I have more respect for Obama than I do for the American voter

[Alhena]

I am finding it increasingly difficult to keep up my enthusiasm for this whole election when I recall that we are living in a country that re-elected George W. Bush. Watching Obama give a speech is like watching a master pianist playing a Beethoven concerto. It makes me enthusiastic and hopeful for a while. Until I look over and realize that the redneck with the beer gut and the confederate flag T-shirt is one of the primary judges of this contest. And then I get on the internet and see FoxNews is manufacturing some new controversy about the Black Panthers endorsing Obama, and I know full well that this smear is having its desired effect among at least some voters.

And then I get a bit weary of the whole process, and I wonder whether idiocy and closed-mindedness can be overcome with eloquence and character. I think Obama's candid remarks today about his being "shaken up" by recent events reflect the same concerns. And part of me was glad to see him be honest and make those comments, even though Hillary will no doubt pounce on them. Part of me thinks that Hillary might even fit in better in the pig sty of a general election campaign that no doubt awaits us. Sorry for the downer post- just not particularly enthused about the American voter right now.

[QC]

1. Quite right--it is indeed a travesty that the lower orders are voting now!

In my day such swine knew their place!

[StClone]

7. Nice touch

What you missed was that the population is disinterested and ignorant by DESIGN or by DESIRE, or lack of it, of the electorate. Jest can be a wonderful thing, but to hide the facts by satirizing works wonderfully well for the those that seek control not for the sake of Swine as you call them.

[QC]

9. Nah, I just get tired of seeing "progressives" engaging in classism.

Most of them have no clue that it's wrong, or that it makes a lie of their pretense to caring about "The People." Democrats once embraced blue-collar workers, rural people, etc. Now such people are just too déclassé, what with their big guts and tacky clothes and bumpkin speech. And I bet they've never even heard of Noam Chomsky or balsamic vinegar!

Sorry, but I just find it offensive how people casually throw around hateful language like redneck and white trash and think there's nothing wrong with it.

[StClone]

10. So what do you call them?

Ignorant?

[QC]

11. Yeah, ignorant is a good one.

Maybe we could call the worse ones "assholes." But using class slurs doesn't cut it. The truth is that there are plenty of beer-swillers with big guts and GEDs out there who need us and might vote for us if we give them a reason. They don't need to hear good progressives casually throwing around the same words that the privileged have been slamming them with all their lives.

My grandfather, a miner with a fourth-grade education, valued his associations with The Democratic Party and The United Mine Workers above just about everything else in his life. He loved the union because it made his life better and the party because it supported the union. Now the union is dead the party is not far behind. He would be hurt if he were alive today.

[crispini]

23. Yes, you're spot on. I know plenty of good Democrats who are rednecks. :)

A couple of them are judges. :)

But -- and it shouldn't be a class-based argument -- I really do have some disdain for the willfully ignorant who don't pay any (or very little) attention to what's going on, and then go out and vote. For example, we had almost a million voters vote for a guy named "Gene Kelly" for senate. Not the same Gene Kelly (he's dead); actually a crank who runs every year by putting his name on the ballot and not campaigning. Nobody who did 2 minutes of research into that candidate would think he was worth voting for. I have nothing but disdain for the dimwits who voted for Gene Kelly, regardless of where they live, what they drive, or what they drink. :D

[JoFerret]

31. I call them people

Are you really a supporter/ fan of Hugo Chavez?

[JoFerret]

19. Correct. And engage in wishful thinking tendencies....

that are naive at best and edging toward what can only be considered akin to fascism on the other.
the lack of respect for people is extraordinary.
Those with all this superior judgment and unearned privilege have not done so well in the past.

[JoFerret]

21. Let's dispense with voting. We already know what is best

for everyone.

[BlooInBloo]

2. The American public has been the mean, bigoted, and stupid elephant in the room....

... for a long time. Republicans can't tell the difference between Sunnis and Shia (they're all brown). Democrats can't tell the difference between Obama and Wright (they're both brown). There's rather little to have faith in regarding any segment of the American public.

