"What Obama Really Meant" at the "Bitter" Billionaire Fundraiser

Well, well. At the same time we decide to take a long weekend, something that we have warned against finally blows up. You may want to look at these pictures for ambiance while you're listening to the audio of presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, while he's charming the guests at a $2300 a plate fundraiser hosted by billionaire oil heirs Ann and Gordon Getty. Here is the audio of the relevant portion by the "Democratic" presidential front runner. Full audio at The Huffington Post.

You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, a lot of them -- 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've gone 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. So it's not surprising then that they get bitter, and they cling to guns, or religion, or antipathy toward people who aren't like them, or anti-immigrant sentiment, or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.

Random thoughts to expand upon what we've been saying for months ...

First and foremost, this crystallizes the definition of Obama as an elitist and out of touch. Just last week, we brought up MSNBC's Chris Matthews comments ("Does he connect with regular people" or "only ... African-American[s] and from the people who have college or advanced degrees?") Dukakis in the tank, Kerry windsurfing, Obama bowling, or, explaining to sociology and demographics to billionaires in San Francisco, of all places. Obama is "disturbingly Ivy League," wrote New York Times columnist Gail Collins on Thursday, a day before the bitter brouhaha erupted.

Second, Obama needs to just leave this one alone and move on.

Third, the more Obama tries to explain himself, the worse it becomes. At Sunday's "Compassion" forum on CNN, he said the Bible said "clinging" to religion was a "good" thing. This is becoming like the Republicans were the party of "ideas", but, He didn't say they were good ideas.

Fourth, its amusing to watch the passive-aggressive praising of Reagan and Bush I and slamming of Bill Clinton by the "Democratic" presidential front runner. This is probably among the major reasons why many working class voters just don't like His message.

Fifth, even more entertaining are the intellectual gymnastics of the "101st Keyboard Brigade" of the "creative class" of white male bloggers (Sullivan, Marshall, Yglesias, Ambinder, Aravosis, Klein, etc) who explain the "nuance" of "what Obama really meant" to us "low information" types. Ambinder has an entire front page devoted to "what Obama really meant. Oy.

Lastly, there is a cloak of elitism and patronization around the Obama campaign. This is not to say that Obama is himself, but, the tone of the campaign and its supporters, at times, can be condescending. Just read the comments on this blog or any other blog in the "progressive" virtual community. Clinton and her supporters are continuously derided as dumb, racists, or having ulterior motives. Many Obama supporters cannot understand why everyone does not vote for Him because His supporters are more educated. We are "high-information." Maybe the "low information" voters don't understand nuance, etc. "Obama is a Mac, Hillary is a PC." Only He can unify the Party. "He" is "transformational" and "postpartisan."

Many in the "creative class" and the e-cheerleaders do not seem to understand (or care) about the potential general election impact of Rev. Wright or the "small town" "bitter" comments. The Democratic Party is unfairly branded as being out of touch with "regular" voters. When an incident arises that seems to validate the stereotype, its counter-productive to nuance and rationalize the perception. This is an issue for the entire Party and it seems the potential for a Dukakis or Kerry-style election grows by the day ...

Comments

[Derrick from PHilly]

Well...maybe what he meant to say was, "Al Gore, do you still want this thing 'cause me and Michelle are sick of these small town red-necks, and our having to pretend they're worth even speaking to."

Did the Kennedys pretend to be common folk? What about Bush, the Father?

But you're right, Rod. Both Kerry and Dukakis had this problem. But Hillary doesn't shop at Walmart either now.

[Cadence]

I don't think the comments are elitist, they are true. And pretty much no different than Obama talking about homophobia or racism in front of majority Black audiences.

My only question is do you think that the people who don't support Hillary are tired of being labled misogynists?

[Cadence]

Just one more thing, what Obama said was not only true, but a sign that he doesn't do well at pandering. Hillary is also elitist, but she has sense enough to troll for votes by pandering to her audience.

For example, when talking to a group of Black women about HIV, Hillary said that the situation be getting more attention if White women were being infected at the same rate as Black women.

At the same event, Obama said the solution is education, addressing homophobia, and Black women taking control of their bodies.

