McCain: “The comments were elitist”
posted at 6:30 pm on April 14, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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John McCain doesn’t want to call anyone names, but he makes clear what he thinks of Barack Obama’s commentary about small-town Midwesterners in this C-SPAN clip from this morning. McCain hasn’t sat on the sidelines over these comments, although he obviously hasn’t flooded the zone in the way Hillary Clinton has in her responses. Instead of attacking Obama, he focuses more on the values of these Americans:
That’s the kind of low-key, positive response at which McCain excels, at least publicly. Perhaps he doesn’t want to overplay his hand here, something Republicans have done in the past. I think it wouldn’t hurt to point out that most of the press have focused on the only portion of the statement that wasn’t terribly objectionable, and that neither they nor Obama have spoken about casting Midwestern voters as bible-thumping, gun-hugging bigots.
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Vid out, report sent to Lasso peeps
bbz123 on April 14, 2008 at 6:41 PM
Zzzzzzzzzzz.
Cicero43 on April 14, 2008 at 6:41 PM
I didn’t realize
1) speaking the truth makes you an elitist
2) some Americans aren’t adult enough to suck it up and hear the truth
Dave Rywall on April 14, 2008 at 6:41 PM
Attack the message not the messenger?
abinitioadinfinitum on April 14, 2008 at 6:42 PM
Very well played. I guess they don’t call him the Maverick for nothing.
Jay on April 14, 2008 at 6:42 PM
It’ll come back soon, seems this happens shortly after it’s cut, and lasts for a few minutes.
Free Constitution on April 14, 2008 at 6:42 PM
I got an error when I first clicked into the post. I received an error again when I refreshed.
EID 07d7…
jaime on April 14, 2008 at 6:42 PM
What truth? Saying people become religion and gun-grasping bigots because they’ve lost their jobs?
amerpundit on April 14, 2008 at 6:43 PM
Did the question wake McCain up from a nap?
Cicero43 on April 14, 2008 at 6:45 PM
That’s not the McCain I know. During the illegal immigration non-debate, he was mean and combative and dismissive to members of his party. I see a nasty, vindictive guy, a real stubborn SOB. Usually I like that, but our politics aren’t always the same.
JiangxiDad on April 14, 2008 at 6:45 PM
Elitist remarks coming from someone who lives an elite life? *GASP* He won’t wear the flag pin, he knows that arugula is expensive, he eats ham instead of a philly cheese steak, he doesn’t know how to bowl…The man is wholly a snobby boob!
SouthernGent on April 14, 2008 at 6:46 PM
Careful there. You’ll be called a racist if question the all powerful Mr. Obama.
SouthernGent on April 14, 2008 at 6:47 PM
There were many responses to your post the other day on this topic. You didn’t respond to anyone to defend your assertions.
That makes you a TROLL.
JiangxiDad on April 14, 2008 at 6:48 PM
Obama is pulling the “I was not raised priviledged, single mom, yada yada”
Just keep the BS piling up BO.
Whatever you think of McCain , I think he will totally destroy either O or H in an actual debate, but that is a problem in itself, the questions posed by the lefty enablers that stage those things are usually loaded and just plain inane.
bbz123 on April 14, 2008 at 6:50 PM
Maybe he was trying to prove a point – (I’m not muslim).
jaime on April 14, 2008 at 6:50 PM
What it really shows is the fundamental difference between how republicans and democrats view the electorate.
To a democrat, someone who loses their job suddenly turns into some drooling moron who needs government to bail them out (hence the “ignored” part of Obama’s quote) and when government doesn’t they turn to their only outlets, irrational fear and hate (bible, guns and xenophobia).
To a republican, someone who loses their job moves on with life, finds a new job on their own and attempts to pick up the pieces again and simply wants government out of the way so it doesn’t happen again. Businesses leave and go to mexico/canada etc because the business environment (taxes, regulation, etc) is friendlier. Who makes it difficult? Government (democrats) does.
Obama’s solution is to turn his drooling hate-filled morons into wards of the state. So, yeah, I’d say it is quite revealing.
