Obama's Remarks In SF: Not What I Heard

I have been surprised that Obama's remarks in San Francisco last weekend have generated so much controversy this week, based on one blogger's opinion of what happened at that event.  Why?  Because I was there.  What I heard was what Obama is saying in this video.

I wrote here and at my blog that I attended a fundraiser for Obama last weekend, and recounted my impressions of the event.  I stand by my account.

Mayhill Fowler created a tempest in a teapot this week by quoting a fraction of Obama's 40 minutes of remarks and answers to questions. The press, Senator Clinton, and Senator McCain have jumped on this with relish, characterizing Obama, the fundraiser, and those in attendance as "elitist" and "out of touch with the rest of America."

First, let me say that there was nothing in Obama's remarks that shocked me when I stood there listening to him or now.  I grew up in one of those small towns in Ohio he was referring to.  I saw my blue collar parents work hard to make ends meet in the '70's, and have to use food stamps for a time when my parents were both laid off from their jobs during the recession.  When my federal financial aid for college was cut in the 1980's, my parents mortgaged their house to help pay my tuition.  I saw my mom forced to retire early from a job she held for 25 years in the 1990's, because the plant moved operations to Mexico after NAFTA was approved.   The loss of her job and the friends she had there changed her normally sunny, optimistic personality into one of deep despair.  Only recently, by turning to a new-found faith, has some of the former sense of self-worth returned.  When I heard Obama speak last Sunday in San Francisco, I was thinking of my mom and dad.

I was thinking of my parents when Senator Obama was asked about how he was going to win in Pennsylvania.  He answered with honesty about what he sees and hears there.  I nodded in agreement.  I nodded not because of pity for people who have less than me, but because I know. 

I know how hard people work, how hard it was for my parents to support our family while I was growing up.  I was able to live my dream of going to college and law school because of government-supported programs of grants and loans, working two jobs, and a few private scholarships.  I nodded my head because my parents still live there, and it amazes me that they have not become bitter. 

I nodded my head because I was only able to afford to attend a $1000-a-head fundraiser and help my parents out now because they never gave up back then.   They never gave up on a government that abandoned them a long time ago.  They worked hard not for themselves, but for their children to succeed. 

So please, newspeople, don't talk about the people in that room like you know us, or like you know why we support Obama.  Don't talk about what Obama said or didn't say because you weren't there.  You didn't see the sadness in his eyes, the sadness of knowing what it's like to grow up second-class in this country.  The sadness of knowing that this didn't have to happen in the greatest, most resourceful country on earth.  The sadness of knowing that our individual success stories are far outnumbered and overshadowed by the ones of people who didn't make it.

Watch the video here again.  This time, look at the faces in the crowd in Terre Haute.  Do they look angry? Do they look upset with his words? 

No.  Because like me, they know.

Comments

[Paul]

The comments were wrong. He depicted the working class, you know us middle class america, the ones who are not rich as bitter, gun-toting, rabid religious, racist idiots. And that is not true. We do have the right to bear arsm. I like to go hunting and that doesn't make me bitter. I go to church because I am faithful to God, but that doesn't make me bitter, on the contrary. Nor am I racist or sterotype people because of color, race or religious. I leave that to Hollywood, and now to Obama...

[Gunfighter]

Paul you heard what you wanted to hear. He never said that. Not. At. All.

[cynematic]

Glennia,
I'm so glad you could counter the hype with a beautifully written, heartfelt, and accurate account of your own family's experiences--and also what happened at an event you attended.

I think someone who graduated in *the* top spot at *the* top law school, yet used his skills in community organizing and in public service probably has more empathy than condescension for the people he's trying to help.

Wouldn't it be easy to have your feelings of superiority at a private law firm that pays extremely well if that's what a person wanted?

At every opportunity we have the choice to pick the trifling and sensationalistic, or the meaningful and concrete. This is another one of those opportunities. I pick getting out of Iraq, getting our economy back on track, and putting up more of a social safety net for folks, and I hope people in the remaining states do too, no matter how bitter, hopeful, or however they feel.

[Amy@UWM]

Another great post, Glennia. Those that complain that the media doesn't pick on Obama have nothing to complain about anymore.

[John J.]

I don't know Paul, you sound pretty bitter right now.

I find it interesting how McCain and Clinton are both now pulling a "Romney in Michigan" about this. Obama is out there telling the truth of what we are dealing with while these two go around speaking platitudes and ignoring what is going on.

