Obama Allies Avoid Trying to Explain Most Controversial Part of His Remarks

In the days since Senator Barack Obama’s remarks at a San Francisco fund raiser have become widely known, Senator Obama and his surrogates have been fiercely trying to spin the Leader of the New Hope’s latest example of what he considers the “politics of hope.”

Unsurprisingly, Team Hope has focussed largely on the word ‘bitter’ and tried their very best to make everyone forget about the troubling snobbishness and elitism of the full statement, one I’m sure Senator Obama never thought the general public would ever hear.

Jake Tapper at the Political Punch writes about this and the Obama Campaign’s attempt to convince us that he said something other than what he actually said.

A robo-call on behalf of the Obama campaign from Mayor John Brenner of York, Pa., says that, “Barack Obama understands us. He’s got it right, we are frustrated — frustrated with polices that enable businesses to leave our community, pensions to be stripped, health care benefits to be taken away and homes foreclosed. Unlike his opponents, who have been part of the Washington establishment that are out of touch with us, Barack Obama will change Washington. It is policies that hurt us. He will take on the special interests and fight for us.”

On Obama’s Web site, a public letter from 21 Pennsylvania “elected officials and community leaders from small towns and rural areas throughout Pennsylvania” defend him, saying, “What Sen. Obama said is that over the last 25-30 years, working class people in places like Pennsylvania have been falling behind, and that politicians in Washington haven’t been looking out for them. He also said that, as a result, many people have become frustrated, angry and even bitter about all the broken promises. He was right.”

No mention of the “cling”-ing to guns or religion.

If Barack Obama, his campaign, and his surrogates really think that they can gloss over and whitewash his comments, and expect he American public to just forget that these condescending comments, where he accuses religious voters of “clinging” to religion, he has another thing coming.

Frankly, if Obama and his campaign and The Audacity of Hope is just too good to accept these voters, I’m sure John McCain will gladly take them, warts, bitter religiousness and all.

Tags: Barack Obama, bitter, Campaign Issues, elitism, hope, John McCain, mccain, politics, spin

7 comments April 14th, 2008

Why John McCain is the Economy Candidate

The media has latched on to a inaccurate narrative for Senator McCain.  Due to one comment he made about being stronger in matters of foreign policy than economics, and one comment that was intended as a joke; Senator McCain is being portrayed as weak on the economy.  The most common jab taken is a criticism about his position on the Bush Tax Cuts.  The media may have a field day with this issue when taken out of context.  However, if his position is looked at in detail it is consistent and logical.  The initial opposition to the tax cuts came from a desire to include spending restains, and his concern about how the tax cuts would be distributed across different economic brackets.  Also, he had his own tax cut package that he was pushing at the time that he obviously prefered to the Bush Tax Cuts.  Now that he supports making the tax cuts permanent he is being criticized for changing his position.  However, circumstances are different, and rolling back tax cuts that have been in place for years acts as a tax increase.  Increasing taxes when the economy is sluggish is simply poor economics.  Tax increases slow the economy, and while the Bush Tax Cuts may not have been structured exactly how Senator McCain would have liked, basic economic principles show this to be a wise decision.  

 Also, his initial concern with the bill’s lack of spending restraints clearly was justified.  Senator McCain has railed against pork barrel projects for years, and consistently votes against these bills.  He also stronly opposes bills that create an unfunded liability that will burden generations to come.  Finally, Senator McCain has been a consistent and strong advocate of free trade, even to the point of opposing ethanol subsidies in Iowa which many thought it was political suicide. 

On the other hand, Democrat candidates are telling people what they want to hear, but not offerring sound economic solutions.  Railing against free trade agreements and arguing for tax increases on ‘the rich’ is not sound economics.  Deregulation and low taxes help stimulate an economy, and arguing strongly for significant increases in regulations and taxes may win votes, but won’t help the country’s economy.

Tags: bush tax cuts, economics, economy, John McCain, media, spin, tax cuts

3 comments March 7th, 2008