Obama announces his DU supporters were wrong re: BitterGate.

[MethuenProgressive]

Obama concedes remarks were ill chosen

MUNCIE, Ind. - Democrat Barack Obama on Saturday conceded that comments he made about bitter working class voters who "cling to guns or religion" were ill chosen, as he tried to stem a burst of complaints that he is condescending.

"I didn't say it as well as I should have," he said.

As Obama tried to quell the furor, presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton hit him with one of her lengthiest and most pointed criticisms to date.

"Senator Obama's remarks were elitist and out of touch," she said, campaigning about an hour away in Indianapolis. "They are not reflective of the values and beliefs of Americans."

Hundreds of recent posts by DU's Obama supporters claiming his remarks were correct and accurate were just disavowed by Barack Obama.

[SoxFan]

1. yeah, whatever

[VeraAgnes]

52. I like your attitude

to let-go, recognize errors and move on to other issues of the day without remorse. It surely dosen't make for logic when poster fight hard and gritty.

Good leadership

[qazplm]

2. not really what he said

he said I could have said it better.

How is that saying his remarks were not correct and accurate?

You can say something correctly and accurately while still saying it inartfully.

[PetraPooh]

57. Exactly but the Hillary suporters don't seem to understand plain English.

[LiberalZrule]

81. Get it through

your brain that the ones who find his statements a problem are not saying they are not accurate but they were offensive and smacked of snobbery. I am a hillary supporter and I do not believe Obama's comments were inaccurate except clinging to religion, but I do believe they were snobbish, condescending, and offensive. Howerver I do believe that a person clinging to religion is just plain false.

[countingbluecars]

3. Streeeeeeeetch.

[GarbagemanLB]

4. How exactly did he renounce his message? Try again. I smell desperation.

[rodeodance]

12. its the backwind you smell.

How exactly did he renounce his message? Try again. I smell desperation.
Posted by GarbagemanLB

[GarbagemanLB]

18. ~~Wrong~~

[rodeodance]

82. i was right. te he

[DemsUnited]

5. Umm, no.

He said the remarks were right but his phrasing at the private fundraiser could have been better.

[hisownpetard]

6. He had to say that, to defuse their hot air balloons.

[cali]

7. he said he could have said it better

not that he was wrong. and now I really must put you on igore again, not because your bullshit stings, or is even out of the ordinary, but because for some reason, I often get sucked into your banal crap.

ttfn.

[JoFerret]

90. Quick. Close the air lock

.

[DemVet]

105. It hurts to be wrong, huh?

You must hurt ALOT.

[kwenu]

8. My bet is that PA citizens in those distressed communities will know the TRUTH when they hear this.

The Hillary campaign will be exposed for charlatan tactics...again.

[MethuenProgressive]

65. That Obama thinks they're bitter hicks clinging to their guns and churches.

He thinks their stupid enough to forget what he said about them, and gullible enough to buy the spin he's putting on it.

[Kajsa]

87. Excuse me? WHERE EXACTLY did he say that?

Here is the direct quote from the transcript,

"And they take refuge in their faith and their community and their families
and things they can count on. But they don’t believe they can count on Washington."

Not even close!

Edit- here's the youtube link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc9PepjyDow&feature=user

in case you need to find your EXACT QUOTE.

[mtnsnake]

9. Obama supporters: How does that crow taste today? Need a little salt to go with it? (snicker)

[rodeodance]

14. and a shake of pepper

[lonestarnot]

23. I'll take a little honey with dat!

[JoFerret]

93. Don't gloat, however tempting

It's unattractive.

[Kber]

10. I am beginning to think you are an Obama plant.

Throwing up straw men for us to knock down.

[elocs]

25. Perhaps, even more diabolical,

you really are a Clinton supporter who wants to make us think that you are actually an Obama supporter throwing up a straw man argument so they can easily tear it down and then you can call them on it. Kind of like playing both ends against the middle. Yes, we must all bow to a superior intellect.

[CakeGrrl]

11. Spin Spin Spin

"I didn't say it as well as I should have", if one understands those words in that sequence, means that he is not "conceding" the point that he made. A change of phrase does not equate to retracting the statement you make. But I have a feeling most HRC supporters know that, but like HRC, can't help but twist and distort to try their hardest to win anything at this juncture.

[MethuenProgressive]

13. That's what the Obama Camp does, nothing but spin, spin, spin.

I'm surprised he doesn't fall down more often.

[rodeodance]

16. watch the hands......watch the hands......