[Glennia]

Paul, it's not Obama who made middle Americans a negative stereotype, it's George Bush. By pandering to middle America's fears and putting forth an agenda of homophobia, xenophobia (whether it's Arabs or Mexicans) and the Second Amendment at the expense of all other rights, he deflected away from the fact that his economic policies only benefit the wealthy and have left middle America in the dust. That is what Obama said in the 10 minutes leading up to the 1 sentence that was quoted out of context. He said that people have only been asked to vote on these issues in the past 20 years, so that's what they believe the government can do for them.

[Karoli]

Glennia,

Your post and your comment above are right on the money with regard to these remarks. He put a voice to the simmering (dare I use the word?) bitterness that a lot of us feel.

I count myself as fortunate, but my 27-year old veteran son is bitter. After serving his country and suffering permanent disability as a result, there are no real jobs (blockbuster video is a job, but it doesn't pay the bills), there is no support from our government for him, and he doesn't feel much hope.

Bitter? You're darn right he is. The friends who he went to school with aren't much better off, but at least they don't live their lives in constant pain.

I felt utterly patronized when Hillary Clinton gave her little speech about how Americans aren't bitter, they're just tired of business as usual. Hell no, they're bitter. Bush has wrecked this country over the past 8 years, largely as a result of 2 stolen elections -- one in Florida and one in Ohio. Yeah, bitter is the right word.

[Mom101]

Your post is amazing and personal Glennia. I'm so glad to hear this point of view. And I think that [Paul] most people are missing the point of the remarks.

My sense is that what he was really referring to was the fact that the Republicans over the past couple of decades have continued to decimate the working class while using wedge issues like guns, immigration, religion (ie gay marriage, 10 commandments displays in federal courthouses, "war" against Christmas) to rally the voters. And that people end up diverted from the real issues that affect them and instead towards so-called values issues.

Maybe I'm off. But that's how I read between the lines.

The issue for me is that a comment like his is preaching to the converted. It's too easy for the undecideds - or the opposition - to jump on the elitist assessment of his intention. And it bums me out.

[Mauigirl]

I'm glad you posted this. It's obvious to me that the opposition is taking what they can out of his remarks and making hay with them, when all he was doing was stating the obvious. It's not that he was saying that these people didn't have real faith or concerns about their right to bear arms, it's that they were purposely being distracted by the GOP to think about these things instead of the way the GOP was working against their best interests. But of course the MSM, Hillary and McCain had a field day twisting his words.

[Josselyn]

I’m considered a strong, sarcastic, independent woman by my friends and family. I’m the font of advice and the peace-maker who can see all sides of an issue. I’m the rock. I’ve lived all over the US, studied abroad, done things that have scared me because I thought they were worthwhile. But I was an absolute mess today, trying not to let the four-year-old see my tears.

I can’t believe that after everything, something as stupid as Obama speaking some basic truths [again] could be so twisted and contorted for political gain. Yes, he engaged in pop sociology and maybe could have selected his words better, but, is he wrong? Aren’t we all fed up with our governments and feel powerless to change anything except the smallest of tangential issues?

I grew up in rural Upstate NY and now live in Buffalo, NY. I hate risking sounding like a drama queen, but, whether in the country or the city, we just continue to do worse and worse, no matter how hard we try. Since my senator, Hillary Clinton, promised us 200,000 jobs back in 2000, we have lost 30,000. Last year, Forbes named Buffalo [the 2nd largest city in the state] as the 2nd poorest city in the whole country. In the last 7 years, 37,000 of my neighbors have moved away in search of opportunity. Then, to add insult to injury, we carry the heaviest tax burden of any state in the union, one which is set to increase AGAIN, and yet no one seems to notice or care.

I honestly can’t remember the last time anything made me cry, but I’m trying to hold back tears again… when I think of the injustice of it all. What of my two beautiful, little boys? They are such a source of joy - and what world have I brought them into? We do all the things good parents should do, reading to them every night, trying to buy foods free of pesticides and hormones when we can afford to, not let them eat high fructose corn syrup, teach them how to be thoughtful, kind and polite. What more can I do to try to make it all even a little bit better for them? We have no retirement fund. We can’t afford life insurance. Thank goodness, at least we have some form of health insurance, even if it doesn’t cover things like the $175 speech evaluation our older boy needed. So it has to go on the credit card that never seems to get paid down to a reasonable level for long. And, I know in many ways we’re the LUCKY ones in this world, even in this country. And that’s just wrong. We should be able to do so much better, if we stop letting the rich get richer while the rest of us just survive. The more things “change”, the more they stay the same. I want someone who hasn’t sold their soul to the lobbyists who keep us all in these dire straits. I have no illusions about just how much Obama will actually be willing and able to accomplish. I’m not setting him on some pedestal. If anything, I like that he’s willing to compromise & take the small win when that’s all we can get for the moment.

