Putting the Controversy Aside, Obama was Right

[Quixote1818]

Putting the Controversy Aside, Obama was Right

Posted Apr 13th 2008 10:37AM by David Koller
Filed under: Politics, Young Turks, Barack Obama, Controversy
I am usually not one to pay much attention to the news media manufactured controversies over a remark made by a politician and exploited by opponents. But I feel compelled to comment on the latest episode because the issue at the center of the controversial remarks can be construed, in some ways, as the most important issue in the entire campaign (as unbelievable as that sounds.)


Last week when Barack Obama said that people who have come up against hard times in their communities "get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." Hillary Clinton, still pursuing the Democratic nomination against Obama, pounced on this remark to claim that Obama is elitist, out-of-touch and unelectable in small town America. In response, Obama delivered a terrific rebuttal explaining what he meant. (Click here to read a concise summary of the entire affair.)

Elitist, condescending, out of touch - who cares? That's all the dumb rhetorical part of the controversy. Much more importantly, Obama is RIGHT. In 2004 many Americans voted to continue a senseless war in Iraq that is killing people for no reason and draining our country of resources. They voted for policies that have brought America to the brink of economic and fiscal crisis. They voted to allow unsafe mines to operate and lead-contaminated children's' toys to reach market. The voted to torture innocent people, to spy on Americans, and to ignore environmental destruction. Why did Americans vote for these policies? Three reasons: 1) because "the other guys was godless, 2) so that no Democrat would take away their guns, and 3) to insure that gay people could not get married.

We need to get people to direct their focus away from the wedge issues that do not affect our health, happiness and well-being and get the voters to consider the important, substantive issues of the day. And not just the voters of course, the major news outlets also need to emphasize important issues and get away from the red meat. Obama may have been a little off target by seeming to put the blame entirely on the people rather than on the politicians who exploit them (what I really mean is the Republican campaign apparatus), but on the core of the issue, he's right. And as important as the economy, Iraq, health care, education and the environment are, the US will not move forward in addressing these problems until more voters make their choices based on them instead of God, guns and gays.

Link: http://news.aol.com/newsbloggers/2008/04/13/putting-the-controversy-aside-obama-was-right/