Now one of those methods could lead to actual change, while the other is just an example of stroking, and will lead to a continuation of the same problems.

[Ryan]

Some of the obama supporters here really need to take a look in the mirror and distinguish between truth and lies.

what obama said is elitist and stereotypical. you can't say that ALL people in those working class towns only care for religion and guns. his comments are elitist--end of story.

i'm from the midwest, and those aren't the two things i care for. i'm educated and can spot the difference between a mistake and a clear and pointed attempt at showing your ass...Obama showed his ass this time. what he said was wrong.

there are many people in the midwest who are educated and working class and dont have religion and guns on their minds or those are the two most prevalent things to them. not having jobs in their respective comunities, wondering how to feed their families, etc.

let's get real here...ALL of the candidates should be taken to task for their fuck ups in the media. this is obama's, and his supporters should be taking him to task about what he said...

because, the very people he just made stereotypical comments about now will be the ones who will help him get into the Oval Office in November.

[Homo N Harlem]

Obama said on the tape the one of the reasons he doesn't do well in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania is because many people are not willing to vote for him because he is black.

But that is only an articulation of what many supporters say especially in the blogs. If he wins, its because he is "post racial" or so "transformational." If he loses, its usually because of "race." Maybe some voters just don't like his politics or policies? maybe they don't like his "universal" health care plan or the trashing of a Democrat president and praising Republicans?

And if I may say something to Cadence, I've been reading this blog for a long time. I could be wrong, but I don't recall Rod mentioning ever sexism or misogyny very often on the part of voters. He has pointed out several tv hosts and bloggers who fall into the trap and have been reprimanded. I'm a Clinton supporter and comment here sometimes. I can't recall any recent comemnts (at least here) where a Clinton supporter blamed her fortunes solely on her gender.

[DFS]

respectfully disagree with Rod and Ryan.

as to the picture of Obama arriving at the Getty fundraiser, you think if they had offered to raise money for Hillary she would have turned them down? I think we all know the answer to that, so that whole commentary is really a red herring.

Second, do you all not think we owe 8 years of Bush in part to folks who vote rich and live poor? working class whites so successfully manipulated by wedge issues that they vote for a party and a candidate whose priorities are clearly not aligned with what should be the most important issues in their lives? Thats what I took from his comments and I couldn't agree with it more, and I think in her heart of hearts Hillary agrees with that too. But she cant say it. This is her opening to recover from the Bosnia mess and she will do what is politically expedient.

unfortunately in our political process, its not politically expedient to tell the truth really, its better to pander. Reminds me of the line from Primary Colors when Adrian Lester's character justifies why he is working for Jack Stanton (Bill Clinton) "I'd rather work for a candidate who believes what I believe and lies about it to get elected, rather than one who just doesnt give a ---"

[Homo N Harlem]

One more thing: I LOVE, LOVE your description of the white male bloggers as the 101ST KEYBOARD BRIGADE.

HA!

[Greg]

DFS, yoiu are right, they're politicians, of course they all pander and said what it takes to get elected. I'm sure Hillary feels the same way and would have been at the fundraiser too, nothing wrong with raising money. But, this is not about Hillary, we can't read her mind. And truth be told, she does quite with working class, small town and white voters, and woulkd never use that analogy to describe why they weren';t voting for her, They are!

I could be wrong, but, in my opinion, many people (esp black) are taking a "Barack was keeping it real" attitude. How? At a billionaire fundraiser where press where excluded? He was putting on a shuck n jive for the rich white donors.

It's becoming more obvious by the day that no matter what Obama says that demonstrates he alienates many white middle class voters, who Democrats NEED tro win, many of us want to go into denial.

Winning the nomination, it seems, is more important than winning in November.

[NOBama in the White House]

[DELETED]

[Rod Mc]

NOBama, your comment was deleted. Please be respectful.

[Ryan]

BINGO!

In best game show host voice: GREG! YOU JUST WON THE THREE TRILLION DOLLAR QUESTION! WHAT HAVE YOU WON?

