Barack Obama told wealthy San Franciscans that small-town Pennsylvanians and midwesterners “cling to guns or religion” because they are “bitter” about their economic status.

Barack Obama: “[I]t’s not surprising, then, that 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.”

What a condescending jerk! He’s an out-of-touch elitist. He has no idea what it is like to live in small town America.

LOL!!!!!

He has no idea what it is like to live in small town America.

Growing up poor isn't enough??? How about you DD's???

Yesterday's news, dude.
This has been the headline and passed.
Your analysis is lackluster.
Here are some quotes from McCain which defy logic:

"Americans are very frustrated, and they have every right to be. We've wasted a lot of our most precious treasure, which is American lives." --on the Iraq war

Wasted lives on the Iraq war? Talk about condescending. Now that's something that shows he's more than out of touch.

"F**k you! I know more about this than anyone else in the room." --to Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), during a testy exchange about immigration legislation.

Talk about elitist? To a fellow Republican no less.

"Only an a**hole would put together a budget like this ... I wouldn't call you an a**hole unless you really were an a**hole." --to Budget Committee Chairman and fellow Repulican Sen. Pete Domenici, during a Senate budget hearing

Now how's that for general disrespect and know it all ism

"Do you know why Chelsea Clinton is so ugly? Because Janet Reno is her father." --at a 1998 Republican fundraiser

"At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you c*nt." -to his wife, Cindy, after she playfully twirled his hair and said "You're getting a little thin up there," as reported in the book The Real McCain by Cliff Schecter

McCain is so out of touch with America it's unbelievable!
Thanks God above I registered Independent!!!!

It doesn't look good for that McCain guy....

McCain calling his wife a C?? WOW! What a guy... WHAT A DICK!

It's NOT looking good for that McCain guy...

DD doesn't give a damn about what Obama really meant, because DD is a blindly partisan hypocrite. Obama apologized today for misspeaking. Clinton and McCain as pointed out have misspoken numerous times.

The King of the Misspeak is George W. Bush, of course, but DD doesn't care what kind of gaffes a Republican makes. Blind partisans simply look for any way they can spin a little gaffe like this for maximum effect. It sounds like DD's little smear came directly from talk radio. Which show, DD? Hannity? Who's your favorite right-wing smear merchant?

Andrew

Is it me or is DigitalDexter just lurking around waiting to jump on old news to show just how "in-touch" he is....n't.

DD rarely partakes in any real discussion these days only to drop a turd on the board and disappear. Talk about out of touch.

I think he got "the memo".

If you're not bitter, you're not paying attention.

I admit it - I kind of agree with what he didn't mean.

Chris, you've got DD's M.O. down perfectly.

Andrew

I would say Obama knows a lot about living in small town America because Obama is correct in what he said, he just could have worded it a little different.

Sometimes the truth hurts, and this would be an example.

Not only that, but the Clinton campaign is in the desperation mode with her lead in Pa. having evaporated within the margin of error.

Also, the media continues to do a horrendous job, focusing on issues that are largely irrelevant.

I really don't have any problem discussing this. It's another part of Obama that I kind of respond to. I can't help it. I DO feel that there are those that hold us back in what I would define as progress. And while I think it's a BIT of an oversimplification to point to gun-owners and church folk as the cause of all of our social ills, they contribute to them to a greater degree than I have patience for.

I'm sick of " God " being used in a way that inhibits growth for us as a nation.

I am sick of gun owners thinking that their rights to own a gun defines us as a nation - and without a gun, we are somehow on a slippery slope.

Keep your gun. I'm fine with that. Keep your God. I am fine with that too. I believe in God AND think about buying a gun. But those are things that do not define what I want for The United States. They aren't even in the top 50 of things I need our Government to do with, for or to me. I liked that Obama, admittedly with a bit of clutz, at least mentioned that mindset. It's something that I am just fine admitting exists. I can't honestly say I am indignant about the acknowledgement of that culture. If he goes too far ( and he hasn't, in my opinion ) with it, then I will be able to change my mind. But the fact that he SEES it, is a GOOD thing for me.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/

Click " Gaffe-In " - The Elitist issue is addressed. Something that I have asked about in the past in this forum. This is a good answer. Especially around the 7:30 mark.

"Sometimes the truth hurts, and this would be an example."

I need to work on being more succint.

Digression: (I'll tell you what was told to me)

Write it, then take out 10 percent.

That's a start. Don't use a fancy program. Just write it, right here if you want to, then go back and trim the fat, then review, then post.