I’m pretty happy that a majority of people disagree with Obama here. When a minority agree with him and think government exists to coddle them, we have some major issues.
lorien1973 on April 14, 2008 at 6:51 PM
jaime, could it possibly have been a ham and taqqiyah sandwich?
Just sayin……
bbz123 on April 14, 2008 at 6:53 PM
You know Obama’s remarks are true becuse you live them.
jaime on April 14, 2008 at 6:53 PM
Anybody else get the campaign email?
funky chicken on April 14, 2008 at 6:54 PM
Yeah, he said the same thing 2 days ago. When his comment was challenged, he gave no response. Must be interesting just plopping in on sites, giving a half-@ssed defense of the Messiah that does nothing more than say “he’s right” and “you can’t stand the truth”, and not respond when your logic is challenged.
amerpundit on April 14, 2008 at 6:55 PM
Yeah, might be. Good point.
jaime on April 14, 2008 at 6:56 PM
Jianxhxgxggdad – kind of sad when people stay up until all hours of the night because someone is wrong on the internets. But I for one would like to congratulate you on earning your internets sheriff’s badge.
Obama IS right -many people react exactly as he described to difficult times. You could look back at history in many different countries where (except perhaps for rising gun culture) the same thing happened. But I highly doubt you will.
Why is the ugly truth so offensive? It’s a f***ing ugly world.
Dave Rywall on April 14, 2008 at 6:56 PM
Close. Keep trying; You’ll get it.
Huh. See, thing is, we’re talking about America. And his quote said people became bitter bigots.
Dave Rywall on April 14, 2008 at 6:56 PM
amerpundit on April 14, 2008 at 6:58 PM
Dave Rywall on April 14, 2008 at 6:56 PM
When Libs like you get bitter, you cling to the idea of false conciouness, your false sense of superiority, and your need to appear intelligent. The truth hurts, huh?
VolMagic on April 14, 2008 at 6:58 PM
And, uh, what “all hours of the night”?
amerpundit on April 14, 2008 at 6:59 PM
lorien1973 on April 14, 2008 at 6:51 PM
Spot on.
VolMagic on April 14, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Like you. Obama is not our daddy, and Hillary is not our mommy. The government is not our family. Grow up, and that’s the truth.
Entelechy on April 14, 2008 at 7:01 PM
Yeah, he’s kind of a one shot Johnny. I suspect he may have a PE problem and is insecure with others as a result. But, it shows up in his posting patterns. Squirt and run.
a capella on April 14, 2008 at 7:02 PM
I think you need to grow up and travel America. The people dems like to belittle are the very people that answer the call and make it possible for dems to be elitist. John Kerry and Obama, seems like twins to me.
Claimsratt on April 14, 2008 at 7:02 PM
Please cite your authorities.
jaime on April 14, 2008 at 7:03 PM
McCain was somewhat inarticulate until he just before “because of their economic condition.” From that point, it was brilliance!!
And let’s not have any ageist BS about the early inarticulateness. Obama is often similarly inarticulate.
thuja on April 14, 2008 at 7:03 PM
I haven’t heard anyone put it in what I regard as the simplest, truest, and most devastating way yet. They don’t hold these values because they are bitter, they hold them because they learned them from their parents, who learned them from their parents, who learned them from–stop me. . .
smellthecoffee on April 14, 2008 at 7:03 PM
By the way, still no actual evidence to back up that Americans have become bitter, gun and religion-grasping bigots in small towns because of job loss. Just “He’s right!”, repeated with non-specific references to a non-specific time in other non-specific countries .
amerpundit on April 14, 2008 at 7:03 PM
And why don’t you, AP, and Ed, point out that when he said this to the San Fran fundraisers, it got a good laugh out of them. That seems to me to be an important aspect of this story.
VolMagic on April 14, 2008 at 7:05 PM
funky chicken on April 14, 2008 at 7:05 PM
The only people I know of who “cling to religion” out of “bitterness” are Wright & Meeks, BO’s spiritual advisers.
jgapinoy on April 14, 2008 at 7:06 PM
PEOPLE!
Stop feeding the troll!
———–
What is McCain going to do in the general election if Obama is the opponent? His strategery seems to be “Yes, Obama is a great guy, and fully qualified to be President, it’s just that I’m a smidge more qualified.”