Bottom line, I shouldn’t be in tears when writing about my life and the role my elected government plays in it. I’m not only bitter, I’m pissed off and frustrated as hell, but still - somehow - hoping we can do better. I’ve given Clinton a shot by voting for her twice as my senator. I have to hope that someone with less of a “history” in government and with lobbyists won’t so quickly forget their promises to me. God, I hope so, for my kids’ sake.

[tiramisu]

What a refreshing post. Obama spoke the "bitter" truth - small towns aren't suffering because they are not "American" enough for Hillary, nor are poeple losing their jobs and their homes and living in industrial ghost towns because they aren't "optomistic" enough. Hillary implies we have no right to be bitter and frustrated. I half expected her to break out into "Don't Worry, Be Happy PA!". Well, you Hillary may live in a fantasy world where you faced sniper bullets in Bosnia and bagged a ten point elk in Potter County, but what Obama said is real life. Our real life, not yours.

[Paul]

Hey writer, if your so proud of what Obama said, why don't you have the balls to post the entire video, including the part where Obama says he's elitist tripe. There were 100 people in that room with who videotaped it, yet because they are Obama zombies, they won't offer the video becuase they know damn well tha video is 100 times more damaging then audio.

Give us the video then lady. I dare you!

[Diamond]

Glennia, Thank you for your wisdom. Shame on anyone who thinks a guy who only paid off his college loans two years ago is an elitist, double shame on anyone who thinks lobbyist-courting, multi-millionaire Washington insiders like Hillary and McCain have any moral authority to call anybody elitist.

I too come from a family that has been bitter an frustrated for all the reasons Obama talked about. But I'm a devout Christian and Barack's got my vote.

[Tina]

This, too, shall pass. The McCain-Clinton tag team effort on this won't work. The media distortion of it - CNN and Fox - won't work. For these reasons among others. http://acropolisreview.com/2008/04/top-reasons-to-give-barack-obama-your.html

[TadAllagash]

Good post. People need to start speaking up. We can't let FOX NEWS set the agenda anymore. To cede this battle to them is to ensure 100 years of War and no Health Care.

[Lawyer Mama]

Thank you so much for this post and for this video. The MSM doesn't have much to pin on him, so they go after this. The widely varying interpretations of his remarks actually remind me of the time HRC teared up during a press conference.

I'm from one of those families too. My in-laws just sold their family farm in Nebraska last year. My mom & dad's families in Louisiana have been economically devastated by job loss, Katrina, and Republican policies.

Paul, really, c'mon. "including the part where Obama says he's elitist tripe" Uh huh. Sure. If the 100 people who videotaped haven't posted it, then how exactly do you know the video is so damaging? Glennia is a widely respected political blogger with integrity. And you are...? Anonymous.

This blog really isn't Republican friendly. Perhaps you should go elsewhere....

[Little Mickey]

40 year old working-class female from Michigan and though I'm fortunate enough to be in a profession that doesn't rely on the auto industry, I know dozens of people who are and they are watching their livelihoods slowly wither away.

I'm not sure what the solution will be, but looking at what's happening in PA, I damn sure know that political pandering and "I'm Not Bitter" bumperstickers will do absolutely NOTHING to fix the problem.

We need to face some hard truths about ourselves and where we are at in this country. And the only candidate who seems to realize that is Barack Obama.

Hillary Clinton is a national joke.

[jen]

Little Mickey: Amen. But it's the hard truths that has everyone scared. Fear quite possibly will ruin this election. And to think we are more afraid of change than we are of war, terror, lies, and greed.

shame on us.

[Deb]

What is that they say about fear, Jen? -- something about having nothing to fear but the very fear itself.

Damn straight, is what I'm getting at.

And as far as contesting Glennia's observations of the supposedly inflammatory comments made by Mr. Obama, I just think it's silly. If you were there, and you disagree with her, by all means, contest.

Otherwise? I would just have to assume, based on the evidence (of your dissent sans actual information), that you're a dumbass.

[MarkieBee]

Het Tiramisu, go to Ben Smith's blog at politico.com and scroll down to the bottom. There you will see a video posted yesterday by someone who was at the event. There, I took you up on your cheap dare. Go get yourself some learnin'. True Obama fans are afraid of nothing because we have the truth ob our side. We know that Obama doesn't have to make up stories about harrowing adventures dodging enemy fire in far-off lands or toss a few back with the yocals during a pander-fest or compare himself to Buffalo Bill, or in Clinton's case Annie Oakley. Obama stands for and with the truth...it will set this country free. OBAMA08!