[mtnsnake]

17. No kidding, & Obama just spun rural America as a bunch of dumbass hicks. Great

That's the way the Repukes will spin it if by some miracle he gets the nomination, although I think he just threw his bid out the window with BitterGate.

[CakeGrrl]

30. The "He's finished" thing again?

I seriously doubt it, much as his detractors are looking for any and everything to try to get him out of their girl Hillary's way.

The people who are mad are the ones who are perpetually mad and looking for excuses to stay mad, and who were never going to vote for him no matter what.

When he's asked about this during the debate, and don't think he isn't prepared for that, your girl HRC better be more prepared to address her support of NAFTA and her support of Wal-Mart's profiteering than to throw her hands up in the air and wonder how many angels are dancing on the head of a pin. Those are the types of REAL issues that need to get someone's bid thrown out the window, not these idiotic "-gates".

[JoFerret]

94. Probably not for the primary

But he sure handed the GOP a script for the fall (should he be the nominee.)

[Prophet 451]

40. and he was right

Addressing the "God, guns, gays & gynaecology" crowd, he was absolutely right. They ARE dumbass hicks, too hung up on religion and firepower to realise that they've been had.

If anything, I'm disappointed he backed away from the statement. And go ahead and call me elitist, I remain of the opinion that people with less brains than a garden gnome should not be running countries.

[mtnsnake]

45. So you think the people he was addressing "ARE dumbass hicks". Brilliant

[Nedsdag]

62. The same "dumbass hicks" won't vote for Hillary in the GE.

They'll vote for McCain in a heartbeat if she's the nominee.

[NJmaverick]

15. Now that wasn't a very honest statement

DUers supported WHAT he said, not how he said it.

Shameful that this post has any recs, really shows the Hillary's supporters share her lack of ethics.

[MethuenProgressive]

19. Is that the spin going out via o-mail?

It's an interesting dance. Silly, not based on reality, but interesting.

[merh]

20. He said exactly what his supporters have said

the comments are legitimate, maybe not the most artful of his campaign, could have been said better, but they are accurate.

You call it bitter gate because you perpetuate it and you are bitter because folks like him better than they like Hillary (as the numbers prove).

[MethuenProgressive]

21. link to the news story mentioned in the OP:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080412/ap_on_el_pr/obama_clinton

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rocktivity]

24. I get it now--you can BE elitist, you just can't say elitist things.

In the tradition of Randi Rhoads, another two-week old snippet deliberately blown out of context.

:crazy:
rocknation

[MethuenProgressive]

29. Just don't get *caught* saying elitist things at ritzy Cali fundraisers about small town PA.

BO needs more experience.

[anonymous171]

26. He didn't disavow them, he said his words were ill chosen. And source?

[susankh4]

27. Mr. Obama's supporters are his worst enemies.

If you think getting elected in November matters.

[MethuenProgressive]

32. I make a distinction between his real supporters and those here on DU.

Every Obama supporter I know in real life is a decent person.

[susankh4]

33. Some are.

I'll agree with you there.

But I have also been hurt by members of my own family who have decided I must be just plain stupid for standing by Sen. Clinton.

[MattBaggins]

67. Right back at ya

[Armstead]

28. Oh for Krikes sake.....

Get over it.

He said a correct and important thing and he could have chosen a couple of words better.

So fricking what?

You want to support parsing "sound byte" politics, or you want to actually have adult campaigns that deal with issues?

[tbyg52]

31. OK, I give up. I'm going to hide GDP until we have a nominee.

And I'm going to vote for whichever DEMOCRAT that is, notwithstanding the fact that I'm getting pretty tired of some of the supporters.

[bowens43]

34. You're completely delusional

but I love watching hillary supporters make fools of themselves so keep it up.

[jgraz]

35. Sorry, MP, but the DU Hillbots trademarked "BitterGate" after they lost Iowa.

[Name removed]

36. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jgraz]

46. Wow, I'm sorry I missed that reply. Must have been a good one.

[MethuenProgressive]

85. Must've been the usual pro-McCain crap from a DUbama.

That's all they seem to post nowadays.

[bvar22]

37. More fantasy from the Hillary boosters club.

You got nuthin.
FAIL.
:thumbsdown:

Obama would be smart to carry this theme into Pennsylvania this week, and point out the Hillary ties to NAFTA and the Colombian Free Trade Deal.

[ClayZ]

38. Keep Watching! (it is not over yet)

Like Swamp Rat says, "Obama poked the snake. Yes he did, and by doing so he set the course of the debate for the coming week. He's a master baiter."





It is kind of like when I went to see Rev Wrights Sermons, .....I got edified for free!

http://www.youtube.com/user/TRINITYCHGO


McSame and Hillary will be the flack catchers again, just you watch.

