April 11th Senator Obama made the mistake of calling small town Americans “bitter.” While attempting to frame the previous two administrations, including President Bush and President Clinton, in a bad light, Senator Obama spoke of the small towns in Pennsylvania and the Midwest and the lack of jobs over the past 25 years. Apparently he does not find it surprising that these communities “get bitter… 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.” (HuffingtonPost.com)
His rhetoric is more than an insult to small town Americans. It’s also an explanation for conservatives in the small towns who don’t trust or believe in the liberal Democratic way. He is trying to explain away religious conservatism with a passing of blame to previous administrations. He makes it sound as though there is a fundamental flaw with America and that he is the only one who can fix it.
Senator Obama has run a positive campaign so far, speaking vaguely of hope and the future. This is the first negative theme he has introduced, and I’m wondering if the pressure of the campaign is getting to him. To make such a mistake days before the next big primary is a major error. I doubt people will appreciate a snobby Presidential candidate who believes a part of his constituency is bitter and therefore makes mistakes in conservative ideology.
Watch your words, Senator Obama. People are so used to picking apart what you say that giving them an opening like this is like telling a struggling addict that it’s okay to use again. Stick with hope and positivity- it’ll carry you further than insults.
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