tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657344379515198783.post701522131541630421..comments2023-11-05T02:19:13.411-05:00Comments on Airing of the Grievances: The Wisdom of "Bitterness" (JM)Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12649848515867751444noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657344379515198783.post-70742859051399780322008-04-12T21:15:00.000-04:002008-04-12T21:15:00.000-04:00Did you catch Obama's response? I think it's a bri...Did you catch Obama's <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc9PepjyDow" REL="nofollow">response</A>? I think it's a brilliant way of a) acknowledging that he could have used a different wording to better express his point and b) reiterate that same point in a very clear and forthright way.<BR/>You say, incidentally, that "nobody is going to disagree with the truth that a good portion of this quite bitter," but that's exactly what <A HREF="http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0408/McCain_camp_hammers_Obama_on_San_Fran_comments.html#comments" REL="nofollow">McCain</A> and <A HREF="http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/04/mccain-clinton.html" REL="nofollow">Clinton</A> have said. But you're right, nobody who wasn't an actor in the bizarre kabuki theater of American politics would disagree with the assertion that people are upset over some things and turn to other things as a result. There was a CNN roundtable thingie with, among others, Jack Cafferty and Jeffrey Toobin last night where they were literally laughing at the transparent ridiculousness of McCain and Clinton's "refutations"; of course people are angry and of course they turn to xenophobia, paranoia and apathy when they feel that government can do nothing for them!<BR/>I also feel like you're over-analyzing things somewhat. I don't think Obama was commenting on any particular American cultural facet, merely on the tendency to withdraw from a (real or perceived) ineffective government to an entrenched, bitter position.<BR/><BR/>And you KNOW this line won't die. It's not big enough to merit a separate speech like the Wright thing, and I think Obama has handled it quite well, but you KNOW it's gonna pop up every 10 minutes from now 'til election day, "Obama belittles religious people and gun enthusiasts." Again, he made a very valid point, just in a poorly-worded way.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08447926976272605022noreply@blogger.com