THE TRUTH...

your last sentence in your post seals the true reasonings behind the obama campaign it seems many people care MORE for the nomination than any kind of substance or hope of changing the country for the better...

Winning the nomination is CLEARLY the most important thing..and you aren't the only one thinking this. you are in a GROWING group of people who feel the same way...

[iemmathu]

Back before the OH and TX primaries, there was a piece on 60 minutes about rust-belt voters.

After hearing what these voters had to say. . . things like Obama is a Muslim and the Mexicans are taking our jobs. I feel like what Obama said is not that far off the mark. People just don't want to hear it.

[TheRevKev]

Words cannot express the level of chagrin and dismay that I feel at the tone of the Obama Flack of the Day.

What is intriguing me, day by day, with the way that the "media" and readers alike are coming at Senator Obama is that we've gone out of the frying pan (SENATOR CLINTON SAYING and PERHAPS RACISM AND FEAR PROVING TRUE, that the media was being too easy on Obama) and into the fire(storm).

At least, it seemed the some people portrayed the ObamaFest as people afraid to attack him because he was Black and they didn't want it to seem that they were racist, playing into racist like references or being brutal because of his race (all the same thing). It seemed as though there was this general fear that to say something about The Black Man (in this case, Senator Barack Obama) was to indict the entirety of Black America. It was ignorant, insensitive and whispered in the wind that many of us don't want to or know how to deal with race issues in America. I did think that many were being a bit too sweet on Barack and made it look like he wasn't made of much, couldn't take much and didn't have much to say. "They" (still not sure who that is, so it is duly noted and quoted) tried to make him seem like Candidate Lite, that silly people were getting behind because they didn't know any better. LET'S PLEASE ACT LIKE WE REMEMBER THOSE TIMES AND THOSE TALKS.

I say that because what is going on now is FAR WORSE. This "I AIN'T AFRAID OF THIS NI--ER" tone that is being spewed from so many different sources, turning everything he says into an UPPITY NEGRO debate, A BRILLIANT TACTIC TO INSURE THAT WHITES AND BLACKS ALIKE TURN ON HIM, is soul-shifting and heart-breaking. As an educated Black man and as an outspoken Gay man, I have had to watch every word that has come out of my mouth because straight peers have tried to make every educated response a READ and other Black have insinuated that good solid points are condescension. I don't know what bitter is being touted as in 2008, but it means angry and viscerally upset. WHO ISN'T BITTER AT THE STATE OF U.S. POLITICS THESE DAYS? WHO ISN'T BITTER ABOUT THE ECONOMY? WHO ISN'T BITTER ABOUT IRAQ?!

I wrote a novel called "JADED" and it continued to floor me how many people wrote me after reading it and suggested that JADED wasn't the best title because "he wasn't that mad" and I would have to respond that jaded means DISINTERESTED not ANGRY AND MAD.

I am not necessarily trying to defend Senator Obama. He, like so many politicians, clearly took his stupid behind into a room of people where he didn't think he'd be "heard" and said something that was a bit insensitive, knowing the power of words. But hey, his wife is UPPITY, remember? He's not black enough, remember? But I also know that any time a Black person does well in a field that hadn't previously been open to or supportive of us, the "tone" gets a bit...off. When Selena and Venus ruled tennis, the tone of many commentaries was foul. When Tiger regulates in tennis, we picked him about everything.

It's a slippery slope as we both grow as people and expand as a people.

All I know is this...I am starting to become a bit jaded about this campaign season. I'd really like to just vote and get into our new season. Again, I continue to state
I AM FOR A MCCAIN-FREE AMERICA!

[Ben]

As someone who grew up in southernmost Ohio around plenty of gun-toting, Bible thumping yet thoroughly decent people...I think Obama is dead on the money. Elitist or not. As someone said above, it's that vote rich, live poor phenomenon. These folks let real chances for improvement whisk by as they fight over some pretty dumb stuff.

Even here in Cincinnati...I see WAY too many people living beyond their means, going to church for the wrong reasons, aspiring to that Paris Hilton lifestyle, and voting for Republicans. Not because these voting persons believe in small government or low taxes. Hell, most of them get a bigger 'refund' than they actually pay in their payroll tax deductions and are in debt up to their hairlines! (Those stimulus checks are going to shock a lot of folks when they find the received amount deducted from their 'refund' in 2009!)