MCCAIN ‘08: THE LEAST BAD CHOICE
misterpeasea on April 14, 2008 at 7:06 PM
misterpeasea on April 14, 2008 at 7:06 PM
Jeez. McCain has directed very pointed criticism at Obama on the Iraq thing a couple of times. Please don’t start to sound like the “no fire in the belly” Fred-haters, OK?
funky chicken on April 14, 2008 at 7:10 PM
Modern liberalism in a nutshell.
Cicero43 on April 14, 2008 at 7:10 PM
He thinks you hunt ducks with a six shooter. heh
abinitioadinfinitum on April 14, 2008 at 7:12 PM
If McCain so much as takes in a breath in preparation to speak, he is overplaying his hand.
When your ahead in the race you don’t stop to change your shoes, hoping you’ll be able to run even faster.
Just let Barry and Hill continue to trip one another and you can coast to the finish line.
Mum’s the word.
fogw on April 14, 2008 at 7:13 PM
Right. If McCain attacks either Dem, he’s inviting response attacks. Let the Dems fight each other.
jgapinoy on April 14, 2008 at 7:20 PM
What’s with all the trolls lately. Did someone leave the screen door open?
Nosferightu on April 14, 2008 at 7:23 PM
How in the HELL did the republicans end up with this guy as its nominee??
He doesnt want to be strong and go after the marxists like Obama and Hillary with any conviction but he seems geuninely upset by the “greedy” Wall Street types that, in his uneducated brain, are the reason that the economy is suffering a downstroke. Capitalism is beyond the grasp of a 85 year old guy who has spent the last 50 years in Washington figuring out ways to curtail political speech, fighting against U.S. borders, and opposing any true conservative principals and then bragging that his opposition to intelligent policy is “being a maverick”.
I can think of a few words that describe McCain, and “maverick” aint one of them. Turkey maybe, but not maverick.
How did we end up with a marxist, an annoying shrill liar, and a obnoxious republican who keeps lying by saying he is a conservative.
How??
How????
Yeah, I know…he is a war hero…I got that part already.
Roger Waters on April 14, 2008 at 7:23 PM
I’m guessing that Dave is right. Some people do get bitter when things get bad. They’re called Democrats. The reason Dave, and others out there, like to cite these people is because that’s the only people they know. Kind of like the story about some elitist twit, in the Nixon election, IIRC, who said she didn’t know anyone who voted for him….you know, the election where he won the (at that time) biggest landslide in history?
bikermailman on April 14, 2008 at 7:28 PM
The MSM selected them.
thuja on April 14, 2008 at 7:30 PM
You want the ugly truth junior? Here it is:
If everything came crashing down around us tomorrow, and there was fighting in the streets, do you know who you could depend on to stand up and defend you? People like the ones you so haughtily disparage here, NOT your liberal friends who will be too busy looking for a hole to crawl into. And we will do this despite the fact that you look down your nose upon us. Why? Because we know about thins like duty and honor. Because we value every life, regardless of personal beliefs and opinions.
Think we could count on you to do the same? Nevermind, don’t even need to answer that. We pretty much already know.
Kowboy on April 14, 2008 at 7:37 PM
Obama was talking about his potential constituents as being bitter as they sulked, fondling their guns and clinging desperately to religion and simmering with racism and xenophobia.
He isn’t courting Republican voters in these small towns.
It’s his rural Democratic audience that feels bitter, acccording to him.
And, with candidates like Barry and Hilly, no wonder.
profitsbeard on April 14, 2008 at 7:53 PM
Just because he is not an attack dog does not mean he is not going after him. I seem to recall McCain making a pretty strong case that Obama is NOT qualified to be president. What do you want him to do, call him a Muslim, repeatedly use his middle name to club xenophobes over the head with? I think this is the right way.
Squid Shark on April 14, 2008 at 7:59 PM
You mean the voters, right?
Because we voted for him.
Squid Shark on April 14, 2008 at 8:00 PM
I KNOW you’re going to call out Roger Waters. And not for making crappy music in his old age, either.
