I’m not sure how a man like Barack Obama “connects” to blue-collar workers from a blue-collar state like Philadelphia. The man hasn’t done an honest day’s labor in his entire life.
If the man has ever had dirt, soil, or grease on his hands, it’s because he fell down.
So what’s his plan in Philly do connect to steel workers, union guys, firemen, and construction workers? First he’ll show them he’s “one of them” be going bowling. Bad idea. Most of these guys could bowl a 37 on the day they were born.
What else? Well, he and wifey Michelle then lament on how hard it is for them to get by, and what a struggle everyday is — a “we struggle just like you do” comment. Except for the fact that the Obama’s barely get by on more than a million dollars a year. But other than that…we’re just like you…
Well, when all else fails, do what politicians do — when in Rome and so forth. So in Philly, that means a photo op at a local institution like Pat’s Steaks or Geno’s Steaks enjoying a cheesesteak. Like the “everyman”.
But Obama couldn’t even get that right.
While visiting an Italian market yesterday, he thumbed his nose at the traditional cheesesteak and instead opted for the $100/lb fancy foreign ham.
Yeah. That’ll show those hard-hats that you’re one of them…
Shit, no wonder the Obama’s can’t get by on their millions — they’re prefer $100/lb sandwich meats.
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Jennifer Rubin at Commentary explains what I was getting at much more succinctly:
Barack Obama has made two big errors in his campaign. One was failing to recognize the impact of Rev. Wright’s incendiary language The other was his failure at bowling. She makes a good case that, in working-class, primarily white suburbs, Obama “is having a hard time passing himself off as ordinary folk†and his 37 (a really abysmal score) just made it worse.
That’s exactly what I was alluding to.
…does Obama lack a “feel†for ordinary voters’ sensibilities?
Well, of course. His life experience is utterly unlike the average voter’s. On his journey from Hawaii to Indonesia to Hawaii to Harvard, he probably ran into a lot of critiques of American culture and not very much bowling. He hasn’t, it looks like, developed an internal compass that warns him when something may be offensive or off-putting to ordinary Americans.
Yeah. What she said.
If it was free, I would go with the $100/lb ham, too.
Left by Anonymous on April 4th, 2008 at 9:32 am