The Clinton campaign stopped talking about actual "issues" along time ago because they know that they aren't winning that aurgument. The only thing left is "the politics of personal destruction"!

These aren't "issues", Wolfson; these are attacks and Clinton should be ashamed of how she is running the campaign at this point.

People who are poor cling to religion because they are bitter is not a winning argument. Obama did not make it better when he also argued tht people who are poor cling to racism -- antipathy to people not like them -- because they are bitter.

To affront people with the accusation that their religious views are the result of their economic situation in life at the same time you are arguing that an attachment to racism springs from the same cause is offensive and reveals an astounding lack of empathy.

I ain't going to be courteous about this.

Fuck Wolfson, he's a lying piece of shit.

I'm so sick of this campaign. When will it be over?

Important issues if you are a Republican attacking a Democrat, any Democrat. How pathetic can you get?

If small towns were so frickin' important to the Clintons, then why did they neglect all the frickin' small towns in all those states they said frickin' "didn't matter"?

No matter how this election turns out (and Clinton, if she's the nominee, is never going to get elected President), the Clinton brand is just plain crap.

Maybe you should also discuss, Mr. Wolfson, the road kill mess HRC is doing to the Democratic Party, you jerk.

Clinton oozes lies without the hope.

She's not angry - she's just furiously destroying the Democratic party for fun.

She's not bitter - she's just the perpetual victim: of a Right Wing Conspiracy, the media, Bill, men in general, and on and on and on -

when is she gonna start crying again?

YAWN.

More pathetic bullshit from "Team" clinton.

NEW OBAMA AD ATTACKS CLINTON ON LOBBYIST TIES!!!

Seriously, gotalife, assuming you are not a complete troll, under what scenario, exactly, do you see HRC somehow picking up enough obama supporters to win in November if this gets taken/stolen/whatever in Denver. Can you not understand just how ruinous that would be, and the very natural schism that would form?

I mean, really, that's the part that I don't understand when I read your (and other HRC people's) jabs/missives/lunacy. It really, really, really, boggles the mind.

McCain just laid out a set of economic proposals that will be very appealing to a lot of Americans. Some good stuff there from a purely pie-in-the-sky perspective. This is where the trouble really starts for the Democrats. While McCain makes a strong, positive case for his own candidacy, the Democrats make weak negative cases against each other and demonstrate the sort of divisive, down-in-the-dirt bickering that Americans are so sick of watching.

Clinton's supporters are beginning to really hate Obama for ruining Hillary's chances: "It's not his turn. He doesn't have enough experience. He's an elitist." Obama's supporters feel the same way about Hillary: "She can't possibly win. She's campaigning like a Republican. Why won't she just bow out gracefully for the good of the party?"

This is where the real damage is done. This is where bitterly divided Democrats draw the battle lines against their "opponent"--a member of their own party--while their true opponent starts to look better and better to swing voters. This is where the Democrats begin their long march toward defeat in November.

I'm from a small town, now living in the city, and Obama's remarks are absolutely true. People are bitter, angry, etc. in small towns and here in the city as well. 8 years of Bush and a failing economy will do that. Not being able to afford food will do that. So will a lack of new jobs that are not "service" related. The problem with Obama's remarks are that the "truth hurts". The wording is harsh and thus, the controversy. He is also correct in that many small town voters vote on hot button, moral issues (which is there right) but not on pocket book issues. Thus they'll vote for the anti-abortion candidate when they really should be voting for the fiscally responsible candidate or the helping the middle class or poor candidate. I believe they do this because they believe the government doesn't do much for them, so "eh", i'm gonna vote on my morals instead of my politics. The only problem with Obama's quote is that it should have been explained more immediately or should've been worded better. END OF STORY. There is nothing elitist in the remarks, he did not say "foolishly turn to their guns and religion", etc. An observation is simply an observation- which is all this was. Obama's observation from travelling around the country and hearing peoples personal stories, outrage, and yes, bitterness. Obama's playing this well, keeping on message, and beating Hillary down on trade. Trade is going to decide Pennsylvania, I have a feeling. The best option may be to connect his further explanation of these remarks (not an apology, he's already done that for those that may have misunderstood the wording) and connect it to trade in a good stump speech. Then, right before the the primary bring up the hope he'll bring to those that are bitter. Hope achieved by, and through, change. Change we can believe in! Go Obama!

For Hillary, before I was against her. --joe

This whole faux outrage thing is depressing as hell.

I'm in central Pa., and no one around here is seriously upset about the "serious issues" that Howitzer Howie is talking about. He's delusional.

What I DO think is going on is that ginning up this crap simply gives some redneck elements the self-righteous cover they need to justify voting against the black guy, which they would do anyway.

Hillary is playing the race card again.

Just like McCain will (and is) doing.

All the other noise is just distraction from this essential truth.

Having said that, I'm glad to get this stuff out into the open now. I'm just so sad to see the Clinton campaign debase the process like this against another Democrat.

It's inevitable, I suppose, given the psychodrama and other factors driving her campaign relentlessly toward the cliff, but it's so sad to see us come to this.

