Watching the MSM it seems that Obama has 2 problems with these "comments"

[jezebel]

Problem 1) the word "bitter". This is the angle Clinton attacked him on and her cronies in the media are pushing (Mark Halperin, the page. the shill on CNN sitting in for Dobbs.). To me this seems to be the easily to explain. Hell yeah people are bitter they've been given the shaft.

Problem 2) the "cling to guns and religion" angle. This is the angle McCain and the RNC and FOX news are attacking him on. They claim this shows him to be elitist, far left, hates gun and religion, etc. Here is an example of their pearl clutching. ("Barack Obama apparently believes that for Americans less privileged than him, religion is an economic-based and not faith-based condition," Mark Salter, a senior campaign adviser for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., tells ABC News.

"It is hardly news that Senator Obama's 'new' approach to politics is based on the presumption that voters are easily fooled," Salter continues, "but the arrogance and elitism he shows here is truly astonishing, and very revealing about how he would govern this country.")http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/04/mccain-clinton.html

This is the harder argument to Obama to bat back. I have no problem with what he said but how does he bat back this false straw man angle the right will push with this. Ideas?

[jackson_dem]

1. He can say they were "just words" so they weren't a big deal

Oh wait...

[Pirate Smile]

2. Cling to religion - I'd say that was how many people survived terrible times.

Why is the black church so strong? Hope in the "next" life because this one just sucks.

[JoFerret]

14. With Obama or McCain

it may be all they will still have.

Or all of us for that matter.

[progressive_realist]

15. Yes, and I believe this is exactly why he thinks this way.

Clinton and McCain are the ones out of touch on this issue if they think religion is purely a matter of personal preference. That is the elitist, child-of-privilege position. For the poor and downtrodden, the church is a centerpiece of community and can be a necessary survival mechanism.

[tekisui]

3. This is manufactured by the media. There is no there there.

What he said will sound like truth to America.

[2rth2pwr]

4. You keep saying that. If you really feel that way why are

you replying to all the posts?

[tekisui]

13. It's my hobby.

:hi:

[jezebel]

5. I agree with you if they get to hear in full his comments. But CNN has just spent an hour playing

Clinton bashing him, repeatedly putting up McCain's bashing him, etc. They are calling it Obama attacks small town America, and saying there is outrage over Obama's comments. I think they have actually played a limited bit of Obama maybe twice. So anyone watching is being told there is outrage over these horrible horrible comments. He needs to have a short concise soundbite answer that the media can play in response.

[tekisui]

6. I am sure he will.

He has played these with concise ease thus far.

[shaniqua6392]

8. Keith Olbermann has this as "Breaking News" a few minutes ago.

They are not playing these Obama statements in a very good light.

[GoesTo11]

7. How come I'm not surprised

that the democratic frontrunner is being cast as elitist. Where have I heard this before? Oh yeah, I know, every democratic frontrunner since the Truman administratoin. That's right.

I bet he also wants to give up our nation's security, right? Gee, where have I heard that before? Every democratic frontrunner since the Johnson administration.

And he's been named (by National Review) as the mostliberal senator. Where have I heard that before that the democratic frontrunner is an out of the mainstream dangerous liberal? Oh yeah, again and again I have heard it.

If Hillary was leading, this would all be stuck on her. It's the standard Republican framing of the Democratic candidate. Call it what it is and tell them to shut up.

[ErinBerin84]

9. any Democrat will be cast this way

I also find it out that Mayhill Fowler's previous article's for the Huffington Post seemed to be sort of a whisper campaign for the "Obama is a cocky elitist" theme...yet within the context of the article, I never seem to get how she draws these conclusions. And while John "I married a beer heiress" McCain and Hillary "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain who gets paid by the Colombian government and shares my income" get to cast him as an elitist,George freaking Bush, the beer candidate, has screwed up this country beyond belief.

[madrchsod]

10. he speaks to the truth

to bad the people he was talking about do not understand what he means...yes it`s going to be hard to "bat back"

[SoonerPride]

11. No ity isn't. They indeed do get it. People are angry, bitter, and want change,

You watch.

His numbers will go up.

[madrchsod]

12. "my hometown"

"Now main streets whitewashed windows and vacant stores
Seems like there aint nobody wants to come down here no more
Theyre closing down the textile mill across the railroad tracks
Foreman says these jobs are going boys and they aint coming back to
Your hometown, your hometown, your hometown, your hometown"


http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/bruce+springsteen/my+hometown_20025016.html
Bruce Springsteen | My Hometown lyrics


"Well theres ninety-seven crosses planted in the courthouse yard
Ninety-seven families who lost ninety-seven farms
I think about my grandpa and my neighbors and my name
And some nights I feel like dyin like that scarecrow in the rain"

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/j/john+mellencamp/rain+on+the+scarecrow_20074537.html
John Mellencamp | Rain On The Scarecrow lyrics



of course we are bitter..

what does john have to offer them....

[Bensthename]

16. Well, what he says is the truth.. And isn't even bad.

[AX10]

17. About the religion part.

Obama was putting much emphasis on trying to get religious voters to move away from the GOP.
This comment will do nothing but harm him.