Yes, we can.

[cirquelover]

No, he's at Fire Mountain Gems and doing some work for Harry & Davids.

Your right about the Oregon Indian casinos though, they are geared for the old folks. My Mom is thrilled when she comes to visit because she can play all the Bingo she wants there.

[Morrigoon]

Even Newsweek has gotten into debunking that quote I posted. Check this out:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/129976

[Alex]

First George Will and now Newsweek. If the media-industrial machine is going to use me as their oracle, I'd like a little mention.

[scaeagles]

No one has brought up Obama's small town America is bitter so they turn to guns, religion, and xenophobia comments. Of course he and his supporters have their spin, but I don't buy it. I think every once in a while what he means slips out and he must find a way to spin it, as does every politician.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

The point seemed pretty obvious to me. These are Us vs Them issues. They breed divisiveness. Instead of working on the things that we can build together, most people and politicians cling to divisive issues because they bring more heat with them.

Besides: Shock of shocks, Barack Obama isn't a fan of the xenophobic, gun-waving, my-church-is-better-than-yours lifestyle. Seriously, people, this is surprising. Neither am I, btw. Can I be called elitist now?

[Alex]

Well, he didn't say (I'm getting this all after the fact since I was pretty busy for a few days) small town Americans are bitter, he said that economically depressed people become bitter.

I didn't think there was anything controversial about that idea except for the political maladroitness of saying it out loud where he did. From what I've seen I will say that I'd prefer he stood by his...ahem...guns and didn't try to backtrack on it.

"Yes, I meant what I said. When people suffer economic hardship and a curtailment of opportunities over a long period of time they look to build up their self esteem in other ways and these ways can be harmful to community and national cohesion. In poor inner cities you may develop a gang culture, which is in many ways just a particularly violent and narrowly cast form of xenophobia. In rural areas it isn't nearly so violent but they too begin to look for ways to redefine themselves in a search for something to stand for.

In San Francisco, an area that has been on the good side of our nation's great economic changes over the last 30 years, it is baffling to them that people in places like parts Pennsylvania seem to so identify themselves through things like gun ownership or religious affiliation. And while these aren't inherently bad, I do think they are a sign of groups of people who have lost so much and for so long that they do become angry and bitter at any perceived attempt to take even more from them and cling, yes, I said cling, to what they still have with a tenacity that strikes others as curiously militant."

I think that is mostly what he meant. And it was stupid, politically, to go anywhere near actually saying it. Particularly when he wasn't talking directly to the people he was talking about. Plus, it is essentially what he said about racial tensions and issues in this country and he was praised to high water for that.

Somewhat unrelated, I liked Jon Stewart's comments last night on the media universally labeling it as "elitist" and how if a person running for president doesn't think he is better than us, why would we want him/her to be president? Condescending is bad in anybody, but I'm perfectly fine with elitist.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Alex

"Yes, I meant what I said. When people suffer economic hardship and a curtailment of opportunities over a long period of time they look to build up their self esteem in other ways and these ways can be harmful to community and national cohesion. In poor inner cities you may develop a gang culture, which is in many ways just a particularly violent and narrowly cast form of xenophobia. In rural areas it isn't nearly so violent but they too begin to look for ways to redefine themselves in a search for something to stand for.

If this is what he meant and should have said, then you are saying it would be acceptable to equate religion and gun ownership with the gang culture in terms of being "harmful to community and national cohesion"? That would be even more stupid to say, I believe. Then he wouldn't just be calling religion and gun ownership a crutch, he'd be calling them bad. He may very well think that, but the vast majority of Americans don't.

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

If this is what he meant and should have said, then you are saying it would be acceptable to equate religion and gun ownership with the gang culture in terms of being "harmful to community and national cohesion"? That would be even more stupid to say, I believe. Then he wouldn't just be calling religion and gun ownership a crutch, he'd be calling them bad. He may very well think that, but the vast majority of Americans don't.

Just because something can be defended as a cherished constitutional freedom does not mean it can't be culturally damaging and debasing. In the free speech context, we have pornography. Freedom of religion and the right to bear arms certainly have their porn, too. While we would not prosecute it, we are right to be critical of it.

And what Obama said is straight Bowling for Columbine.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Strangler Lewis

And what Obama said is straight Bowling for Columbine.

Or Thomas Frank.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Strangler Lewis

And what Obama said is straight Bowling for Columbine.

I'm sure he'll enjoy the linkages to Michael Moore on the campaign trail.