Obama perhaps deserves kudos all the more for being able to maintain a strong sense of optimism despite the idiotic bigotry on the part of both the republican and democratic populations.

See also Greenwald's article.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/03/18/obama/index.html

[JoFerret]

20. Maybe they need a dose of political cleansing

Life would be much simpler is everyone just agreed right now that Mr. Obama should be crowned president.

[billbuckhead]

3. The Democratic party owes it to rank and file voters to pick someone who can win

Hillary's opponent is a social engineering experiment and not really a serious general election candidate, he has come close to admitting that himself. The Clinton's have shown they can win real elections and raise average American's standard of living. Her opponent gives speeches.

[Megahurtz]

4. Obama can win.

The ReThugs want Hillary in there because either she will lose to McCain,

OR she will continue the ReThug agenda.

Is that what you really want? :think:

[billbuckhead]

8. Working class whites and Hispanics just aren't voting for Hillary's opponent

It you thought Ohio was a bad, wait till you see the ass kicking Hillary's opponent gets in Pennsylvania.

[Emit]

5. 'social engineering experiment'?

wtf is that supposed to mean?

[Patsy Stone]

12. "A social engineering experiment"

You are a charmer, for sure.

[Breeze54]

6. His supporters and those that voted for him will be happy to see this OP!

:sarcasm:

The Black Panthers ARE endorsing Obama! They were just interviewed on http://www.kpfa.org/

[Straight Shooter]

13. You actually believe bush was re-elected.

Remember that Obama stood on the sidelines and apparently did not address the issue of two stolen elections in a row. I was really "shaken up" after Gore was deprived of his right to be POTUS. Obama, as a Constitutional lawyer, could have seized the chance to make a great speech about the Supreme Court usurping the will of the people. Tens of thousands protested that decision. AFAIK, Obama didn't.

Respect is a two-way street.

[NoBushSpokenHere]

14. Pssssssssssst Bush didn't win...he stole it twice...nt

[Alhena]

15. It shouldn't have been close enough to steal

[NoBushSpokenHere]

16. It wasn't...but the MEDIA and other political hacks told

America that it was a poor campaign that led to the loss. And, unfortunately, people drank the Kool aid...thanks to people like Carville...

[Forkboy]

17. I veer back on forth on this one.

I think if given the chance to be smart many Americans will be. Unfortunately many aren't even expected to think anymore, and so many are burnt and glazed after a hard day's work that a soundbite works. But, I also hate thinking of them as sheeple, because I've known people who I would have put into that category on first glance who turned out to be anything but. A lot of people are just turned off to politics as a whole, but they're not dumb, even though I may wish they were more involved.

Sometimes, when you're dealing with a mortgage, kids, family, health, etc, politics becomes a secondary thing. These people are worried about tomorrow, not November.

Of course, there are stupid people out there, don't get me wrong. :)

[Iceburg]

32. Forkboy -- I have to say you are the LONE Obama supporter that

keeps me positive about Barack should he win the nomination.

You are bang on about what many Americans ARE dealing with, and ARE worried about.

Here's a 13 minute video clip and story from CBS's 60 Minutes that encapsulates your thoughtful points above. I wept when this story was first aired in February.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/28/60minutes/main3889496.shtml

I encourage everyone to walk in the shoes of these Americans before posting another derogatory thread on those that do not possess the luxury of having "politics" as their primary concern.

This is why we need universal health care. This is one of the primary reasons why I do support Hillary -- her commitment to universality, her commitment to end the most disparaging inequality facing America. Universal health care of and by itself will not end poverty but it will insure a right to life.

[Forkboy]

38. Thank you for showing me that.

Tough to watch, but needed.

I do have to say that I'm not really an Obama supporter, though I prefer him over Hillary. As a Kucinich fan, and flaming liberal, I'm not thrilled with either choice. I will say that Obama's speech impressed the hell out of me though...so maybe I'm close enough to be called a "supporter". :)

Thanks for your kind words.

[JoFerret]

41. Rational and civil is a rarity

disagreement and discourse are healthy in a democracy.