MCCAIN ‘08: AT LEAST HE DOESN’T HATE AMERICA!
misterpeasea on April 14, 2008 at 8:01 PM
Roger Waters is nuts, kinda like Bob Barr. It’s not nice to pick on the certifiable.
funky chicken on April 14, 2008 at 8:08 PM
Hey squiddie, do you have a contact me thingy at your blog?
funky chicken on April 14, 2008 at 8:09 PM
misterpeasea, I don’t hate your slogan, BTW. it’s kinda catchy, but I’d add
MCCAIN ‘08: AT LEAST HE DOESN”T HATE AMERICA AND ISN’T CERTIFIABLE
funky chicken on April 14, 2008 at 8:10 PM
Uhm. Yeah, I want McCain to call him a Muslim to appeal to all the eeevil xenophobes that make up the Republican party. Don’t tell me, let me guess, you’re a moderate. No, wait, an independent.
I don’t think McCain has made a very good case at all against Obama. Partially because he can’t, his voting record won’t let him. I have yet to hear the McCain camp hit Obama on his obvious weaknesses, like, say, his most liberal voting record in the Senate. And the Rev. J. Wright.
It ain’t tiddlywinks.
MCCAIN ‘08: AT LEAST HE ISN’T A COMMUNIST!
misterpeasea on April 14, 2008 at 8:11 PM
Obama in 1995:
Sound familiar?
Anyone want to take a crack at defining “false nostalgia”?
Buy Danish on April 14, 2008 at 8:12 PM
I woulda voted for Fred! or Rudy! or Tanc or Hunter before McCain. They were all gone before my state’s primary. But McCain’s just so obviously better than Obama or Hillary that I will now vote for him, and send campaign contributions when I can.
FWIW
funky chicken on April 14, 2008 at 8:14 PM
Well, I lost a job once…it was a good thing for me….gave me a good wake up call to go out and look for a new job…I got one and now my CEO gave me an offer to become a partner in the company because I worked me ass off. So, im not saying losing a job is a good thing. But losing a job gives you different perspective and a new drive and it can help your future. This is why i can never be a democrat because I dont believe in entitlements, I believe in hard work and the ability to be successful and make money and not have to give anyone else my pie. Everyone has the opportunity here. It really is as simple as that
SoCalInfidel on April 14, 2008 at 8:15 PM
misterpeasea, that’s the kind of stuff that people said about Fred! again. McCain will attack Obama’s voting record plenty in the general election. For now he’s letting Hillary fight it out.
It’s still not 100% that Obama’s gonna pull it off, so why on earth bring up stuff (partial birth abortion anyone) that could help Obama win the nomination in the dem primaries?
funky chicken on April 14, 2008 at 8:17 PM
Well, at least he has a record. Obama’s only record is his file at harvard and the last 2 or 3 years in the senate where has has done nothing but vote extremely liberal and run for president. I still dont understand how he has made it this far. I HOPE he gets a flat and has to CHANGE his tire on the campaign trail. lol
SoCalInfidel on April 14, 2008 at 8:18 PM
Nice job, Mav. Keep the moral high ground. Then, when they think your old and weak, you can deal either of them a vicious death blow. Just ask Mitt after Florida.
THE CHOSEN ONE on April 14, 2008 at 8:20 PM
If either one of these confabulating nabobs win the national election, we’d all better cling to our guns and our God. Heaven knows we’ll need them.
wepeople on April 14, 2008 at 8:21 PM
Why should McCain bring out the hammer now? I think what he’s doing right now is exactly what he should be doing. Sitting back and letting Hillary and Obama eviscerate each other. When the Dems finally get their nominee, then he should come out with guns blazing. No reason to do it now when he doesn’t really have to.
Kowboy on April 14, 2008 at 8:23 PM
You said it not me. I said the idiots who keep using his middle name are not doing it “just because it is his middle name aint it?”.
I am center right, Moderate implies I have no principles or strong stands.
I have personally heard him mention this three times in the same speech. I bet a quick google would reveal that this was not an isolated incident, oh look!
