Mickey On Obama, And More

Kaus on Obama lays out Obama's egghead condescension problem clearly.

William Kristol also pounces on the Obama's religious condescension (and Marxist roots):

But it’s one thing for a German thinker to assert that “religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature.” It’s another thing for an American presidential candidate to claim that we “cling to ... religion” out of economic frustration.

And it’s a particularly odd claim for Barack Obama to make. After all, in his speech at the 2004 Democratic convention, he emphasized with pride that blue-state Americans, too, “worship an awesome God.”

What’s more, he’s written eloquently in his memoir, “Dreams From My Father,” of his own religious awakening upon hearing the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s “Audacity of Hope” sermon, and of the complexity of his religious commitment. You’d think he’d do other believers the courtesy of assuming they’ve also thought about their religious beliefs.

Kristol then runs through Barack's inconsistencies on trade, immigration and guns, never mentioning the "bitter", and closes with this  brutal exit question:

And what are the grounds for his supercilious disdain? If he were a war hero, if he had a career of remarkable civic achievement or public service — then he could perhaps be excused an unattractive but in a sense understandable hauteur. But what has Barack Obama accomplished that entitles him to look down on his fellow Americans?

What's he accomplished?  He's delivered a few good speeches, sweet-talked his fellow libs and conned the rubes.  Hope and Change!

And a quick list of Impress Me Nots: (1) Barack said something similar in 2004.  And?  It was condescending in 2004, and has not improved with age.  The title of his inspirational text, "What's the Matter With Kansas?" is condescending (and, I'll bet/hope, meant as ironic) - there is nothing wrong with Kansas; the right question is, what is the matter with the Democratic Party that it keeps running out one out of touch lib after another to tell the rest of us how pathetic we are.

(2) Bill Clinton said something similar in 1991 (and I have lost the link), thereby proving... what?  Was Clinton an out of touch lib, or a good-ole boy who drove a pick-up truck and picked up anything in a skirt (hmm...)?  With Clinton, the out of touch narrative didn't fit; with Barack, it seems bespoke.  Please, a Communist dad, a socialist mom who raised him in Indonesia and Hawaii, off to Columbia and Harvard to pick up the common touch, a job as a street organizer (WTF is that, anyway?  Don't the streets just lie there, getting potholes and being re-paved?), and now he is the latest Dem's vision of a working class hero.  Good luck.

MORE:  Rasmussen confirms - "bitter" out, condescending in:

The survey also confirmed that the Obama campaign and its surrogates were very shrewd to try and switch the conversation to whether or not people are bitter and want change in Washington. Fifty-six percent (56%) of voters agreed with Obama’s statement that “People are fed up. They're angry and they're frustrated and they're bitter, and they want to see a change in Washington.” Just 32% disagree. Most Democrats and most unaffiliated voters agree with Obama on this point. Clinton’s campaign initially challenged Obama’s use of the word “bitter” but quickly changed its focus to the more controversial aspects of Obama’s statement.

Comments

[GMax]

ARG out with a Pa primary poll over the weekend. They had the candidates tied last week, today Hill +20.

We may soon being calling huge blunders in campaigning "pulling an Obama."

Its fairly unbelievable that the swing is 20% in a week. I guess the mirror that is Obama just fogged up and no one sees what they want to see anymore, not even AM.

[GMax]

DoT

I hate to say but you better look in the back of the closet and find those silver bullets. I think we are about to see the return of the undead.

[Rick Ballard]

"What's he accomplished?"

He successfully teamed up with Howard Dean, Andy Stern and George Soros in the application of Alinskyite organizing tactics to the caucus states. A part of his success can be attributed to Clinton's overconfidence and lack of contact with the prog plantation owners. If she were not extraordinarily incompetent and remarkably detached from reality, she might have had some success in foiling the ACORN teams which tipped enough precincts to give him the delegate edge which he enjoys. I count his success in foiling Clinton as quite an achievement - for Howard Dean.

The United States can count itself fortunate that the marxist tactics employed by Obama/Dean/Stern are not, as yet, scalable to the nation as a whole. Obama's generally pathetic performance in states where blacks do not make up a significant percentage of the electorate foreshadow the probable general election outcome and should hearten Republicans accross the country.

