Comments on: Lundergan, Stumbo Must Hate Rural America

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:52:24 +0000

Frankly, I fail to see where this comment is anything but Stumbo being honest:

“I found Senator Barack Obama’s comments incredibly unfortunate. After representing eastern Kentucky for 25 years, I can tell you what we don’t need are stereotypes that discount our faith and our values. We need a President with a real plan that produces real results.”

Is he, too, not entitled to his opinion? Maybe he didn’t care for what Obama said, and that is his right. Being from Eastern Ky, maybe the comment from Obama struck him as stereotypical and short-sighted. I tend to agree.

I think you can easily look at his record and see that over his political life, he has certainly been an advocate for the less fortunate and those who don’t have a voice.

For the record, just because Stumbo’s beliefs are not the same as yours, I hardly think it merits a headline such as “Stumbo hates rural America”. I think he has more than proven otherwise.

By: Forks of Elkhorn

Forks of Elkhorn — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:10:30 +0000

Typos above — The 3rd to last line should read –
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It seems to me, being the country Episcopal I am, that Obama is the most personally religious of the three.

By: Forks of Elkhorn

Forks of Elkhorn — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:08:38 +0000

Its weird. Obama got his first national attention in 2004 by putting God into the story – quoting in his speech the song An Awesome God. Everyone can tell you what church he belongs to – Trinity United Church of Christ – because he has worn his religion on his sleeve unlike most politicians, Democrat or Republican. Most everyone can tell you his former preacher’s name – Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the United States Marine turned preacher. It has already been mentioned in this thread. How many people can tell you what church congregation Hillary Clinton or John McCain belong to, or if their preacher is a former United States Marine or not? I doubt anyone on this blog has any idea what the name of the church is that Clinton or McCain regularly attend (if they attend one at all) like we know about Obama, Wright, and the UCC. It seems to be, being a country Episcopal that Obama is the most personally religious of the three. If religion is what you cling to, Obama is your man. He is the one clinging to religion and talking about it in real terms.

By: James R

James R — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:31:18 +0000

The fact of the matter is religion matters to most Americans. To have a presidential candidate tell Americans that they cling to church because they are insecure or dislike others is simply asinine. People go to church because God is important to them. Like it or lump it, but thats the truth.
1970s and 1980s democratic nominees never spoke about faith and the republicans always claimed that the democrats did not have faith. This is why democrats have lost the rural vote year in and year out. Democrats like Kaine of Va have won when they do not back down from their faith.
Obama will be hurt by this big time if he is the nominee. That is simply a fact. McCain must be happy today.
I never said Obama mentioned malaise. Obama did insult religious going Americans though. Most Americans go to church on Sat or Sunday, not just when the going gets tough as suggested.
Ever home I have ever been in in Eastern Ky has a cross on the wall, and if Jake is really from Eastern Ky he knows that, he also knows that he did not cherry pick his surroundings of where he lived, everyone lives in the valleys as he calls them. That is where the people live in Eastern Ky. People in cities have more choices
Obamas comments may not hurt him in the cities with liberals, but it will hurt him in a general election if he is the nominee. This was his Kerry moment. Wait and watch.
If you do not agree with me that is fine. History has proven that the general population does not support candidates who they percieve as believing they are superior to the voters.

By: Bill Adkins

Bill Adkins — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:37:31 +0000

“It appears that the only Obama folks who aren’t clarifying what he really meant are the bitter ones like ol’ Bill Adkins. Hillarious.”

As opposed to what, cyber, you telling us what he really meant per Hillary? Hilariouser.

By: Cyberhillbilly

Cyberhillbilly — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:39:15 +0000

I agree on that one. The Obama people are saying he just meant folks were frustrated. The hard core left that dominates the blogs if not elections say “no, he meant what he said.”

By: jake

jake — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:32:45 +0000

You can cherry pick your surroundings anywhere. We certainly did in Appalachia by making the decision to live deep in a valley away from everyone else.

What’s hilarious is that people get so up in arms parsing Obama’s words, coming up with their own meaning.

By: Cyberhillbilly

Cyberhillbilly — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:28:52 +0000

Jake:

In the city you get to cherry pick your surroundings. In the mountains, you take the good w/ the bad, the pretty w/ the ugly.

It appears that the only Obama folks who aren’t clarifying what he really meant are the bitter ones like ol’ Bill Adkins. Hillarious.

By: Bill Adkins

Bill Adkins — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:56:29 +0000

It’s obvious I disagree, James R. Obama didn’t claim Americans suffer ‘malaise,’ if anything it’s the right claiming that malaise exists in that those Americans now on food stamps and other benefits ‘don’t have any pride’ or ‘self reliance’ anymore (in essence quotes from Leland Conway in Lexington. I know the spin the right and Hillary want to place on Obama’s comments, but they’re wrong. Obama’s comments were not ‘hateful,’ they were not ‘condescending and elitist.’ They were accurate.

What is not accurate is your assertion that Obama claimed “a father he is bitter because he wants to take his son to go hunting, just like his grandfather took him when he was a boy. Never tell a church goer they go to church because they hate immigrants and gays, they go to church because they love God.” That’s just more spin. Who’re you working for, Hillary or McCain?

By: James R

James R — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:25:00 +0000

Does anyone out there remember the 1970s and 1980s democratic nominees?
If anyone thinks that this “bitter” comment will not sink Obama in the fall IF he is the nominee they are politically innocent.
This is incredibly offensive to faith loving people. It proves that Obama has no clue about the rural culture of America. Never tell a father he is bitter because he wants to take his son to go hunting, just like his grandfather took him when he was a boy. Never tell a church goer they go to church because they hate immigrants and gays, they go to church because they love God.
The Democratic Party has lost election after election because the nominee feared mentioning God and faith. When the democratic nominee for governor of Virginia-Kaine- spoke about faith he was elected. The last 2 successful democratic nominees who won spoke about faith won, Clinton and Carter. The ones who fear mentioning faith lose, because Americans are a people of faith. You do not have to be their faith, but they want to know that you believe in God.
If people get out of the cities and go to rural Kentucky and America they will see that religion is very important to people.
This whole bitter comment brings back the Wright controversy as well. His attack on Clinton for calling him an elitist was amazing. Why did he not go to rural Penn and tell them they were bitter? Why tell a bunch of liberal in San Francisco?
I want a democratic president not simply another 1970s and 1980s democratic nominee. Obama just had his Kerry moment…..Its over for him. John McCain is smiling today. Do not blam Hillary Clinton. Barack Obama said these hateful words about a huge portion of our country.