Seems John Martin Noticed it: http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0208/McCain_picks_up_the_most_liberal_talking_point.html
Rev Wright does all the work himself, you dont get into a mudfight with a pig, you both get dirty and the pig likes it. Getting into an identity politics fight with Obama will not do McCain any favors right now.
Squid Shark on April 14, 2008 at 8:36 PM
Squid Shark on April 14, 2008 at 8:36 PM
What is a squid shark?
SoCalInfidel on April 14, 2008 at 8:43 PM
The troll went away. Don’t feed it again.
Did we just let them all in when we opened up comment registration once Ed jumped over?
Not to blame Ed, he’s done a great job, of course!
John_Locke on April 14, 2008 at 8:50 PM
Navy Laywer :)
Squid Shark on April 14, 2008 at 8:53 PM
I dont think this idiot was with us at CQ.
Squid Shark on April 14, 2008 at 8:53 PM
This is just great, people are either giving McCain a hard time because he is mean or because he is not mean enough. Just can’t please some people.
McCain is running ahead on Rasmussens without even working that hard at it, why should he be mean?
I like McCain and respect him too. If the right does not they can always vote for Obama or Hillary. Yeah, that is the ticket. If your guy Hunter or Fred! just could not get himself nominated go vote for the other party. That’ll show em.
Terrye on April 14, 2008 at 8:54 PM
What you’re telling us is a myth according to Obama.
Buy Danish on April 14, 2008 at 8:56 PM
and he would know elitist comments since he can’t stop hanging around Splash the dog and Ted “one of the sorriest excuses for a ’senator’” Kennedy and all the other D. C. snobbish ilk…
Branch Rickey on April 14, 2008 at 9:06 PM
So when Bambi pointed out his own middle name (before, as I recall, anyone else did), on the Tavis Smily show, he was trying to chase all the xenophobes into McCain’s camp?
————-
It’s not being mean to point out the fact that your opponent is a clueless leftist. Is it?
I understand McCain is letting them beat each other up. I sincerely hope he’s saving his ammo until the general election. I have my doubts. His consultant said he’d resign rather than put out negative ads about Obama. He can’t attack some of Obama’s positions because HE SHARES THEM.
Let me just say that I think McCain might win the Presidency in spite of his campaign.
MCCAIN ‘08: HE’S NOT A DOCTRINAIRE LIBERAL!
misterpeasea on April 14, 2008 at 9:06 PM
That kind of crap helps us alot too.
No it is not mean to point that out, and he has (see my above post)
Squid Shark on April 14, 2008 at 9:16 PM
McCain isn’t a liberal–not even close–but the all-or-nothing conservative “purists” act as if he is.
jgapinoy on April 14, 2008 at 9:18 PM
Yes, there is a stark contrast. McCain strongly calls [us] Nativists instead…
Branch Rickey on April 14, 2008 at 9:19 PM
Some of you are…
Some of you are proud of it…
If it quacks like a duck…
Squid Shark on April 14, 2008 at 9:21 PM
If you support anything that “stinks” of environmentalism or “Bull Moosian” politics you must be a lib.
Squid Shark on April 14, 2008 at 9:23 PM
So I can just go break any law which gets in my way of what I want and if you disagree with me {McVain gruff here} then you are [fill in an insult to conservatives by Sen. McVain here].
Gotta Squid; either you agree with John McCain and cave to the liberals or else you’ll go down in his book like Squire Danaher.
Branch Rickey on April 14, 2008 at 9:26 PM
Not what I was saying, just reenforcing that it is about Nativism to alot of people. You know this is how we got TX, illegal immigration, turnabout is fair play indeed.
Squid Shark on April 14, 2008 at 9:28 PM
so glad I am not the only one here…
Branch Rickey on April 14, 2008 at 9:33 PM
The marxists looooove the biddy….
Branch Rickey on April 14, 2008 at 9:34 PM
You aren’t, there are enough MDS crybabies here that we were able to get a nursery program started.
Squid Shark on April 14, 2008 at 9:34 PM
And there are also enough sociopath McCain wannabes here too….”if it quacks like a duck….”
