this if it wasn't true.

Well, you know what doesn't fly here?  Sugarcoating EVERYTHING lest some right wing talking head gets his underwear in a bunch and demands the politician slit his throat for telling the truth on a touchy subject.

[12th Doctor]

Oh man.  The Post-Gazette and the Tribune Review broadsided Obama... and that's just the Saturday editions.  Pretty rare when you can get them both to agree on something.

[Democratic Hawk]

Uh oh! The Republicans and Hillary Hacks have the bulldozers out! They must be trying to make another mountain out of a molehill!

I can't believe you of all people are so anxious about towing the line for this guy.  He's a fraud.  The hope he claims to offer is a fraud.  His whole "search for self" is a fraud.  His claims to be able to unify the country and about how he loves and respects everyone are a fraud.  It's all fake.  How can you buy into it?

I don't do frauds . Nor do I have an investment in America's continued decline, which is why I've endorsed Obama

[Wiz in Wis]

Oh man.  The Post-Gazette and the Tribune Review broadsided Obama... and that's just the Saturday editions.  Pretty rare when you can get them both to agree on something.

Color me shocked

[Wiz in Wis]

Uh oh! The Republicans and Hillary Hacks have the bulldozers out! They must be trying to make another mountain out of a molehill!

I can't believe you of all people are so anxious about towing the line for this guy.  He's a fraud.  The hope he claims to offer is a fraud.  His whole "search for self" is a fraud.  His claims to be able to unify the country and about how he loves and respects everyone are a fraud.  It's all fake.  How can you buy into it?

I don't do frauds . Nor do I have an investment in America's continued decline, which is why I've endorsed Obama

Frauds huh? when the other options are Tuzlagate or Bush's third term... I'll take the fraud

[J. J.]

I Googled "Obama" and "bitter" and got more than 500,000 hits.

I googled Obama and Burrito and got 255,000, what's your point?

It's a big issue, since we're talking 24 hours.

[exopolitician]

I Googled "Obama" and "bitter" and got more than 500,000 hits.

I googled Obama and Burrito and got 255,000, what's your point?

It's a big issue, since we're talking 24 hours.

lol..so basically its come down to "my hits are bigger than your hits...EL OH EL!!!11one"

[Torie]

It might be a tangible hit against Obama. He's lucky he said this as late in the cycle as he did. It is just so wonderful when Dems one wants to lose make rhetorical errors - well, for some us. In event, the idea is to wound Obama, without killing him as a host.

[opebo]

It might be a tangible hit against Obama. He's lucky he said this as late in the cycle as he did. It is just so wonderful when Dems one wants to lose make rhetorical errors - well, for some us. In event, the idea is to wound Obama, without killing him as a host.

Not much of a 'wound'.  Hicks wouldn't vote for him anyway, and anyone who would vote for him dislikes hicks.

[exopolitician]

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[J. J.]

As somebody who worked my ass off to get into a good school as a first time college-goer from a poor family with a disabled mother, I agree wholeheartedly that when things get bad and you feel powerless to change it, you instead become bitter and cynical and focus on other things.

Please stop the "pity me" mentality.  I was from a single parent family, disabled, and not particularly well off family from one of those towns Obama is calling bitter (my father probably made less than those union workers), and managed to get elected to public office in the process. 

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This isn't the truth, which is why a number of us were upset.  It isn't the current situation either; Obama's describing the small towns of 25-30 years ago.

[J. J.]

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This one is a little more than "regret."  It tells us something of his ideology.

[opebo]

It isn't the current situation either; Obama's describing the small towns of 25-30 years ago.

Back when there were still a few people living in them.

[Torie]

It might be a tangible hit against Obama. He's lucky he said this as late in the cycle as he did. It is just so wonderful when Dems one wants to lose make rhetorical errors - well, for some us. In event, the idea is to wound Obama, without killing him as a host.

Not much of a 'wound'.  Hicks wouldn't vote for him anyway, and anyone who would vote for him dislikes hicks.

I know this might shock one, but it may be that even some who are not hicks, and not Pubbies, might not find favor with crude and errant stereotyping by one who has never walked the walk of those who wear the shoes that Obama has never come close to wearing. Hickdom knows no boundaries really, if hickdom means being lazy about characterizing the other, with archetypes which just  makes one more comfortable with their own little impermeable bubble of a universe.

[Wiz in Wis]

I Googled "Obama" and "bitter" and got more than 500,000 hits.

I googled Obama and Burrito and got 255,000, what's your point?

It's a big issue, since we're talking 24 hours.

What are you talking about?! Burittogate has been in the media for less than 1 hr, and its already half as controversial as bittergate. I'm pretty sure Obama's campaign is done for

[J. J.]

It isn't the current situation either; Obama's describing the small towns of 25-30 years ago.

Back when there were still a few people living in them.

Most retrained, and got better jobs.

[J. J.]

I Googled "Obama" and "bitter" and got more than 500,000 hits.

I googled Obama and Burrito and got 255,000, what's your point?

It's a big issue, since we're talking 24 hours.

What are you talking about?! Burittogate has been in the media for less than 1 hr, and its already half as controversial as bittergate. I'm pretty sure Obama's campaign is done for

I'm pretty sure that if this the best his supporter's can do, Obama is finished.

[opebo]

It might be a tangible hit against Obama. He's lucky he said this as late in the cycle as he did. It is just so wonderful when Dems one wants to lose make rhetorical errors - well, for some us. In event, the idea is to wound Obama, without killing him as a host.

Not much of a 'wound'.  Hicks wouldn't vote for him anyway, and anyone who would vote for him dislikes hicks.

I know this might shock one, but it may be that even some who are not hicks, and not Pubbies, might not find favor with crude and errant stereotyping by one who has never walked the walk of those who wear the shoes that Obama has never come close to wearing. Hickdom knows no boundaries really, if hickdom means being lazy about characterizing the other, with archetypes which just  makes one more comfortable with their own little impermeable bubble of a universe.

No, americans all stereotype.  If you think the 'anti-stereotyping vote' is going to get away from Obama, you're crazy, however.  The only people who resist stereotyping are liberals, and they're certainly not voting for Hillary or McCain.

[exopolitician]

I dont understand why people are getting so riled up about it, except because they are hacks and are just trying to find a reason to bash Obama and label him a bad person. If your not bitter and frustrated and your life is in the dumps isnt it natural for people to turn to religion for help...I mean isnt that kinda the point? Again this is something thats being blown way out of proportion by the MSM and the opposition. Im definately not surprised though....very dissapointed though.