How are people defending this???

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by BYU71

Obama is the perfect candidate to carry the democrats banner of "we are intellectually superior to you." The liberal media agrees with this thought by the way.

Guess what, as I conservative republican I will grant the dems and the press that, you are intellectually superior. It is too bad that intellectual superiority isn't all that important unless you are pontificating or accurately spelling. Give me someone with good common sense anytime.

The stage is being set.

We have the Harvard elitist who hates the poor ignorant country folk, and the war hero, who comes, not from Chicago, one of the nation's famed cities, but from out west, where status is much less important.

Wow, how often do the Republicans get to come off as populists? If there is one party that's fun to compete against, it's the Dems.

This is their election to lose. There is no way on this earth that the Republicans should even have a fighting chance. It should be a landslide, and it may still be, but the Dems are doing their damndest to make it close.

Bless their elitist hearts.

[BYU71]

Originally Posted by Archaea

The stage is being set.

We have the Harvard elitist who hates the poor ignorant country folk, and the war hero, who comes, not from Chicago, one of the nation's famed cities, but from out west, where status is much less important.

Wow, how often do the Republicans get to come off as populists? If there is one party that's fun to compete against, it's the Dems.

This is their election to lose. There is no way on this earth that the Republicans should even have a fighting chance. It should be a landslide, and it may still be, but the Dems are doing their damndest to make it close.

Bless their elitist hearts.

At least the religious right is out of the fight. I hate the contest to be one of, "we know what is right for the country because God tells us what is right" vs the "we know what is right for the country because we are intellectually superior." Fortunately the repubs don't have the religious right standard bearer, but looks like the dems and the media will have again one of their standard bearers.

[Flystripper]

Originally Posted by ERCougar

I've been reading through the posts on Obama's recent comments and I'm amazed at how many are actually buying the line that people are only upset because he's telling the truth. Seriously? Let's examine...

"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."

So, essentially religion = guns/xenophobia = coping mechanism to deal with frustration. How is that not offensive? How is that the truth?

And then there's the word "cling"--each of us "clinging" to our little security blanket of religion because we just have no other way of dealing with life. The very word is offensive.

Yeah, this is really poor word choice on his part. But this quote is wrong on so many levels that I can't believe anyone (well, outside of Cali) is willing to defend this.

He did not say religion equals those things. He was listing the reactions of some people to difficult times and some of their coping mechanisms, of which religion is one. Do you really think religion is not a coping mechanism? How is that offensive? Do people not look to assign blame when times are tough? Are people not currently blaming illegal immigration for much of their woes?

I just don't see what people are up in arms about regarding his statement.

Obama has his warts but this statement is pretty benign.

[UtahDan]

Originally Posted by ERCougar

I've been reading through the posts on Obama's recent comments and I'm amazed at how many are actually buying the line that people are only upset because he's telling the truth. Seriously? Let's examine...

"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."

So, essentially religion = guns/xenophobia = coping mechanism to deal with frustration. How is that not offensive? How is that the truth?

And then there's the word "cling"--each of us "clinging" to our little security blanket of religion because we just have no other way of dealing with life. The very word is offensive.

Yeah, this is really poor word choice on his part. But this quote is wrong on so many levels that I can't believe anyone (well, outside of Cali) is willing to defend this.

I think this is one place where Obama was a little too articulate. That is actually a mouthful and when you break it down it contains a number of ideas and all of them are offensive to someone. This isn't the slip of the tongue, this is Obama expounding a concept. What is the defense, that he doesn't really think that? Of course he really thinks that. So all that leaves is trying to argue that he is right or that it isn't really that offensive. Good luck with that. I think this comment is going to dog him because there is no effective way to put it to bed. What he really needs is for some other event to push him off the front page so to speak.

[BYU71]

Originally Posted by Flystripper

He did not say religion equals those things. He was listing the reactions of some people to difficult times and some of thier coping mechanisms, of which religion is one. Do you really think religion is not a coping mechanism? How is that offensive? Do people not look to assign blame when times are tough? Are people not currently blaming illegal immigration for much of their woes?

I just don't see what people are up in arms aboutregarding his statement.

Obama has his warts but this statement is pretty benign.

He used the term "cling". For a guy who prides himself on his speaking ability and the fact "words matter", I think he used the term "cling" exactly how he meant it for the group he was speaking too.

He meant they hang on to traditions instead of embracing something new. He as much as said that when he talked about them also being against immigration.

You hear that liberal argument on this board often. The intellectuals on here let us know our thoughts come from those who we dare not challenge. We haven't come up with our own conclusions because we "cling" to what the brethern say. It is a common put down that intellectuals use to indicate you aren't as smart as them (yes grammatically poor and give them another chance to feel intellectually superior).

He ought to be man enough to own up to it and say, yea that is what I meant. I am smarter than you folks. Pray all you want, but your answers to your problems will come from smart people like me.

I respect SU for not beating around the bush and basically telling us that is how he feels.

[UtahDan]

Originally Posted by non sequitur

He's not equating religion to guns and xenophobia. He's talking about small-minded people who fixate on pet issues. People who vote for candidates based solely on whether they support or oppose abortion, or who care only about where a candidate stands on gun control, or where he/she stands on immigration. Just look at all the dopes who support Huckabee, or those whose opinion of McCain is based solely on his views on immigration. It's understandable why Obama's statements rankled so many, but I think they're pretty much spot on.

You have characterized it perfectly. I think you capture exactly what he meant. The problem is, the constituency that wants to high five him over these comments isn't going to get it done for him alone in the fall. Now I don't think the guns right or abortion rights folks were ever voting for Obama. But I think enough religious folks and immigration control folks will be put off by this to put a nice dent in his numbers.

[BYU71]

Originally Posted by UtahDan

You have characterized it perfectly. I think you capture exactly what he meant. The problem is, the constituency that wants to high five him over these comments isn't going to get it done for him alone in the fall. Now I don't think the guns right or abortion rights folks were ever voting for Obama. But I think enough religious folks and immigration control folks will be put off by this to put a nice dent in his numbers.

The beauty of being an intellectual is you get to determine what is small minded. Abortion, gun rights, prayer in schools, against gay marriage are all small minded issues.

However, pro gay marriage is a "big minded" issue. Bailing out home owners is a big minded issue. Voting for a black man or women, also big minded issue.

[Flystripper]

Originally Posted by BYU71

He used the term "cling". For a guy who prides himself on his speaking ability and the fact "words matter", I think he used the term "cling" exactly how he meant it for the group he was speaking too.

He meant they hang on to traditions instead of embracing something new. He as much as said that when he talked about them also being against immigration.

You hear that liberal argument on this board often. The intellectuals on here let us know our thoughts come from those who we dare not challenge. We haven't come up with our own conclusions because we "cling" to what the brethern say. It is a common put down that intellectuals use to indicate you aren't as smart as them (yes grammatically poor and give them another chance to feel intellectually superior).

He ought to be man enough to own up to it and say, yea that is what I meant. I am smarter than you folks. Pray all you want, but your answers to your problems will come from smart people like me.

I respect SU for not beating around the bush and basically telling us that is how he feels.

I guess you are right, and its obvious that many agree with you. The fallout from the quote is evidence enough in that regard. I guess I just did not read "cling" with the negative conotation that you and many others did.

I guess I must be an intellectual elitist. Wow, who knew?! I am not sure the intellectuals would claim me though, because among other things I would drag down their average IQ.

[Cali Coug]

Originally Posted by BYU71

He used the term "cling". For a guy who prides himself on his speaking ability and the fact "words matter", I think he used the term "cling" exactly how he meant it for the group he was speaking too.

He meant they hang on to traditions instead of embracing something new. He as much as said that when he talked about them also being against immigration.

You hear that liberal argument on this board often. The intellectuals on here let us know our thoughts come from those who we dare not challenge. We haven't come up with our own conclusions because we "cling" to what the brethern say. It is a common put down that intellectuals use to indicate you aren't as smart as them (yes grammatically poor and give them another chance to feel intellectually superior).

He ought to be man enough to own up to it and say, yea that is what I meant. I am smarter than you folks. Pray all you want, but your answers to your problems will come from smart people like me.

I respect SU for not beating around the bush and basically telling us that is how he feels.

How do you get that he thinks religion is a sham and only Obama has the answers from his quote? I seriously don't get it.

YOhio is right, I think, in that the harm from the statement comes from spin rather than actual intent or meaning. If you break down the statement, it is fairly accurate. It will be a big deal for a few days, maybe through the end of Pennsylvania's primary, but not much more than that. There is only so much to talk about with that statement.

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by Cali Coug

How do you get that he thinks religion is a sham and only Obama has the answers from his quote? I seriously don't get it.

YOhio is right, I think, in that the harm from the statement comes from spin rather than actual intent or meaning. If you break down the statement, it is fairly accurate. It will be a big deal for a few days, maybe through the end of Pennsylvania's primary, but not much more than that. There is only so much to talk about with that statement.

If he didn't mean to insult those bitter people who cling to religion and guns,then why the hell did he say that to the uppity liberal elitists dipshits in San Francisco?

Quit treating Obama with kid gloves. He wants to be POTUS and should damn well be scrutinized the way someone in his position should be scrutinized. He is an elitist dickhead who surrounds himself with hate-mongers and domestic terrorists.