As to accomplishments aside from the successful application of Alinskyite tactics, he did pick an apparently very adroit crook to be his "angel" in Chicago. Unfortunately, his angel is undergoing wing and halo removal at the moment.

Other than that, the man has no accomplishments worthy of mention whatsoever. He appears to be solidly among those who consider the possession of a degree from an 'elite' institution to have conferred something beside proof of their ability to remain in one place for four years. Perhaps that delusion will console him in his coming defeat.

[Anon1]

Brutal ending to the Kristol editorial. Thwack!

*I was wondering that myself. Like, um, who says you are the elite? Elite in what sense? If all it takes is a fancy degree, give me a different sort of elite. I spent my time in Boston; there's big fancy degree + real academic (or other) accomplishments and there's big fancy degree - real academic (or other) accomplishments. I can buy one of the two being elite....

**Not an original thought, but, it's a gaffe that tells us his real mindset: I know better than you. And we all know how those types intend to govern. Oh, my wallet!

***Only someone who thinks we are complete dummies would think having the IRS doing our taxes is a good idea. We must all be infantilized. Oh, wait, maybe this week I could use that sort of infantilization....

[the wolf]

As near as I can tell is that Obama is an elitist who carefully avoided any real employment until launching a political career in which he was shepherded to dizzying heights by Chicago Democratic Machine apparatchiks. I don't know how this man can claim to speak for or feel the pain of the working class when he clearly has no conception of what it is to be a working person. Perhaps that explains his distorted view of these very same people

[clarice]

Rick--Maybe the notion of Soros as a rich leftist crackpot is wrong. Look at his political record in the US. Maybe he's just a rich guy PRETENDING to be a leftist crackpot who gives money to crackpots to drive out of the Dem party any semblance of rationality and keep the conservatives in power.:wink:

[Davebo]

Obama's generally pathetic performance in states where blacks do not make up a significant percentage of the electorate foreshadow the probable general election outcome and should hearten Republicans accross the country.

Are we talking about Iowa, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Wyoming?

Are you watching the same primary I am?

[Davebo]

OK, not so much New Mexico and Oklahoma, but surely offset by Wisconsin and Vermont right?

[PeterUK]

"But it’s one thing for a German thinker to assert that “religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature.”

The Pope is oppressed?

[Enlightened]

Sorry if this was already discussed, but I missed the MSM reports about the Huffo blogger that secretely recorded The Elitist?

[SAM]

I was glad to see William Kristol stick it to Obama in his article today. He did a wonderful job taking a red marker and drawing a big red circle around each of the offenses Obama committed. MSM has been way too soft on Obama for this. Paraphrasing something I heard today, Obama certainly got caught with his rhetorical pants down.

I suppose, all he can do is deny. It reminds of a funny scene from the 1967 movie titled "A Guide for the Married Man," starring Walter Matthau. In a scene described by Matthau's friend (Robert Morse), a husband (Joey Bishop, I think) was caught in the act by his wife. Bishop and his paramour proceeded to get dressed, the paramour left, Bishop sat down to read the paper, and he pretended like nothing happened. Matthau's friend repeated, "Deny. Deny. Deny."

Nice to see such a prominent columnist declare that the emperor has no clothes.

[Jane]

Read this Enlightened. Apparently it was a tough decision. And the pix of the party are not to be missed.

LUN

[Porchlight]

I had been wondering if Hill's plunge in the PA polls last week was for real - maybe it was a blip after all, as Kaus points out that the Obama slide began before Bittergate broke. Once again Zombie Hillary comes to life! We may need this little talisman after all.

[Enlightened]

Thanks Jane!

[Danube of Thought]

I don't believe the ARG poll, in part because I have an unblemished record of not believing ARG polls, and that record has worked out pretty well.

The Undead may possibly arise, but at this point I think I'd welcome it--she'd be trounced in November with lukewarm black support, or possible even black antipathy.

It's impossible to overstate my enjoyment of all of this, and I detect a similar giddiness among my friends at JOM. Wahoo.

