Comments on: Somebody’s Playing Politics http://fluidimagination.com/blog/2008/04/14/somebodys-playing-politics/ Melting down disparate elements to form a new reality. Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:08:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: justin http://fluidimagination.com/blog/2008/04/14/somebodys-playing-politics/#comment-46347 justin Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:43:24 +0000 http://fluidimagination.com/blog/2008/04/14/somebodys-playing-politics/#comment-46347 I think the big deal is that Obama is such a good speaker that when he makes a small gaff like this it is big news. It would be the same if George W. said something that didn’t come across as slow. I think the big deal is that Obama is such a good speaker that when he makes a small gaff like this it is big news. It would be the same if George W. said something that didn’t come across as slow.

]]> By: Kyle http://fluidimagination.com/blog/2008/04/14/somebodys-playing-politics/#comment-46345 Kyle Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:33:47 +0000 http://fluidimagination.com/blog/2008/04/14/somebodys-playing-politics/#comment-46345 Fair enough. To his credit though, he's been <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIxmi3e2Vmo" rel="nofollow">repeating the argument throughout Pennsylvania and Indiana</a> these last few days. Fair enough.

To his credit though, he’s been repeating the argument throughout Pennsylvania and Indiana these last few days.

]]> By: justin http://fluidimagination.com/blog/2008/04/14/somebodys-playing-politics/#comment-46343 justin Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:23:06 +0000 http://fluidimagination.com/blog/2008/04/14/somebodys-playing-politics/#comment-46343 I have no doubt that some people cling to those things. My main problems are that he made the comment, not to the people he was talking about, but to people in California who to some come off as elitists. Also grouping all these people together is not a great way of communicating his point. Is it a big deal? No. But was it a stupid thing to say? Yes. If he was saying this to a bunch of small town middle class people then I would not have as much of a problem with it. It comes off as the professor who lives with the natives for a month then goes back and reports the lives of the savages to the rest of the academic world. I have no doubt that some people cling to those things. My main problems are that he made the comment, not to the people he was talking about, but to people in California who to some come off as elitists. Also grouping all these people together is not a great way of communicating his point. Is it a big deal? No. But was it a stupid thing to say? Yes.

If he was saying this to a bunch of small town middle class people then I would not have as much of a problem with it. It comes off as the professor who lives with the natives for a month then goes back and reports the lives of the savages to the rest of the academic world.

]]> By: Kyle http://fluidimagination.com/blog/2008/04/14/somebodys-playing-politics/#comment-46326 Kyle Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:50:22 +0000 http://fluidimagination.com/blog/2008/04/14/somebodys-playing-politics/#comment-46326 I don't know, Justin...I mean, it seems like a dust-up over nothing. Do you think it's untrue that people are angry about losing their jobs to globalization? Do you think it's untrue that people are bitter about decades of unfulfilled promises from politicians? Do you think it's untrue that some of those bitter people then "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 frustration?" Not all people, of course, but some people do. They "cling" to their guns in that way that says, "You took my job, but you won't take my dignity as a man." They "cling" to their religion in that way that says, "You took my children's hope for a prosperous future in this world, but you won't take their chances of having an afterlife with the lord." Stirred up by demagogues and rich right-wingers, they raise their hackles to any outsider or outside-influence, saying, "Rich and Greedy Americans aren't to blame; Muslims, Mexicans, and the Chinese are." Obama is out there everyday. He's spending time in diners, in truck-stops, in churches. He's held forums in every library, elementary school, and VFW hall from New York to California. He's talked to the rural folks in Nevada, the farmers in Iowa, and the steel-workers in Pennsylvania. He's seen more of America and talked to more Americans than you and I combined. This isn't something unique to Obama. Hillary's doing the same thing. As anyone must who deigns to represent 280,000,000 people. As the article I linked to above suggests, if you look at what the people in Pennsylvania are actually saying about all of this, the answer is: they aren't saying anything. They all know 1) what he said is true...people are angry; and 2) what he said isn't half the gaffe that Hillary and the media are trying to make it be. I don’t know, Justin…I mean, it seems like a dust-up over nothing. Do you think it’s untrue that people are angry about losing their jobs to globalization? Do you think it’s untrue that people are bitter about decades of unfulfilled promises from politicians? Do you think it’s untrue that some of those bitter people then “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 frustration?” Not all people, of course, but some people do.

They “cling” to their guns in that way that says, “You took my job, but you won’t take my dignity as a man.”

They “cling” to their religion in that way that says, “You took my children’s hope for a prosperous future in this world, but you won’t take their chances of having an afterlife with the lord.”

Stirred up by demagogues and rich right-wingers, they raise their hackles to any outsider or outside-influence, saying, “Rich and Greedy Americans aren’t to blame; Muslims, Mexicans, and the Chinese are.”