Never mind that if you don't want abortions you should teach teens how not to get pregnant. Or that if you want jobs, you have to value real education over the friday night lights.

Obama definitely had a right words wrong place moment. Oh well. I've been saying what he said FOR YEARS to any of my fellow Ohioans who'd listen.

[TimesTen]

This was an offensive comment because Obama was generalizing about an entire group of people. Stereotyping people is never good whether it involves black people or people from small towns.

I am a Obama supporter, but I won't try and defend what he said. I am a black man who group up in a small town and there are a lot of people who cling to religion because they believe Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior. They are not looking for a security blanket in bad times.

[TimesTen]

This was an offensive comment because Obama was generalizing about an entire group of people. Stereotyping people is never good whether it involves black people or people from small towns.

I am a Obama supporter, but I won't try and defend what he said. I am a black man who group up in a small town and there are a lot of people who cling to religion because they believe Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior. They are not looking for a security blanket in bad times.

[Rod Mc]

Cadence, I've never suggested that Democrats who don't vote for Clinton are either sexist or misognyist. IMHO, most hardcore sexists and racist are probably in the other party.

[Samuel I]

Times Ten, I totally agree with you. I'm also an Obama supporter and think his words (and venue) were poorly chosen. He stereotypes large parts of the base to explain why they didnt vote for him.

Obama will still get my vote, only every time he messes up and there is this huge rush to protect him, it makes him look weaker.

[Bill]

Politics and entertainment are the two areas were they ALWAYS eat their own. They (stars and politicians) are built up so that they can be knocked back down like bowling pins. People put them so high up upon pedestals that they are not allowed to be human. Whe they show their humaness, people gag, point, and fight.

A good actor, and some politicians, know you NEVER believe your own PR machine. As an actor/politician, you must ALWAYS stay in character. You must always smile and shake hands, while you come out fighting. Every word(Obama), move (Britany Spears), and mistake (Hillary) you make will be poked, prodded, and analyzed to death.

This is a production called 'Election'. Not every character has had their contract renewed till the end of the season (Huckubee, Richardson, Rommey, ect.), but the final three contestants are hanging on till the season cliffhanger (DNC Nomination), and the series finale (Presidency). Hopefully the audience won't do themselves in before the contestants. But ultimately, we all know in the end THE SHOW MUST GO ON!!!!

[Cadence]

Homo N Harlem, my comments weren't directed to Rod. I was referring to Clinton supporters who say that people won't support Hillary because she is a woman. No where in my post did I say Rod, you should stop saying the main reason voters aren't votig for Hillary is because of her sex.

Ryan, no where in Obama's response did I hear him over generalize and say that all people in these towns fit into the category that he described.

[seven]

wow, rod. pretty critical there. Being that there aren't any postings of equal veracity regarding HRC, I guess we can safely assume you're supporting her.

[Jessica]

If Clinton wins I'm moving to canada.

[Rod Mc]

Seven, that critique is becoming tiresome. I've written a number of pieces here, Huff Po and The Advocate criticizing Clinton on everything from campaign finance to gay rights.

Fyi, I have been talking about the Obama "elite" meme being pushed by MSNBC and the NYT since lasr year. Many people said they didnt care or it wouldn't stick.

[ATL Kid]

HAHA! of course people are upset and don't want to hear it. You were only talking about the MSNBC frat boys pushing this "out of touch" branding f

or the past couple of weeks. What did someone say the other week? Obama should not respond to suggestions that he was a prissy Ivy Leaguer. Well, he has to now.

[rick]

can someone tell me why hilary is calling obama an elitist? pot meet kettle. even with this slip up i still feel obama is more electable than hilary. i feel that hilary supporters are more likely to vote for obabam than vice versa since her tactics have shown that doesnt want a democrat to win if she cant get the nominaton. if hilary gets the nomination i dont thinks ill be able to hold back my vomit. i cant bring myself to vote for mcain so i wont vote at all.