Web Watch: ‘Bitter’ Battle
Over at DC Download, I’ve just posted a rehash of this weekend’s biggest presidential feud — the spat over Sen. Barack Obama’s description of some Pennsylvania voters as “bitter.” Coverage and commentary is all over the Web, so I’m not going to replay it all here.
However, if you’re not familiar with this flap, check out everything here.
I do have a question or three: How would this play in a state like Missouri? Or in southern Illinois? If he’s the nominee for the Dems, does this bode ill for his chances in our part of the country?
Obama himself said his words weren’t the best. He says he only meant he understands the reaction of people who have faced hard times: you turn to faith and tradition and embrace the people you know. His supporters say there’s truth to his words, even if they were ill-chosen.
Clinton and McCain and other detractors say Obama is out-of-touch and anti-American. To them, this is just classic Obama addressing West Coast elitists and talking down about a bunch of blue collar folk.
What do you think? Keep it civil, on point and original.


As a blue-collar worker and former Obama supporter I am entirely disenfranchised, appalled and taken aback from his denegrating remarks about blue-collar workers in general. Obama needs to wake up to reality and address this class of people more respectfully and step down and join the Repub Party where he belongs!
Obama is one heck of a snob.
I’m trying hard to understand how Obama’s comments are denigrating to anybody - they are truthful and I don’t see how they are elitist. Anybody who claims they aren’t bitter over the politics of the last 25 years and don’t vote based on issues like guns or religion have been living in a closet for quite some time.
As an Illinois native, I’m frustrated and bitter of politics and have been guilty of voting based upon issues that I value rather than the whole candidate.
I just don’t understand where a politician stating the truth is denigrating. Isn’t that what we’ve been asking them to do?
Also, I seriously doubt a Obama supporter would let a statement like this disenfranchise him/her.
Obama still hasn’t figured out that in seeking to be all things to all people, you end up talking out of both sides of your mouth. That, of course, is the polar opposite of straight talk.
Why do religious zealots and NRA Republicans applaud Bill Cosby when he speaks the truth about black America, but these same white suburbanites are appalled when Barak Obama speaks the truth about them?
I’m guessing Joe #1…. was [about] as much an Obama supporter before this incident, as I was a Dan Quayle supporter before we learned he couldn’t spell potato.
Why is Obama criticized for comments we’ve heard or said ourselves every election. Why do these working class people, usually union members, refuse to vote their pocketbooks. They really are alienated by the powers that be in business and in the political world and resort to focusing on the wedge issues like gay marriage and guns that really really do not effect their everyday life, but can get them at least worked up about something.
I applaud Obama for saying it and for not backing down from it. He speaks the truth.
#4 you cannot even spell your Presidential candidate’s first name…and I doubt you ever supported Quayle.
I hope all the blue-collareds wise up and not vote for Obama whose anti-American and calling people losing their jobs ‘bitter’.
So white-collared workers are not bitter?
Yeah, bitter is too strong…PISSED OFF might be more appropriate.
I am bitter and I am angry. I am also curious. Was there the same uproar when the republicans were courting the ANGRY WHITE MALES? There was an entire voting bloc of AWM’s in the early to mid ninties. It was fashionable then to point out that the opposing party (democrats) had abandoned the white male in favor of the femi-nazis and lovers of the ACLU.
Now when it is correctly pointed out that there again exists a bloc of angry voters people want to cry foul.
I’m with Darren01 angry and bitter are not too gentle of words.
Just goes to show, so many people HATE truth. So many LOVE lies. Pretty sick.
#2, #4, #5 - YOU HAVE WRITTEN ABSOLUTE TRUTHS.
I meant that they are too gentle of words. I’m very angry about the state of this nation.
#5 according to the AFL-CIO polling more approximately 67% of union households voted democrat in the 2006 elections up from 60% in the 2004 elections.
I find myself wondering how bad will things have to get before people wake up and realize what has been happening? How high will gas prices go before people get angry? How high will health care costs go before people get angry?
From a headline on CNN world “(CNN) — Riots from Haiti to Bangladesh to Egypt over the soaring costs of basic foods have brought the issue to a boiling point and catapulted it to the forefront of the world’s attention, the head of an agency focused on global development said Monday.”
We need strong leadership and I am not so sure any of the candidates offer the solutions needed to make things right. What I do know is the anger at the current state of affairs is not limited to small town Pa/