Branch Rickey on April 14, 2008 at 9:47 PM
I don’t want to seem paranoid about the role of MSM. How about this? Voters vote given the information available to them. If the MSM provides skewed information, the voters may vote differently than if they were mere fully informed. For instance, my first cousin voted for McCain in the SC primary, but is quite opposed to McCain on immigration. I feel that if my first cousin had been more informed about McCain, immigration and the Republican alternatives, he would have voted for Rudy or Fred.
Do I sound reasonable? If not, I’d like to know why not.
thuja on April 14, 2008 at 9:49 PM
However the contention is that the Republican voter is more informed than the average Dem Voter. Many republicans chose to ignore talk radio(which has shaped republican opinion for 20 years) and vote against the grain. I know they did it in 92 as well, but Mitt Romney is not a crackpot loon like Buchannan.
The tide may just be shifting.
Immigration may not have been his big issue. The MSM was quite vocal about his Immigration stance, stating over and over that it was at odds with the mainstream of his party. And the echo chamber of talk radio could talk about nothing else.
Squid Shark on April 14, 2008 at 9:57 PM
Sociopath I fear may be a word more suited towards the MDS folks who want to take all their jacks and go home since they didnt get their way.
If I am a McCain wannabee for serving in the same service as him and wishing to continue to serve my country when my service ends, then….”quack”
Squid Shark on April 14, 2008 at 10:00 PM
I’m getting in the territory that Obama found so perilous here, and I’m not so clear that I’m smarter than Obama. Let me pretend my first cousin is my mother since my first cousin is for any significant purpose my mother’s brother since my grandmother raised both of them and they are of the same age. My mother is a Democrat and plans to vote for Hilary in the NC primary, but she would have voted against McCain in any Republican primary over immigration. I haven’t really noticed any significant ideological difference between my first cousin and my mother, but that my mother has the disadvantage of having to hear my political ranting.
I admit that my argument is pretty lame on one level, but I do think I have some insight into my first cousin’s values. From what I understand from the bloggers at Hotair, many of the more informed Republicans would have made another choice than McCain. It seams McCain doesn’t reflect the values of most Republicans.
Ok. Let me get freaking weird here. In reality, I say Go McCain! We have no other choice unless Hilary get the Dem nomination. Then still Go McCain!!
thuja on April 14, 2008 at 10:49 PM
Really, Dave? About what? That rural Pennsylvanians embrace Christianity because the steel mill closed in 1982? What did they think about Christianity before 1982?
That they believe the 2nd Amendment? Do you think the 2nd Amendment was written in 1982, Dave? Did these people all run out and buy guns and vote for gun owner’s rights supporters…starting in 1982? Or when Clinton took office? (This was one of Barry’s more astonishing excuses, that the Clinton/Bush years had been so hard on rural Americans. Quick, find me anyone else in the U.S. that agrees that 1992-1999 were tough years.)
Dave, do you seriously believe that voters who are angry about 15 million illegal aliens marching in the streets with the flag of Mexico are driven by their own economic plight?
Jaibones on April 14, 2008 at 11:15 PM
McCain wasn’t my first choice (or second or third for that matter) but he is the GOP nominee and I will vote for him.
I also think that McCain is keeping his powder dry at this point. Let’s face it, much has been said/written about his temper; I think what we’re seeing is McCain behaving in a mellow fashion. It wasn’t that long ago that Elizabeth Bumiller of the NYuck Times tried to suck him into a verbal conflict on the very subject of his temperament.
Once the Dems pick their nominee I hope McCain takes the gloves off.
poodlemom on April 15, 2008 at 3:44 AM
I’m glad Obama made these remarks, and I’m glad that the lines are being drawn between those who believe they are true and those who don’t. I don’t want Obama to apologize for them or take them back. The left believes these things to be true of middle America, and now everyone has the opportunity to see it, evaluate it, and vote accordingly.
I don’t think conservatives should play the “you’re a bigot” game. It’s a cheap cop-out that has been used to stifle our speech on many occasions. Obama is free to criticize small-town America and should not have to apologize for it, but he and his supporters should not be surprised, offended, or overly defensive if those same voters decide that he would not be the best candidate to represent them.
joewm315 on April 15, 2008 at 5:24 AM
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