[Joe from OH]

Well, I think people miss what makes us feel uncomfortable. It is not because economy is hopeless business and that is why we vote on gun rights, religions, and gay marriage. Rights to religions, faiths, and guns are our amendment. We would have find it as important as our economy. Obama thinks our faith would have been less important has we have our economy. No! NO OBAMA!

[axt113]

Actually yes yes Joe, people who have more money tend not to be as worked up about religion, its just a fact. Religion is a source of comfort for those in hard times

[Paul]

The coward that posted a few minutes of the Obama clip at his latte sipping gathering doesn't have the balls to show the rest, just like Glennia. Instead they cherry picked a few minutes and showed only those.

Cowards!!!! If it was Hillary there would be 100 video clips out by now.

You folks are too hardwired by Axelrod to understand or get it. I don't follow my religion because I'm bitter. I follow because I believe. I don't go hunting, because I'm bitter about my government. I hunt so I can take down a 12 pointer or better, and bring in enough meat to last the year.

He is out of his element, and needs to stick with the Trinity Chicago types that he knows oh so well.

Does the guy ever stop speaking in Superlatives? We get it Obama, no one has done as much good as you have. You are the greatest by your own admission.

[Marina]

Paul, what has made you so bitter? Bitter defined as "characterized by intense antagonism or hostility."
(Reference - http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bitter

I can understand your desire to not vote for Obama, but to cast his supporters as wired by Axelrod or solely members of the Trinity Church indicates reflects your own cowardice to look at Mr. Obama's widespread support by Americans of every economic type.

[Megan]

Thank you so much for posting this. I was just saying the other day, when that first blog showed up, that it would be great if others who were at the fundraiser and who actually GOT what Obama was saying could make their voices heard. And here you are! Bless you. I grew up less than middle class...not in the rust belt, but in Mississippi. All of the sentiments hold true down there as well. It's exciting and validating to hear a brilliant politician speak to my own anger and fears, as well as those of others like me across the country, rather than placate us with false flattery and platitudes. Obama spoke the God's honest truth, and he's still speaking it. Thanks again.

[Megan]

Thank you so much for posting this. I was just saying the other day, when that first blog showed up, that it would be great if others who were at the fundraiser and who actually GOT what Obama was saying could make their voices heard. And here you are! Bless you. I grew up less than middle class...not in the rust belt, but in Mississippi. All of the sentiments hold true down there as well. It's exciting and validating to hear a brilliant politician speak to my own anger and fears, as well as those of others like me across the country, rather than placate us with false flattery and platitudes. Obama spoke the God's honest truth, and he's still speaking it. Thanks again.

[TheCamiloPost.com]

Glennia,

Thank you for your post. I hope you don't mind but I have used it in my most recent post about Bitter-Gate (the 3rd such post).

What you wrote was beautiful, heartfelt, and inspiring. You made my day!!! Keep doing your thing, you and all your MOMocrats!!!! Don't let the hype machines win, keep raising a strong voice that sets the record straight.

[Gary]

Wow, Paul does seem very bitter and is twisting things around.

It is not Obama supporters who are cherry picking but the GOP and the desperate Clinton camp.

I often find people like Paul are frightened and cowards.

I am not sure I would have used the word bitter, but the middle and working-class and the poor are getting desperate for change.

[Mom101]

I love how, as the anonymous asshole quotient goes up, the grammar quotient goes down.

[Shannon]

Great post Glennia! I find this whole situation uncanny. Here we have been mislead by politicians for years and we moan and groan and bitch about what they aren't doing and resent the promises they make that they simply say to get the vote yet in most cases have no intention of following through on. Then a politician who comes along, speaks the truth, although not as eloquently as he usually does, talks to us as the adults we are and he gets slammed.
After reading posts and filling myself in on all the angles of this, I can't help but wonder if we are so programmed to accept less then we deserve and have set the bar so low that we actually set ourselves up for disappointment because we subconsciously believe that is the only outcome we know so why not just get it over with.
It pains me to see the real challenges we have facing us taking second fiddle to words spoken from a man who has shown us he is different, that he is on our side, that he wants to help us TOGETHER change the way things are done in Washington, and has a resume facilitating these facts. He could have easily taken a job with a top notch law firm and made bundles of money and instead he wanted to serve the people.
I not only think there is a bitter ripple, I think there is a cynical tsunami.