[LindaK]

The condescention and arrogance of BO's SF remarks are thematic of his campaign. Fortunately for voters, the length of the US presidential campaign makes it very difficult for a candidate to consistently portray himself as something which he is not. The only thing he left out was beer swilling and stupid.

My son goes to college in Western PA and it's fair to conclude that parts of the region are still struggling to recover from the loss of the steel mills. But to characterize them as bitter and clinging to the opiate of religion shows that the aloof BO really hasn't connected to the PA voters. Most of the bitter people who are clinging to the false religion of leftism live in Cambridge, SF and Berkely.

[mrmobi]

Nice to see such a prominent columnist declare that the emperor has no clothes.

Although it probably would have been more effective if the "prominent columnist" was not the same person who has been wrong about everything regarding the Iraq War, and a major promoter for a new war with Iran.

Why anyone would believe anything William the Bloody says is beyond me. I'm assuming that you're a Republican, but maybe that's not a safe assumption, given the full embrace the Clinton campaign has had lately of all things Rovian.

In case you haven't noticed, Kristol is in the planning division for "Permanent Middle East War, Inc." He believes that Iran is ripe for a hostile takeover, and we'll be welcomed with flowers, etc. They have dangerous WMDs, don't you know? Sound familiar?

I'll keep my trust in Barack Obama, who has created an unbelievable amount of excitement during this election, mostly without resorting to the tactics of the assholes who got us into this situation to begin with. Oh, and I'll work for and vote for Hillary Clinton, if she is the winner.

The one thing I won't do, is put any credence in the writings of a war-mongering slime merchant like William Kristol.

[Jane]

mrmobi,

Ya man, go for it!

[PeterUK]

"I'll keep my trust in Barack Obama, who has created an unbelievable amount of excitement during this election,"

"Hope,change,In Barack I trust". Almost like a religion.

[GMax]

mostly without resorting to the tactics of the assholes who got us into this situation to begin with.

Doesn't this sound, you know, bitter?

[Sue]

The one thing I won't do, is put any credence in the writings of a war-mongering slime merchant like William Kristol.

Gasp! I'm shocked. Shocked I tell ya'. I didn't see that one coming. ::eye roll::

[pagar]

Here's a site that has figured out Obama's
Appeal

"Geraldine Ferraro wasn't quite right: It's not just Obama's race that has made him the frontrunner on the Left. It's his chic-ness. It helps that Senator Obama is "international" and half black, but don't ignore his youth, his sonorous voice and skinniness: He's the fashion icon of the age. Shortly after Obama announced, he captured the gay vote with one photo op in a bathing suit. If Senator Obama looked and talked like Charlie Rangel he would not be adored by millions of lovelorn liberals"

Somehow I think Hillary and McCain are going to have to pick up another voting bloc, I just can't see their swimsuit photos taking away votes from Obama in the gay community.

[Anon]

Jane

Followed your link to Tim Blair-I love that guy anyways-

Jeebus!

I thought this was parody-

The Obamster really said this-? Tim links back to The Wall Street Journal?

UPDATE. The Wall Street Journal:

Sen. Obama has encountered other problems in trying to connect with rural whites. At a campaign stop in Adel, Iowa, he drew cringes when he asked a crowd of farmers: “Anybody gone into a Whole Foods lately and seen what they charge for arugula?" The upscale, organics supermarket chain doesn’t have a single store in Iowa. Sen. Obama went on to win the state.

Ha!

Best laugh all day-but it is young....

[Hey there Anon1!]

[clarice]

Stalin and Hitler created a lot of "excitement", too. So apparently are guys like Sid Vicious who murder their girlfriends....you can keep your excitement, thanks.

[Sue]

The price of a specialty food in a specialty store? Naw. I haven't noticed that lately.

[Sue]

I don't think the local Piggly Wiggly carries arugula.

[Rick Ballard]

"but surely offset by Wisconsin and Vermont right?"

Davebo,

You have me scratching my head. Vermont (the capital of Proglandia) is Dean's home state and has gone to the redder candidate for years. BHO's success in WI came from Gwen "Tire Slasher" Moore's fief in Milwaukee and Tammy "Red is my favoritest color in the world" Baldwin's uni fief in the 3rd district. I have to admit that I expected a little more of a battle in WI, due to Baldwin's Emily List background but the 3rd went to the perceived redder of the candidates by a significant margin. (Good work by the better Alinskyite.)

