Sorry, I seem to be late to the game with this.

He can smash the critics all he wants, he is a good cry baby. But he has gone over the edge too many times, thinking that nothing he says or does will ever stick. He could give a thousand sermons on the mount, but you can bet this mistake will cost him big.

"When I go around and I talk to people there is frustration and there is anger and there is bitterness. And what's worse is when people are expressing their anger then politicians try to say what are you angry about? This just happened - I want to make a point here today.

"I was in San Francisco talking to a group at a fundraiser and somebody asked how're you going to get votes in Pennsylvania? What's going on there? We hear that's its hard for some working class people to get behind you're campaign. I said, "Well look, they're frustrated and for good reason. Because for the last 25 years they've seen jobs shipped overseas. They've seen their economies collapse. They have lost their jobs. They have lost their pensions. They have lost their healthcare.

"And for 25, 30 years Democrats and Republicans have come before them and said we're going to make your community better. We're going to make it right and nothing ever happens. And of course they're bitter. Of course they're frustrated. You would be too. In fact many of you are. Because the same thing has happened here in Indiana. The same thing happened across the border in Decatur. The same thing has happened all across the country. Nobody is looking out for you. Nobody is thinking about you. And so people end up- they don't vote on economic issues because they don't expect anybody's going to help them. So people end up, you know, voting on issues like guns, and are they going to have the right to bear arms. They vote on issues like gay marriage. And they take refuge in their faith and their community and their families and things they can count on. But they don't believe they can count on Washington. So I made this statement-- so, here's what rich. Senator Clinton says `No, I don't think that people are bitter in Pennsylvania. You know, I think Barack's being condescending.' John McCain says, `Oh, how could he say that? How could he say people are bitter? You know, he's obviously out of touch with people.'

"Out of touch? Out of touch? I mean, John McCain--it took him three tries to finally figure out that the home foreclosure crisis was a problem and to come up with a plan for it, and he's saying I'm out of touch? Senator Clinton voted for a credit card-sponsored bankruptcy bill that made it harder for people to get out of debt after taking money from the financial services companies, and she says I'm out of touch? No, I'm in touch. I know exactly what's going on. I know what's going on in Pennsylvania. I know what's going on in Indiana. I know what's going on in Illinois. People are fed-up. They're angry and they're frustrated and they're bitter. And they want to see a change in Washington and that's why I'm running for President of the United States of America."

were hoisted by their own petards.  (so to speak)

He turned their words on them and said 'And they think I'm out of touch?'  And he hits another one out of the ballpark.

Those two characters throw everything they can dig up, everything they can parse, everything they can invent at him and he rises above them over and over.  Gee, I wonder why he is winning?

elite, unAmerican San Francisco

What is that about?

Even though I think he is speaking the truth, I don't think this will play well with voters in PA.  I could be wrong, but I doubt it.  It'll be interesting to see what happens come Monday and Tuesday.

Nicely done!

We all know how political coverage works: the initial comment always gets 20x the airtime of the response, but dang, he really nailed it out of the park. If the media wants to cover this truthfully, they'll run that clip every time they report on this idiotic story. (Not that I have much faith in the media to do so.)

I remember a day when Democrats wouldn't let one of our candidates be painted as an "elitist"--we fought against the Edwards haircut story last year, and agaisnt the avalanche of horrid Kerry-bashing the media propagated in '04. What people are posting here to attack Obama is utterly indistinguishable from what they'd say on redstate or freerepublic.

Nonetheless, it's good to know Obama has the ability to respond rapidly and go back on the offensive.

Thanks for posting.

Smash his critics?  Uh who, the Pennsylvanians?

..."his critics".  my let's compliment him on his poor chosen words.

And yes, it was HIS ACTIONS that are causing the upset of what HE SAID about Pennsylvanians and "all through the midwest".

...but let him whine that folks are calling him out on his stupid, mean and disparaging comments.  Yes, yes, poor Barack for expecting him to be held accountable for anything and everything he does wrong.

this whole "gaffe" is just another straw man from the right--and, sadly, from other Democrats.

The only way to construe Obama as some kind of elitist is to give only the most liminal understanding of his statement, then put in a narrative of other mis-understood statements.

That was a great video. thanks for the diary--now I don't have to right one :)

Obama was right on and had a real "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore" quality.

Hell yes,  people are damn frustrated and bitter. They have been screwed over. The middle class has shrunk, manufacturing jobs are gone, we have a recession and a stupid war. For Clinton to say that there aren't those feelings makes her look like she's not the candidate of change but the candidate of happy talk.

You know that Hillary Clinton and John McCain are right - America is perfectly happy with its subsistence!  Optimistic, even!

Really, how dare Barack Obama say that America is unhappy?  Everyone knows that America is perfectly satisfied.

comments directly.  Class act, attacks only the repug.

Obama's the real deal -- better than Bill. Ya'll better bring kryptonite next time.

When I watched the video, I couldn't help but notice the people in the background - working class Americans. In particular, the man with the red USMC shirt. He didn't look like a man who cracks a smile easily. Watch his reaction when Obama lights into McCain and Hillary.

Priceless!

Obama will have much more to say on this in PA, I have no doubt.

Man O man I can hardly wait to see him on the stage against McCain - he is going to run circles around that short little nasty man!

Obama is an effete northern snob, just like Dukakis, Teddy Kennedy (not so much Jack and Bobby), and the king of all effete northern snobs:  John Kerry.  

These losers have "had it in" for the Clintons because they think southerners are a bunch of stupid rednecks, and it really chaps their hides that only southern democrats have been able win presidential elections for the past 50 years.   Bill Clinton's success is precisely the unforgiveable sin he committed against the northern wing of the party.   And they will never forgive him for that.  

Obama is from the northern tradition and he's going to end up like all the rest (should he be nominated):  losing.

for credit card legislation?  You've got to be kidding me.  Obama voted AGAINST a 30% cap on interest rates, and he's raising credit card legislation?!  

Believe what you want, be proud.  The people of Pennsylvania will be the final jury on this one.