[OzarkDem]

39. Wonder who he'll throw under the bus next?

Spin it all you want, no one is going to vote for a candidate who treats them like garbage and insults them in public.

Good luck with that campaign strategy.

[ClayZ]

41. You C A N' T hear him .......yet!

Keep trying!


You are still bamboozled!

[SoCalDem]

42. and the word of the day is:

nuance:

\ˈnü-ˌän(t)s, ˈnyü-, -ˌäⁿs; nü-ˈ, nyü-ˈ\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
French, from Middle French, shade of color, from nuer to make shades of color, from nue cloud, from Latin nubes; perhaps akin to Welsh nudd mist
Date:
1781

1 : a subtle distinction or variation 2 : a subtle quality : nicety 3 : sensibility to, awareness of, or ability to express delicate shadings (as of meaning, feeling, or value)
— nu·anced \-ˌän(t)st, -ˈän(t)st\ adjective

[AZBlue]

43. Nice way to twist his words and lie about it.

Guess you learned that from the candidate you support?
Well, welcome to my I List! Buh-bye.

[Occam Bandage]

44. He said that he could have worded it better, not that they were incorrect or inaccurate.

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

47. You should work on your reading comprehension

And stop posting this complete bullshit acting like he's backing away from his statement. Have you ever written anything, say a paper for school, and gone back to EDIT the wording while maintaining the content? Sheesh, it's just that simple.

[TriplePlay]

48. Maybe should say he was sleep deprived, or says millions of words a day...

The double standard is amazing!!
Hillary fabricates a story about sniper fire and says it several times, takes 8 days to issue a lame "apology" where she says she is not perfect, says she says millions of words, lacked sleep, and her campaign is still lying about it.
What Obama said was true - some people are bitter, and with good reason.
But just imagine if Obama started saying the same things : he was sleep deprived, says a million words a day, etc. His campaign wouldn't last a week.

Now he says he could have worded it better, and out come the posts that he was wrong, recants his words, etc.
You Hillary supporters are really in LaLa Land.

[golddigger]

49. Characteristics Associated with Obama Supporters.

The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the truth.

The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader and members, the leader is on a special mission to save humanity.

Members are encouraged or required to socialize only with the other group members. ( Mass ignores of dissenting view. Sound familiar?)

The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society. (Du comes to mind.)

Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged toward their candidate.

The Obama volunteers speak of "coming to Obama" in the same way born-again Christians talk about "coming to Jesus" or "we are the ones we've been waiting for."

His supporters are the same people that see God in a piece of toast, or the Virgin Mary in a slice of pizza. They see what they want to see.

Obama's people are so taken with their messiah that soon they'll be selling flowers at airports and arranging mass weddings.

What the cult of Obama doesn't realize is that he's just another politician.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

55. As someone who has personal experience witnessing the harm a REAL cult does

I ask you to kindly refrain from casually throwing out the "cult" reference about the Obama campaign. He is attracting more enthusiastic support than your candidate is. That is all.

[golddigger]

59. Hmmm! That's why they had a thread "Can I get an AMEN! 214 Amen's to be exact?

[mrreowwr_kittty]

60. I could characterize Clinton supporters by the ones on hillaryclintonforum.net

But I won't because they are loons and they don't represent the majority of people who support Hillary.

[adoraz]

50. no, not really.

he HAD to say this because of all the ignorant people out there.

this was the best decision.

[RememberWellstone]

51. Out.........of..........touch

What the heck will he say next? We are bitter and cling to the rule of law in America for comfort?

[mrreowwr_kittty]

53. MethuenProgressive is his usual annoying self on DU. nt

[Fox Mulder]

54. What Obama said about rural America was right, not wrong.

I live in rural America. I know.

[dbmk]

56. Come on

Really. Come on.

You can't possibly be serious. Tell me you are not arguing that he is retracting, because he said it was not said as well as it could have been( And if you actually watch the speech, its even more clear that he sticks to the overall intent).
Is that really your argument? You thought that up, thought it out and said "Yep, I am going to post this. This is gold. I really got them this time."?

I know there are no emoticons that really portrays the cold sweats of desperation. But the OP could definately have used some.

[Gore1FL]

58. Wow. Didn't understand what he said this time either?

What he said was right. He said he could have made the point better.

[PerfectSage]

61. How can someone who is relective of the values and beliefs of the Beltway and K Street...

...know what the values and beliefs of Americans are?