There are 69 prog plantations, 26 black, 8 Hispanic, I'm still sorting the uni's and latte's. The plantations hold about 42 million serfs who are very susceptible to Alinsky tactics and BHO has done very well in every non-Hispanic plantation. That leaves 366 Congressional districts still free - and BHO doesn't do nearly as well among the free citizenry.

I admit to using a broad brush but I believe the premise will withstand at least modest scrutiny.
Don't forget - he's already past his 'sell by' - the new penny is picking up tarnish by the hour.

(Replaces metamixer in cupboard for the day.)

[Anon]

Instead of "bitter" Clinton should hang on to-

"cling"...

You cannot like someone who you describe as "clinging" can you?

Of you at least feel paternalistic to them...

Man who wrote here that his mom was an anthropologist.....

That's what he sounds like a cultural anthropologist describing a tribe to the patrons...

You can be sure though that Obama isn't guilty of "noble savage" syndrome. "Cling" takes care of that.

[pagar]

"I'll keep my trust in Barack Obama, who has created an unbelievable amount of excitement during this election,"

What generated this excitement?

"Shortly after Obama announced, he captured the gay vote with one photo op in a bathing suit"

[Davebo]

The price of a specialty food in a specialty store?

Arugula is a specialty food now?

Wow, I guess I'm elitist then.

[Anon]

Sue-

I think he misspoke.

Can't the guy catch a break?

Arugala, beluga...

I think he meant beluga caviar....

Man have you seen the uptick in that?

It's sad.

[MarkJ]

mrmobi,

The one thing I won't do, is put any credence in the writings of a war-mongering slime merchant like William Kristol.

Yeah, Kristol is just another neo-con "Ewige Jude" isn't he? Better to ship him back to that "shitty little country" in the Middle East, which cannot be named, and elect some "smart people" who'll bring on The Millenium.

Cupcake, you're using all the anti-semitic code words, so don't try to deny it. By the by, for such a supposedly intelligent and eloquent guy, your Prince Charming has a bad habit of going off half-cocked when his eyes stray from the teleprompter.

[Davebo]

In case you haven't noticed, Kristol is in the planning division for "Permanent Middle East War, Inc." He believes that Iran is ripe for a hostile takeover, and we'll be welcomed with flowers, etc. They have dangerous WMDs, don't you know? Sound familiar?

In case you haven't noticed, this crowd (though not so much the blog's owner) are all for "Permanent Middle East War, Inc." and regime change in Iran through force.

Look around, you're dealing with the dead enders here (again, the commenters, not the blog owner). No, not Rumsfeld's dead enders.

This is the virtual Elk's Lodge for the 28 percenters. It never changes.

But they seem to amuse Tom.

[Anon]

Davebo-

It's not necessarily elitist it's stupid.

How about that?

Arugala-give me a break...

It's friggin' lettuce.

It's like saying have you seen the price of Fiats?

[Anon1]

Hello back Anon. Hmm, should I pick a different 'handle'? Is there an Anon and Anon1 around here already?

A better handle might be 'bitter due to my time spent in Boston, toiling in the factory farm of the lower rungs of academia'. Seriously, is there anyone more bitter than us lowly academic types?

Yeah, Mr. Kristol sure got a lot of things wrong. Actually, a lot of us on the right got a lot of things wrong these past eight years, didn't we? Still, doesn't mean Kristol's wrong about Obama. Plus, last time I checked Kristol's a commentator and not 'the decider'. Obama is interviewing for the decider gig, right? And these election/interviews are tough, so cry me a river, but don't become bitter, Senator!

[Davebo]

Cupcake, you're using all the anti-semitic code words, so don't try to deny it.

You keep using that word, anti-semitic.

I do not think it means what you think it means.

[Anon1]

Oh, and I have to add; lots of people all over the political spectrum got things wrong. The retrospectoscope is a powerful tool, isn't it?

[GMax]

Davebo

I will echo the comment about Vermont, which elects admitted socialists to national office. Spare me on that being an indicator of anything except rectal cranial inversion.

