At a private fundraiser in San Francisco last Sunday, Barack Obama said that people in rural Pennsylvania become “bitter [and] cling to guns or religion” because of economic problems and poor representation in Washington. The Associated Press is reporting on the story, which was first covered by The Huffington Post.
Hillary Clinton’s response: “‘Well, that’s not my experience,’ Clinton told a Drexel University crowd, describing the state’s residents as resilient, optimistic, and hardworking. ‘Pennsylvanians don’t need a president who looks down on them,’ she said. ‘They need a president who stands up for them.’”
I think Senator Obama’s statement came across poorly, but this is an example of the fear I have with his candidacy: the other side will be merciless in a general election. They will ask questions about his church, his patriotism, and now his views on rural values, and no matter how he answers, it’s going to be fodder for outside groups which will work hard to destroy the positive image Americans have of him. Remember Swift Boat Veterans for Truth? Truth had nothing to do with their message or their mission, but they succeeded in tarnishing the reputation of a decorated veteran like John Kerry. I can’t imagine they’ll take it easy on Barack Obama just because he’s new to federal politics.
I hope and expect that John McCain’s campaign will be one of the more honorable ones we’ve seen in a while. But even they’re seizing on Senator Obama’s statement: “…a spokesman for [...Senator] McCain, described Obama’s comments as ‘condescending’ and ‘out of touch.’” Another spokesman took it even further: “Only an elitist would say that people vote their values only out of frustration. You can’t be more out of touch than that.”
It takes a lot to go from being a state senator to a presidential candidate in barely three years. Americans are still forming their opinions of Senator Obama. Senator Clinton has been in the national spotlight for more than two decades, and Americans know her, and a strong majority respect her experience and commitment, and have held that respect for just as long.
In the past month, Senator Obama has fallen ten percentage points in a head-to-head matchup against Senator McCain. It’s now a tie, with each garnering 45%. Senator Clinton leads McCain, 48% to 45%. Her numbers have been steady just about as long as they’ve been polling folks on how they think they’ll vote come November.
Senator Obama is inspiring. But he’s also very much an unknown for many Americans. So was Mike Huckabee. And Bill Richardson. And others. If they had made it this far, they’d be vulnerable, as well, I believe, to the same sort of volatility. It takes a lot of experience and good judgment to be president. It takes a lot of both to run for president, too. Calling Americans bitter and angry is not a good way to gain their trust, or their vote.