[cooolandrew]

63. Re-wording isn't disavowing. Nice spin though. You guys are so creative. NEXT.

[AZ Criminal JD]

64. What exactly was his re-wording? Next.

[MattBaggins]

66. The more important question we should be discussing

is how Clinton supporters intend to help Obama win in November since he is going to be the Nominee.

[MethuenProgressive]

68. Someone should help him STFU about the "lesser people clinging to church and guns"

Everytime he sticks his foot in his mouth McCain picks up more in the polls.

[datopbanana]

70. he didn't say they were lesser and...

if economic promises aren't delivered, they will turn to other voting issues that are important like guns, religion, and immigration.

Critical Thinking.

It's not that hard

[datopbanana]

69. He stands by the true meaning of his statement. He rejects the assbackwards interpretations...

that fox and hillary people come up with.

[MethuenProgressive]

71. True meaning "Watch me trick those hicks clinging to their guns and church into voting for me"

His big mouth is losing our party any chance of beating McCain.

[datopbanana]

74. No. YOUR deceiving mouth is losing our party any chance of beating McCain.

[MethuenProgressive]

86. Welcome to DU.

Thanks for the kick.

[Name removed]

88. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MethuenProgressive]

89. Welcome to DU!

Thanks for the kick!
:yourock:

[rodeodance]

83. ~~watch the hands~~ watch the hands~~

[sueragingroz]

72. tossed under the bus... like dear old grandma :)

[MethuenProgressive]

73. Can BO fir anymore bodies under that bus?

Wright, Rezko, McClurkin, the entire population of rural Pennsylvania - so far.

[QC]

75. It's awfully crowded under here! n/t

[Milo_Bloom]

76. You realize he did no such thing, right?

He didn't disavow the meaning... he admitted poor phrashing.

You do realize those are 2 different things, right?

[DearAbby]

77. He may feel he didn't say it as well as he should have

he apologizes for the way he said it, not the content of what he said...I understood exactly what he meant, so do you, and so does Clinton.

[MethuenProgressive]

79. That's for the kick!

:you rock:

[DearAbby]

78. He may feel he didn't say it as well as he should have

he apologizes for the way he said it, not the content of what he said...I understood exactly what he meant, so do you, and so does Clinton.

[LiberalZrule]

80. Thank you for

your post...Obama's comments were offensive and he should go to ever gun lover and church follower and beg for forgiveness. His words were ill concieved ill chosen and just plain ill.

[MethuenProgressive]

84. Thank you!

:dem:

[Ian_rd]

91. More of the same. Desperate.

[MethuenProgressive]

92. Thanks for the kick!

:yourock:

[Ian_rd]

97. I actually make it a point to kick the most ridiculous pro-Hillary threads

as a means to make sure as many people as possible see how desperate and hollow her campaign has become. Sometimes I even give 'em a rec.

So here's another kick! :)

[smiley_glad_hands]

95. He spoke the truth, but left himself open to attack by republicans....I mean Hilliary. eom

[Neshanic]

96. Rule one. Obama supporters are NEVER wrong.

[MethuenProgressive]

98. The way BO tap dances around every scandal and postion, the odds are they're right --

-- what ever thet say. At least at one point in time.

[Egnever]

99. It has to suck to have to twist like a pretzle to try and make Obama look bad

We have it so much easier on our side. Clinton is a walking train wreck i could post shit about her all day.

Fortunately it isnt necesary she does it to herself.

[Armstead]

100. Nooooooo -- he didn't disown his basic point

Big difference

[EndElectoral]

101. He disavowed the "way" he said it, not the fundamental message of people are bitter about facing har

s times while fatcasts get richer, and jobs are lost forever overseas.

You're not seeing the message but looking to score political points on one of the mroe honest things I've heard in this campaign thus far.

[Major Hogwash]

102. Hillary is already mathematically eliminated.

So, what!

[MethuenProgressive]

103. "Obama says he 'mangled' Pa. remark"

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20080415_Obama_says_he__mangled__Pa__remark.html

"I was very insulted by Barack Obama," a woman says, followed by a man saying: "It just shows how out of touch Barack Obama is."

Says a second woman: "I'm not clinging to my faith out of frustration and bitterness. I find that my faith is very uplifting."

[JoFerret]

104. He said exactly what he meant to say

and what he means.
And THAT is the problem. Trash Bush not Clinton.

This is in keeping with his other words and behavior.
The mask slips off all the time. Supercilious and patronizing attitudes are hard to hide well.
He has shown himself capable of deeply sexist campaign tactics and used the race to perfection.
And as for trashing the Clinton economic record and linking it to Bush - he should apologize for that not for saying what he thinks about the white rural working class.