Obama is out there everyday. He’s spending time in diners, in truck-stops, in churches. He’s held forums in every library, elementary school, and VFW hall from New York to California. He’s talked to the rural folks in Nevada, the farmers in Iowa, and the steel-workers in Pennsylvania. He’s seen more of America and talked to more Americans than you and I combined.

This isn’t something unique to Obama. Hillary’s doing the same thing. As anyone must who deigns to represent 280,000,000 people.

As the article I linked to above suggests, if you look at what the people in Pennsylvania are actually saying about all of this, the answer is: they aren’t saying anything. They all know 1) what he said is true…people are angry; and 2) what he said isn’t half the gaffe that Hillary and the media are trying to make it be.

]]> By: david http://fluidimagination.com/blog/2008/04/14/somebodys-playing-politics/#comment-46294 david Tue, 15 Apr 2008 07:04:44 +0000 http://fluidimagination.com/blog/2008/04/14/somebodys-playing-politics/#comment-46294 i just think that what he said isn't what hillary is insinuating... - she might as well say that you shouldn't vote for barack because he thinks that you're a piece of garbage... - which... - of course... - isn't true... whatavers... maybe hillary should get the nomination... - then she can botch it all up in her first term and barack will be there to obliterate her ass in the next presidential campaign... politics are ridiculous... i just think that what he said isn’t what hillary is insinuating… - she might as well say that you shouldn’t vote for barack because he thinks that you’re a piece of garbage… - which… - of course… - isn’t true…

whatavers…

maybe hillary should get the nomination… - then she can botch it all up in her first term and barack will be there to obliterate her ass in the next presidential campaign…

politics are ridiculous…

]]> By: justin http://fluidimagination.com/blog/2008/04/14/somebodys-playing-politics/#comment-46275 justin Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:17:48 +0000 http://fluidimagination.com/blog/2008/04/14/somebodys-playing-politics/#comment-46275 Or admit that he f'ed up by classifying that the small town people are "And 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.” You can push it anyway you want but what he said was a pretty stereotypical of people that chances are he has never known. I love how he was taking a shot at the Clintons "And they fell through the Clinton Administration" when it all happened. Or admit that he f’ed up by classifying that the small town people are “And 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.” You can push it anyway you want but what he said was a pretty stereotypical of people that chances are he has never known.

I love how he was taking a shot at the Clintons “And they fell through the Clinton Administration” when it all happened.

]]> By: david http://fluidimagination.com/blog/2008/04/14/somebodys-playing-politics/#comment-46248 david Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:33:58 +0000 http://fluidimagination.com/blog/2008/04/14/somebodys-playing-politics/#comment-46248 or maybe that would just feed the fire... - f#ck it... - obama should protest politics by taping his mouth shut... or maybe that would just feed the fire… - f#ck it… - obama should protest politics by taping his mouth shut…

]]> By: david http://fluidimagination.com/blog/2008/04/14/somebodys-playing-politics/#comment-46247 david Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:16:39 +0000 http://fluidimagination.com/blog/2008/04/14/somebodys-playing-politics/#comment-46247 this is definitely something that pisses me off about both candidates... - on one hand you got hillary calling obama an elitist that talks down to the good old "folks" of america... - and then you got obama publicly regretting his choice of words... f@ck that... obama should have been like... - "hillary thinks that i'm an elitist... - she insinuates that i'm on a high horse eating caviar and using right wing talking points of the nineties... - she has been twisting my words time and time again into something that is so utterly untrue that i'm beginning to believe that she thinks that the american people are gullible enough to believe this nonsense... - at first it's my inexperience that bugs her... - then it's my pastor... - and then suddenly i'm an elitist right winger... - make up your mind"... and then he should go onto a tirade of how much of an elitist hillary is... - with the lobbyist money that she receives for her campaign that no doubt will want a favor in return... - with a husband who already had his eight years in the white house but still wants more... - with a political add which portrays her as tony soprano... - the biggest elitist of them all... - in fact... - a gangster... - with the caviar dinners that she had time to eat in the middle of a "war zone"... - come on now... this is definitely something that pisses me off about both candidates… - on one hand you got hillary calling obama an elitist that talks down to the good old “folks” of america… - and then you got obama publicly regretting his choice of words…

f@ck that…

obama should have been like… - “hillary thinks that i’m an elitist… - she insinuates that i’m on a high horse eating caviar and using right wing talking points of the nineties… - she has been twisting my words time and time again into something that is so utterly untrue that i’m beginning to believe that she thinks that the american people are gullible enough to believe this nonsense… - at first it’s my inexperience that bugs her… - then it’s my pastor… - and then suddenly i’m an elitist right winger… - make up your mind”…

and then he should go onto a tirade of how much of an elitist hillary is… - with the lobbyist money that she receives for her campaign that no doubt will want a favor in return… - with a husband who already had his eight years in the white house but still wants more… - with a political add which portrays her as tony soprano… - the biggest elitist of them all… - in fact… - a gangster… - with the caviar dinners that she had time to eat in the middle of a “war zone”… - come on now…

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