The Difference Between Worrying About Right-Wing Smears and Validating Them

[OhioChick]

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Via John Cole, I see that Clinton surrogate Evan Bayh had this to say today about Obama's 'bitter' comment:

“I think it’s a real potential political problem and it’s something for superdelegates and voters to think about,” said Bayh, who was made available to reporters by the Clinton campaign to speak about the controversy.

“The far right wing has a very good track record of using things like this relentlessly against our candidates, whether its Al Gore or John Kerry,” Bayh said, “I’m afraid this is the kind of fodder they might use to harm him.”
This is the classic 'concern troll' type of argument, but it's fair enough. Bayh is undoubtedly right that Republicans will attempt to paint Obama as some sort of effete, elitist snob who is out of touch with regular folk, and they will cite his recent comments as evidence of this. They're already doing it.

But it's important to remember that they will do this with whomever the nominee turns out to be, and they will have no problem finding things to cite as evidence. They do it every single election cycle.

The problem is that Hillary Clinton, the person Evan Bayh is out stumping for, isn't just expressing concern that Republicans will use Obama's comments to attack him unfairly. If that's all she was doing, I wouldn't really have any problem with it. Instead, she's explicitly arguing that Obama is in fact an elitist, out-of-touch snob.

Yesterday she said (referring to Obama): "Pennsylvanians don’t need a president who looks down on them."

In case that wasn't clear enough, today she said: "Senator Obama's remarks are elitist, and they are out of touch. They are not reflective of the values and beliefs of Americans."

That's not just concern trolling. That's flat out validation of the worst Republican-created stereotypes about Democrats. It's hard for me to imagine anything she could say that is more myopic and reckless. Clinton has gone way too far on this one.

http://www.anonymousliberal.com/2008/04/difference-between-worrying-about-right.html

Sent to me by a Friend. :)

[papau]

1. As usual, DU refuses to discuss the substance of a negative Obama review

[ClassWarrior]

3. What substance?

NGU.

[ClassWarrior]

9. As usual, HRC defender demands substance, but can provide none.

:eyes:

NGU.

[stillcool]

6. Perhaps you can enlighten me...

on the substance in the following remarks that you review negatively?

Transcript of Obama’s Remarks at San Francisco Fundraiser Sunday
April 11, 2008

OBAMA: So, it depends on where you are, but I think it's fair to say that the places where we are going to have to do the most work are the places where people are most cynical about government. The people are mis-appre...they're misunderstanding why the demographics in our, in this contest have broken out as they are. Because everybody just ascribes it to 'white working-class don't wanna work -- don't wanna vote for the black guy.' That's...there were intimations of that in an article in the Sunday New York Times today - kind of implies that it's sort of a race thing.

Here's how it is: in a lot of these communities in big industrial states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, people have been beaten down so long. They feel so betrayed by government that when they hear a pitch that is premised on not being cynical about government, then a part of them just doesn't buy it. And when it's delivered by -- it's true that when it's delivered by a 46-year-old black man named Barack Obama, then that adds another layer of skepticism.

But -- so the questions you're most likely to get about me, 'Well, what is this guy going to do for me? What is the concrete thing?' What they wanna hear is so we'll give you talking points about what we're proposing -- to close tax loopholes, uh you know uh roll back the tax cuts for the top 1%, Obama's gonna give tax breaks to uh middle-class folks and we're gonna provide healthcare for every American.

But the truth is, is that, our challenge is to get people persuaded that we can make progress when there's not evidence of that in their daily lives. 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.

Um, now these are in some communities, you know. I think what you'll find is, is that people of every background -- there are gonna be a mix of people, you can go in the toughest neighborhoods, you know working-class lunch-pail folks, you'll find Obama enthusiasts. And you can go into places where you think I'd be very strong and people will just be skeptical. The important thing is that you show up and you're doing what you're doing.

[tekisui]

12. You think we like him now, just wait until his is Officially the Nominee.

[dchill]

2. "Pennsylvanians don’t need a president ...

who looks down on them." - Exactly why I'm voting for Obama.

[anonymous171]

4. I can't believe Hillary is using the Southern Strategy against Obama.

[Middle finga]

5. Damn I wish the Clintons would just go away

[babylonsister]

7. Rec'd! "Clinton has gone way too far on this one." I agree! nt

[Cali_Democrat]

8. Well Said!!

:applause:

[Straight Shooter]

10. Once again, Obama's remarks cause "bitter" debate amongst Democrats.

It started with the praise of Reagan, and this latest brouhaha is another episode of W.O.R.M. (What Obama Really Meant)

This will never end. Every time he veers off the Axelrod/Gibbs script, we go through this. It will never end.

[ClassWarrior]

11. Oh no, not a DEBATE!! How the hell can we have a coronation in...

...the middle of a debate??!

:rofl:

NGU.

[Straight Shooter]

13. I'm glad you think it's funny.

This is a more nauseating campaign than Reagan v. Carter, and I'm still trying to figure out how Americans could fall for such a phony manufactured candidate who was nothing more than a smooth talker who ingratiated himself by presenting an image they wanted desperately to see.

Yes, I'm aware of Carter's recent statements about Obama. It's a disappointment, but maybe Carter can go to the Chicago slums and help build some Habitats for Humanity there and lead by example. I think Carter is just the role model Obama needs.

[ClassWarrior]

16. Actually, I think it's pitiful. But I've always felt that way about RW tactics.

NGU.

[H2O Man]

14. Thank you.

Nominated.

[BumRushDaShow]

15. The Clintons ARE the RW's tool. They don't just validate, they do the repuke's bidding. n/t

[dchill]

17. McCain/Clinton '08...

"Experience you can be bitter about!"
To some, that has a nice ring to it, I'm sure.

:puke: