PunkAssBlog.com

The AP’s on top of a crisis of enormous proportions:

Political insiders differed on whether Obama’s comments, which came to light Friday, would become a full-blown political disaster that could prompt party leaders to try to steer the nomination to Clinton even though Obama has more pledged delegates. Clinton supporters were eagerly hoping so.

Wow! A possible “full-blown political disaster!” What the heck kind of comment would have the power to potentially devastate his campaign? Some horrible lie? A racist or sexist remark? Something that disparages the underprivileged?

[Aside: Also, don't you love how the AP paints Clinton supporters like vultures enthusiastically hoping to feast on Obama carrion?]

At issue are comments he made privately at a fundraiser in San Francisco last Sunday. He was trying to explain his troubles winning over some working-class voters, saying they have become frustrated with economic conditions:

“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.”

…Sooo, let me get this straight: Obama says the system has failed working-class voters. And he says they’re bitter about that. This qualifies as a full-blown political crisis for him? Shit, that just sounds like a person admitting ugly truths about America.

Maybe I’m crazy, but who isn’t bitter about the economic conditions of this country? Who the hell isn’t bitter in general about the recent past and our future prospects? Who isn’t bitter about the gap between rich and poor, about the profit margins for Big Oil, about the Fed’s absurd three-card monty propping up the economy? The only people I can think of are people who would never vote Democratic in a million years anyway. And they sure as hell aren’t working class.

The comments, posted Friday on The Huffington Post Web site, set off a blast of criticism from Clinton, Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain and other GOP officials, and drew attention to a potential Obama weakness — the image some have that the Harvard-trained lawyer is arrogant and aloof.

I can see why people might want to argue with his conclusions and/or his making excuses for falling back on fundamentalism or hate-based anti-immigration attitudes, etc., but to qualify this as elitism? C’mon. Right or wrong, he’s probably one of the few people in politics at least *trying* to speak honestly about what’s happening to the less fortunate. Sure, he calls the working class “them,” but wouldn’t it be even more ridiculous for him to posture as though he’s one himself? I wish more politicians were making any effort to speak frankly about our national bitterness at all.

This isn’t a Clinton/Obama issue, this is a common sense issue. Which automatically means the person making the most sense is the bad guy.