When that feels good, begin to write such that you know it will be difficult to take out that 10 percent! This is pre-trimming that fat and it's a little game between you and what you want to say.

That's progress.

Soon it becomes second nature, done often enough.

You can always take out the 10 percent, just so you know, but that's not really the point. The point is a good flow, efficient, yet still precise and with high degree of fidelity. (subtle elements not lost)

That's what I was told. This is what I learned from it:

Consider how the words flow. There is what is said directly by them, in sequence. Obvious stuff. The real meat is what is not said, but implied. Reading between the lines kind of stuff.

Nobody tells you that you have to write between the lines too! (Maybe they do, but I was just not mentally there at the time.)

Think about what the possible implications could be, then choose more deeply from your pool of ready words, constraining that tree of potential implications as tightly as possible. That's writing between the lines.

Another way to think of it is to have your own internal nay-sayer. "But... if..." The less that bastard has to say, the tighter the language overall.

Now it's clear why language teachers stress vocabulary. We have lots of different words, each with subtle differences in their implied meanings, when chained together, not because we just are lazy and have lots of different words!

Some words are powerful. Some used in this post are: robust, fidelity.

I like these kinds of words because they have clear bounds and articulate fairly complex ideas, embodied in a small number of characters and sounds. In this way, they are clear and that's powerful.

Each word is like a tool. Many are general purpose. Think of it like using the Metric wrenches on English bolts. Most of the stuff fits, but when stress is applied, damage can be done through slippage.

When you find a word suitable, know all of it, how to apply it, essentially wielding it as a part of you, just like that really great tool you've kept over the years. It just fits more often than not.

Basic words are slippery things. Some are far more slippery than others. Exploring them, one by one, in context; namely and ideally, through conversation is probably one of the better ways to differentiate them in this fashion.

Finally, do not underestimate the power of punctuation. Often people will write more than they should to avoid the use of a symbol. Punctuation can express a lot on it's own. Move a comma or maybe place an extra one, like this, for emphasis, and you've highlighted something of value, or put something into greater context without having to run excess words for it.

It's also good for presenting ideas where paragraphs might be used.

eg:

This action could go:

this way

,or

that way.

Use of punctuation and formatting adds a very high degree of clarity and is very easily consumed, without adding any extra words!

This action could go this way, or it could go that way.

Works for lists too, and forces you to contain your ideas in discrete pieces.

Things Republicans do when cornered with acceptance: (the dodge list)

subject change,

false comparison,

silence, (and that's just not responding)

personal attack.

Now, that's actually one complete sentence and that's nirvana. If you've got a primary idea, being able to put it in a single sentence is just golden!

DD's disappeared....

Just like Trick DICK... Turn tail and run.....

Sorry, that post above is kind of mangled. Forgot this:

The reason some words are more powerful than others is that when they are strung together just so, they leave few gaps. This brings the obvious meaning closer to all the "between the lines" implied meaning. This is more direct, less prone to errors in interpretation, and by nature concise.

When we have trouble in language, it's the gaps that do it.

It's all good...Bruce Springsteen, the champion of the working man, has come out and endorsed Obama.

Finally, the issue can be laid to rest.

Good catch Bookemdono -- here is the announcement.

Dear Friends and Fans:

LIke most of you, I've been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.

He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where "...nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone."

At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision, so well described in his excellent book, Dreams of My Father, often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our Constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment.

After the terrible damage done over the past eight years, a great American reclamation project needs to be undertaken. I believe that Senator Obama is the best candidate to lead that project and to lead us into the 21st Century with a renewed sense of moral purpose and of ourselves as Americans.

Over here on E Street, we're proud to support Obama for President.

The Boss

Add -- In case you missed it, Bruce is not the only great American composer to endorse Barack Obama. Stevie Wonder officially endorsed him in January. It was pretty easy to read between the lines at the show last summer when he spoke of hope and the future. If anyone embodies the true spirit of American hope, it would be Stevie and Bruce.

So, uh, Elton who? :0)

Oh yes, the cons love playing that song. The democrats are elitists, etc. At least I don't belong to a party that takes in corporate criminals, religious nuts, and idiots. He just speaks truth, that's what pisses off the cons.

It makes dumb people feel better to call those that are more intelligent "elitists".

Where is the hell did DD's run too? He's worse than Nixon when it comes to cuttin' and runnin'....

DD might be trying to "get you" by wearing you down!

LOL!