I live in Pennsylvania. He’s accurately describing lots of people in Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Harrisburg, Gettysburg, Williamsport, Altoona, Reading, Erie, Hollidaysburg and Greensburg. Not to mention those listening for the same dog whistle over post tennis G&Ts at the Merion Cricket Club or the Allegheny Valley Country Club this afternoon. If Gomer could read, he’d think John O’Hara was a Comsymp faggot instead of a sexed up, less original domestic Sinclair Lewis. Can’t Happen Here?

It did.

Here’s hoping that Obama can do this verbal ju jitsu sucessfully. I think, in a way, its good. Its forced him to come out with a truly progressive explanation for the things that the republicans have been using so sucessfully without linking up. Racism, hysterical god bothering, low taxes, NRA anti environmental shit–the republicans have worked hard to isolate each of their little identity politics voter banks while assuring them that everything will be hunky dory once their little problem is cleared up. Obama is turning the shirt inside out and saying “hey, there’s a reason why these groups align the way they do as voting blocs on the right. because you are being *lied to and taken advantage of* when your real problems are you are getting screwed by the system. I don’t think its unfair to say that the early obama of the sunny optimism/pre campaign days didn’t have the nerve to make that argument. But he’s being forced to make it explicit on the race and class front. And if he can get in with it, the country will be much improved. I’ve got my fingers crossed.

aimai
Plus: kudos for the tbogg like reference to one of the best movies ever.

Wait just a goldarn minute- I thought Obama was a commie- ready to cover the walls of the oval office with workers of the world unite frescoes. Now he’s Thurston Howell III. I’m getting very confused as to why I can’t trust him.

Aimai,

Here’s a link to his response: http://www.dailykos.com/storyo.....248/494024

Yeah, I already saw it, I’m wasting time today, it is actually what I was alluding to but I wasn’t clear. I hope he can do it. He’s sounding tired, though, and I think he’d pretty much lost the audience. I think he has to find some passion (rhetorically) and he has to say “they’re bitter? hell, I’m bitter! You think any person wants to claw their way up into the middle class and worry every second that their kids are going to fall back down? What’s happened to working class people in penn. is happening to everyone under republican crummy leadership. time magazine just published a story about how they are shipping american law jobs overseas. We already outsource our some medical specialities and most of our banking facilities. No factories for the working class, no law, medical, or professional jobs for the middle class? What’s left? I hope and pray my girls find some kind of meaningful and safe employment but I’m not under any illusion that they won’t find themselves in very difficult financial straits some day. Look around–the children of true privilige like McCain (an admiral’s son) and his wife, an heiress–they’ll do ok. And george bush (a president’s son who lost every business he was ever involved in until he catapulted to the presidency–they’ll do ok. But how many first and second generation middle class people aren’t terrified that, as the old saying goes, from rags to rags in three generations?”

[K]udos for the tbogg like reference to one of the best movies ever.

Dig it. The Conversation is possibly the best cinematic response to the BushCo mania for eavesdropping. (The fact that it was made 30 years before the “Patriot” Act makes it even more impressive.

I can’t bring myself to rewatch it. The lingering horror of that movie has stayed with me for the twenty years since I first saw it and though I want to show it to my spouse I know he won’t be able to take it.

aimai

I just don’t understand why people are riled up about it if it’s true…shit. Reading that was like looking at a portrait of my mother’s side of the family.

Just lucky my family in Latrobe was in the brewing business.

It takes a lot of beer to keep that kind of bitterness from erupting into outright revolt.