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Hillary Clinton is trying to sabotage the Democrats’ chances of winning the presidency in November. Of course, she believes otherwise because she wants to be the nominee, but her campaign’s attacks on Barack Obama have become so vitriolic and divisive that it almost feels like the party is being forcefully wedged in half.
This weekend’s controversy came after Obama gave a speech in which he said people in small towns who have lost their jobs cling to guns, religion and prejudice against immigrants and other people different from them. He said voters have become “bitter,” which has become the anti-Obama buzzword of the week.
Clinton saw an opening and immediately went on the offensive. She called Obama’s comments “elitist” and “out of touch.” Future Republican nominee John McCain had similar criticisms, repeating Clinton’s “elitist” comment while throwing in “condescension” for good measure. It’s no surprise to hear McCain railing against either Democratic candidate, but Clinton is further alienating herself from mainstream Democrats by going after someone who is on his way to being the party’s nominee.
The media has focused mainly on Clinton’s criticisms, disregarding what Obama actually meant by his statements. He said unemployed workers in places like Pennsylvania, which has a primary on April 22, were promised a resurgance in industrial and manufacturing jobs by both the Clinton and Bush administrations.
“Each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are going to regenerate, and they have not,” Obama said.
It’s not just about jobs. Many Americans are bitter. We’re bitter about the insane amounts of money that have been spent in Iraq, creating a huge deficit and taking money away from social services and infrastructure repair that America badly needs. We’re bitter about not having affordable health care. Politicians as of late haven’t adequately addressed these issues. Out of desperation, voters begin explosive debates about God, guns and gays, which tend to attract the attention of candidates and the media more than the “real issues.”
As for elitism, Clinton and McCain should take a look in the money mirror. CNN’s Web site reports that Obama’s net worth is currently $1.3 million. That sounds like a lot, but not compared to Clinton’s net worth of $34.9 million. She and Bill own $5.9 million worth of houses. McCain is worth $40.4 million, and his wife, Cindy, is the heir to the Anheuser-Busch beer distribution business. Mr. Maverick has spent more than 20 years in the Senate, the American mecca of elitism.
Clinton says people don’t “need a president who looks down on them.” Obama rebutted by pointing out that she voted for a bankruptcy bill sponsored by credit card companies that made it harder for people to get out of debt. This was after she took financial contributions from the same sponsors. If that isn’t looking down on Americans, then she has a lot of explaining to do.
“She says I’m out of touch?” Obama asked. “No, I’m in touch. I know exactly what’s going on. People are fed up. They’re angry and they’re frustrated and they’re bitter.”
Indeed. We’re frustrated. We’re bitter. We’re mad as hell, and we aren’t going to take it anymore.
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