But Wisconsin you have a point. Obama did so much better there than I expected and I have spent extensive time there as a visitor having my wife's family in the State. He of course got Milwaukee and Madison, but that is what Obama gets everywhere. Blacks and college professors and public sector union types.

He did much better than he has done lately with Rural whites. I think Wisconsin came early right at the height of Obamamania and he was still being the blank canvas and allowing others to project their hopes and dreams onto him. And he had only to run against Hill.

There is a argument that he does much better in places where there is little interaction between the races. When there is a steady diet of Kwame Kilpatrick types up in voters grilles, he has done substantial worse.

Regardless, he has swiftboated himself. I use the term as a shortcut for telling the truth about a candidate. He did not think his words in the private world of extraordinaryily rich Marin Co would get out and he decided to have some fun and generate a few laughs with the swells gathered especially since they all brought their checkbooks. I would guess the HuffPo gal, will probably need to find a new line of work. She will be hated for just reporting word for word what the prog candidate said.

[Davebo]

Arugala-give me a break...

It's friggin' lettuce.

Always seemed more like spinach to me. All I know is I love a bed of it under my prosciutto (that's ham folks) and Mascarpone (that's cheese folks) Chicken.

[RichatUF]

Tom-

This sort of confused me: (2) Bill Clinton said something similar in 1991 (and I have lost the link), thereby proving... what?

Isn't BHO's Marin County remarks in the same vain as the Carter "malaise" speech? BHO said that the rubes were spurning his candidacy and his potential for good works because of cultural hang-ups. Bill Clinton's "New Covenant" critique of the DNC in 1991 was that it was government's bad works which were spurning the rubes.

Bill Clinton's genius was to make George HW Bush look tired, aloof, out-of-touch...keep BHO away from any grocery store technology fairs

[Davebo]

Gmax,

And Indiana? Too early in the cycle. And Nevada? Deluded gamblers I guess.

Watch out, you might start being mistaken for a Clinton supporter.

[hit and run]

DoT:
It's impossible to overstate my enjoyment of all of this, and I detect a similar giddiness among my friends at JOM. Wahoo.

Dang.

Channeling Steve McCroskey: Looks like I picked the wrong weekend to quit take a break from blogging.

Oh well, time to set about trying to catch up with this whole Obama thing.

Though I must find something to ease the pain.

In my sides.

Yes, I probably enjoy these sticks being poked in the Dems' eyes a little too much.

[VIMH: too much for what?]
Eh, you're right, statement withdrawn.

[GMax]

Indiana? they havent even voted yet.

Read my comment mr. bitter. You will find a nugget or two of thought in there, I assure you. Like the bit about lily white places not having an experience with a NOI in your face guy on the tube all the time calling you names. Dismiss it if you wish. Dont matter no how, he is damaged goods now and will fall to McGovern proportions in the general.

Problems with, Jews, Asians, Hispanics, urban whites , older voters on and on ad nauseum. Sorry to pop your bubble, perhaps you can find some strength to go on in your local church or synagog.

[Anon]

Davebo-

What's the price of marscepone these days?

Bitter about that are ya?

However do you afford marscepone?

You must be sooooo much better/bitter than me...

[fdcol63]

Exactly.

Change We Can Believe In:

Regime change in Iran. Through peaceful means, if possible. Through war, if necessary.

[GMax]

substitute "rural" for "urban" otherwise I think I nailed it!

[Rick Ballard]

I suppose we'll see about Indiana when they get around to holding their primary. Right now Clinton leads by about the same amount that she led in NV prior to the SEIU out organizing her in the caucuses and handing BHO a 1 delegate gain for the effort. Sort of like TX except that he out maneuvered her better in TX.

[Anon]

Mass carp on

There I like that spellin' better.

Man you drivin' me to Bitburger..

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

Bill Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry. Now they'll have Gunfight at the PA Corral or Hillary Get Your Gun.

Dem nominees; a tradition unlike any other.

[GMax]

NV was a caucus state? And you want to cite that to me as evidence of what?

Seems like a lot of flailing on your part, dont know NV is a caucus state, dont know that Indiana does not vote until May, but do know that Obama is going down like Monica.