Bring on the primary. Let's get this over with.

Must be an important issue to the crazy Barry-O supporters:

Poster of Obama ‘Bitter’ Remark Receives Death Threats
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:23 AM

By: newsmax staff

The citizen journalist who first revealed Barack Obama’s “bitter” remarks about small-town Americans has received death threats from Obama supporters.

Mayhill Fowler of Oakland, Calif., has been covering the Democratic presidential campaign and submitting her stories to the “Off the Bus” section of the Huffington Post Web site.

An Obama supporter and contributor to his campaign, Fowler obtained an invitation to an April 6 fundraiser in San Francisco that was designated as “closed” to the mainstream media.

At the fundraiser, Obama told the gathering that Middle Americans have turned to God and guns and against immigrants because they are “bitter” about their economic lot.

“You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing’s replaced them,” he said.

“And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment of anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

After her report on Obama’s comments appeared on the Huffington Post site, Obama became the target of elitism charges by his presidential rivals, and Fowler received about 200 e-mail messages that she said ranged from “creepy to threatening,” including several death threats, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Writers on the liberal Web site Daily Kos accused Fowler, 61, of feigning support for Obama to gain access to the San Francisco event.

“It’s like the liberal blogosphere has issued a fatwa against me,” Fowler told the Times.

http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/Obama_death_threats/2008/04/15/88034.html

Wolfson continued that the ad "mirrors the reactions of many Pennsylvanians," and added that those voters believe that Obama's comments "condescended to them."

The thing that makes my blood boil is that no one in the media believes this characterization of Obama as an elitist. His parents separated when he was 2. When he lived in Hawaii with his grandparents, Obama lived in a small, two-bedroom apartment. He and his wife just recently paid of their school loans and got out of debt.

The only excuse the media can give for making those claims is that they are "reporting" what the low information voters might think. I think they don't understand the meaning of "cause and effect".

Oh, and if Obama is an elitist, then Hillary is the winner of the Paris Hilton award 10 years in a row.

McCain just laid out a set of economic proposals that will be very appealing to a lot of Americans. Some good stuff there from a purely pie-in-the-sky perspective. This is where the trouble really starts for the Democrats.

AIYEEEEE!!!! The Republicans are coming! The Republians are coming!

We're DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED people!

Hillary=Static Cling.

I think every one can agree that it is easy to twist peoples words or even to use their own words, exactly as spoken, to twist their meaning. I'm sure we have all done it in an heated argument ("You said you didn't care!" "yes but what I meant was..." "You said it, I heard it you don't care, because your selfish-see you've just proved my point!' etc, etc.). But were adults right? At least we try to be on our good days.

Obama made his point sloppily, he was speaking off the top of his head (and no I don't think it therefore reveals his true thoughts but rather mistakenly lumps several thoughts together in a way that negatives (antipathy toward other not like us/them) and positives (like religion and traditions like guns/hunting) are linked together in the same sentence. Why did he say it in San Fran behind closed doors? Because a supporter asked how they should help on the ground in PA. Contrary to the Clinton Spin that Obama blamed voters who did not support him, Obama's point was that it was not a racist thing, not about white folk not wanting to vote for black folk but that people have real frustrations and that social issues are understandably important to them. So don't beat them over the head with 10 point plans, they have heard it all before and never seen the results. Find (genuine) common ground and understanding in social issues and share your personal stories of what this campaign means to you and most of all-show up for them, let them know they are being heard.
If you want to hear him make the point more fluently and you actually have an interest in trying to hear his point, then listen to him on Charlie Rose in 2004
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a88wMPAWc90

If you listen to that and disagree or are offended, that is within your right, certainly. I will even respect your position. If you feel it is unacceptable for the a potential POTUS to mispeak (even when behind closed doors), I will disagree, but, ok, thats how you feel. But if you willfully misinterpret or avoid evidence that strongly suggests what he said in that sentence was not how he meant it , then I don't respect it. Sorry it all brings me back to middle school and Hillary is the Queen Bee who manipulates others comments to gain power and allegiance - "I'm your friend so I want to tell you, Jenny said- and I was kind of taken aback when she said it- Jenny called you fat. You must feel terrible (and I'm going to keep making sure you feel terrible because that way you'll feel more indebted toward me for "protecting you"). If you have made up your mind and long ago decided you would not vote for Obama, and will not be swayed no matter, Ok. But if you are honestly struggling to try to make some sense of this candidate and what he was trying to say then listen to him say it here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a88wMPAWc90

I personally find it offensive when people interpret things for me and tell me I should feel offended. Thanks, but I can decide for myself and If I am offended, I can handle that myself too -I don't need a potential POTUS to stand up for me in that way and in fact, I would rather just him/her stand up for the truth.

Hillary is to the Democratic party as crap rivets were to the Titanic.

you do shots of Jack and not Crown Royal like some ELITIST!

Excellent point! Jon Stewart helpfully advised Hillary that once the velvet pouch which holds the Crown Royal bottle has served its pupose, it will be the perfect place to put her broken dreams.