Observations

More Reasons Why Neither Democrat

Should Be President

Democrat presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama told a crowd in San Francisco that he understands why residents of Pennsylvania feel bitter. “You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them.” “And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

That view is insulting to the people of Pennsylvania and the Midwest. Are people who own guns bitter? Are religious people bitter? Are people who’ve lost their job anti-immigrant or anti-trade? Are Pennsylvanians so shallow and ignorant?

If a relative few blacks or Pennsylvanians or Midwesterners live in undesirable circumstances, Obama extrapolates that view to the entire nation, despite contrary evidence. But it is precisely the same mistake Obama makes in embracing the church to which he’s been a member for 20 years and its America-is-a-horrible-place mentality. Is this merely a cheap and tawdry campaign tactic designed to attract support and appeal to the terminally aggrieved? Or is it what he believes? I think probably both; I think he believes it.

His rival for the nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton, seized upon Sen. Obama’s comment and said she would help economically struggling communities, not look down on them, and said residents in small towns suffering from job losses across the state were resilient and optimistic. Her take: "Pennsylvania doesn't need a president who looks down on them," Clinton said, "they need a president who stands up for them, who fights for them, who works hard for your futures, your jobs, your families." If things in your life aren’t exactly peachy, vote for Hillary and she will fix it for you. Need a new job, or more vacation time? Hillary’s your girl. Want free health care? Give Hillary a call some morning at 3:30 a.m., and she’ll get it done for you, right after she solves that economic crisis, that call that came in just before yours.

Her approach is less caustic than Obama’s, but it is not substantially different. Clinton panders to everyone who wants the government to care of their every need, and that group grows larger day by day, but she has so far managed to do it without the insult voters.

But the United States does not need as president someone who sees the country in unrealistically negative terms. We don’t need a president who believes our country is a horrible place. And the United States does not need as president someone who believes it is the president’s job to be involved in their day-to-day lives of her/his subjects and take care of them.

Add this to the reasons why neither Sen. Clinton nor Sen. Obama is suitable to be elected President.