Quote:
Originally Posted by Drolefille
He never said anything about people who don't support him being crazy religious gun nuts. Semi-fair game if you want to say he called small town people crazy, religious, gun-nuts, but he never implied that this was anyone who didn't support him.
Though you probably did not care to read or hear his clarification he specified that the intention of his comment was that when people are feeling as if the government isn't serving them, they get frustrated (and yes, bitter), and instead of focusing on fixing the problem, they focus on the big "issue" of their choice. This would be an example: "I don't think Candidate A or Candidate B will actually get jobs back, but I think B wants to take away my right to bear arms, so I'm voting for A."
Obama is suggesting that you actually vote for someone, not against someone else. JMO.
Of course, feel free to think he's a self-absorbed semi-Messianic figure, it's quite certainly your right.
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I think in the original context, rather than his restatements and explanations which you seem to be focusing on, Drolefille, Obama WAS explaining why this demographic wasn't likely to support him. So while I think Macallen is a little over the top on Obama generally, he's right about that part.
ETA: From the linked article: "Obama's comments came at the end of a lengthy answer in which he rejected the notion that voters were passing him over simply for racial reasons, saying instead that his campaign of hope and change was having difficulty in 'places where people feel most cynical about government.'"
And if you want to have people vote for you, shouldn't they be able to see clearly where you stand on some concrete issues, say for instance about trade. I was never really in the Obama camp, but he seems more and more like a typical politician with every passing day.