Photo credits: GettyA key component of Barack Obama’s base is the extreme left, composed of elite, upscale liberals who not so long ago flocked to Ralph Nader. It’s therefore understandable that Obama is a little awkward in his efforts to appeal to working class voters.
The always impeccably dressed Obama went bowling in Pennsylvania in a suit and tie and scored a stunning 37. He also visited a chocolate factory where he showed concern for his waistline by refusing to sample the factory’s main product and flirted with the female workers instead of treating them with respect.
Most recently, Obama demonstrated how out of touch he is with working-class America in a talk he gave at a fundraiser in San Francisco. Referring to voters in Pennsylvania and Indiana, Obama said:
“So it’s not surprising then that they 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.”
Sen. Hillary Clinton has been quick to respond:
At Drexel University in Philadelphia, Clinton said: "Well, that's not my experience. As I travel around Pennsylvania, I meet people who are resilient, who are optimistic, who are positive. . . . They're working hard every day for a better future for themselves and their children. Pennsylvanians don't need a president who looks down on them. They need a president who stands up for them, who fights for them."
Later on while campaigning in Indianapolis, she remarked: "Senator Obama's remarks were elitist and out of touch. They are not reflective of the values and beliefs of Americans." Watch video of Clinton's speech.
As noted in an article in the Associated Press, “The flap threatened to highlight an Obama Achilles heel — the image that the Harvard-trained lawyer is arrogant and carries himself with an air of superiority.”
The AP article quoted additional comments by Clinton:
"I was raised with Midwestern values and an unshakable faith in America and its policies," she said. "Now, Americans who believe in the Second Amendment believe it's a matter of constitutional right. Americans who believe in God believe it's a matter of personal faith.
"I grew up in a church-going family, a family that believed in the importance of living out and expressing our faith. The people of faith I know don't 'cling' to religion because they're bitter. People embrace faith not because they are materially poor, but because they are spiritually rich.
"Our faith is the faith of our parents and our grandparents. It is a fundamental expression of who we are and what we believe."
For more on the firestorm created by Obama’s take on the working class, visit these articles in the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Associated Press.
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