[JoFerret]

18. So much for democracy

It's messy and disappointing system but consider the alternative.....

[boston bean]

22. Watching Obama give a speech is like watching a master pianist playing a Beethoven concerto.

That is the problem, don't ever ever put politicians that high up a pedestal. The fall is long and hard if you do.

[JoFerret]

43. It may take a while but

the truth is - he is an ego driven politician. they all are.

[IsItJustMe]

24. I feel your pain. As shallow as most of our voters are, I am to the point of believing that this

country does not deserve someone with character anymore. The ignorance in this country is beyond profound.

[Pringles]

25. Wow. You make "hope" sound like a 4-letter word.

Obama has more respect for the American voter than he does for you, I'm sure.

[TeamJordan23]

26. I agree. He is too good for this. nm

[MyNameGoesHere]

27. Just like darth-cheney, their opinions don't matter ? so? n/t

[a la izquierda]

28. Does anybody give a shit about the Black Panthers...

anymore? Seriously?

I am positively thrilled that I will be out of the country for the last months of this election.

[loyalsister]

29. Encouraging anecdote

I talked with my sister yesterday and found myself encouraged. I have heard her use ignorant stereotype language with no malice intended. She is married to a man who harbors some "white man's burden" resentment that was handed down from his father.
My own offered some, but we refused. Even the sister I am speaking of outwardly rebukes racism.

Her most notable comment regarding this incident was that she was glad that he didn't disown Wright.
This is not based on religion she is a nonbeliever.

I think that if she is willing to respect Obama's loyalty to the Black community, then he may have hit a nerve.
I think my sister was able to respect his loyalty becaue she had a shared experience to admit.

I guess I do as well considering my father's disposition.

I have hope that we aren't the only ones. As a matter of fact, I have seen some stories on the primaries board
I might be able to muster some optimism. Maybe telling our stories will have some value?

[GOPBasher]

30. I pretty much feel exactly as you do. This is my general attitude, but we still have

to try, always.

[MNDemNY]

33. Run on this: "Obama, More respectable then you are." gobama

[LulaMay]

34. I've been weary of the constant Clinton bashing and sexism on this board.

[Juche]

35. Thank you, I relate exactly

I have gone through the same thing the last few weeks. We have a candidate who is competent, intelligent and a groundbreaker but the public are being manipulated into thinking he is Malcolm X. Now they won't vote for him. And it brings back all the bad memories of how the media chose not ot report the facts before the Iraq war and we all suffered from it.

I am resigned now. I went from highly excited from fall to march, to pure resignation. I don't think we Americans deserve competent leadership until we become competent citizens. Until we understand geography, civics, politics and economics and actually bother to vote. I just don't care anymore. Let the middle class be destroyed because they vote against their own interest because a PR firm backed by Wal-mart convinces them to. Who cares anymore. There is a video clip on the internet of a Canadian comedian going around Texas. He made up a country (can't remember the name, adjeristan maybe) and said 'adjeristan is aggressive, should the US bomb adjeristan' and most people said yes. So who cares. If people want to bomb non-existant countries or countries they can't find on a map or countries they've been manipulated into hating by the corporate media than fuck it. Why even bother anymore.

And FTR I'm not perfect. I couldn't find Israel on a map until I was 25, and I didn't know how big the federal budget was until I was about 27. I am only now getting around to reading the constitution in its entirety.

[leftstreet]

36. The majority of Americans don't vote

What they're thinking isn't reflected in the current political process.

[Juche]

37. 1/3 don't vote

In 2004 turnout was up to 64%. It'll probably be closer to 70% this time around.

[oasis]

39. "I pledge alligiance to Obama". The Kool-Aid's flowing like a mighty stream.

:patriot: :crazy:

[JoFerret]

44. Bow down and worship him

.

[cooolandrew]

40. His speech is the most downloaded in u-tube history sounds like intrest to me. LINK...

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?pid=300367


STAY FIRED UP WE WIN WITH ENGUSIASM.

[LWolf]

42. I have less and less respect for both. n/t