Bitter: Email from an Attendee

[housewolf]

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/04/bitter-email-from-an-attendee.php

Bitter: Email from an Attendee
By John McCutchen - April 13, 2008, 12:40PM

Just received this from Myrna Melgar who was actually at the Obama Fundraiser:

As someone who was at that now famous fundraiser where Barack spoke about the bitterness folks in rural America feel, I have grown increasingly bewildered at the Clinton campaign's distortion of his words.

The paragraph that has so spun out of control in the mainstream media was not a part of the speech itself, but rather a response to a question from someone in the audience (one of us!) who was planning on traveling to PA as a volunteer and was asking about what to expect.

I listened to Barack's response and was stuck by his emotional intelligence, deep empathy and understanding of our fellow Americans. It was in no way condescending or demeaning.

So that you don't think I am one of these so called elitist San Francisco rich who are out of touch with everyone else outside our bubble: I am a Latina, single mom, who immigrated to the Mission during the civil war in El Salvador. America has given me great opportunity, but I know struggle and discrimination. I have spent most of my career as a community and union organizer engaged in conflict with the "haves" and building leadership in poor communities of all colors to speak truth to power.

Barack's message of hope and inclusion of us all speaks to me and mine: White, black, immigrant, Latino, Asian, male, female, gay, straight. Of course people are bitter and angry!

One of the foundational principles of community organizing in America has been to tap into the discontent of people who are oppressed and turn it towards positive change, so that the emotinal energy that fuels the anger will instead be used to motivate people to action for positive progress and change. It is a radically different message that the Obama philosophy espouses: we can change the world ourselves - we need to work hard and turn our bitterness and anger towards the actual work of holding government accountable. It applies to poor people in rural Appalachia as much as it applies to poor people in the inner city public housing projects in Chicago.

I am writing to remind us to stay on message and stay focused. For the past four days, the media has been going nuts over that comment, including folks in the Democratic party who should know better but whose self interests is perhaps to protect the paradigm of division that has kept them at the top of the fragile balance between Republicans and centrist Democrats over the past 20 years.

This moment in American history is about WE the people, and millions of us have elected Barack to speak for us now, because he speaks the truth. Enough is enough. Let's stay on message, and I have no doubt we're going to win this one.

Here is an excellent piece by someone who lives in Western Pennsylvannia about this brouhaha: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/12/184747/973/89/485030 Peace to all.

[nichomachus]

1. You mean the Clintons distorted something?

[Dr.Phool]

2. It's almost as if Howard Dean screamed or something.

[Greyhound]

3. Another wholly manufactured non-event with the sole purpose of silencing

any liberal position.

Life in Amerika.

[tavalon]

5. Manufactured controversy? Our media!?! Tell me it isn't so!

:eyes: What a bunch of wankers.

[workoholic]

4. Very nice

Not everyone was offended by Obama's words, as we are being led to believe.

[susankh4]

6. John McCutchen?

Is this THE John McCutchen?

If so, and if he is thus convinced... he ought to hit the road and sing about it. Ala Woody Guthrie.

I'd love to see that!