I'm sorry but why is this demographic so damn sensitive? Republicans can talk about "blacks on welfare" all day long or "blacks on affirmative action" or "illegal immigrant" Mexicans. But the minute you say people who only complete grade school "uneducated" something is wrong? Can you explain the double standard?

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Yesterday, John McCain actually said that if he’s president he’ll take on, and I quote, 'the old boys’ network in Washington.' I’m not making this up. This is somebody been in Congress for 26 years, who put seven of the most powerful Washington lobbyists in charge of his campaign. And now he tells us that he’s the one who’s gonna take on the old boys' network,” he said. “In the McCain campaign that’s called a staff meeting!- Obama, 9/17/2008

Double standard?

Alright - here's the double standard:

I am not in the habit of referring to "blacks on welfare" and it is highly likely that a GOP candidate who did would be lambasted in the media, as they should be.

On the other hand, Dem references to "uneducated whites" is considered acceptable - as that reflects the left-wing view.

There is a double standard for you.

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"Our fears in Banquo
Stick deep; in his royalty of nature
Reigns that which would be fear'd: 'tis much he dares;
And, to that dauntless temper of his mind,
He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour
To act in safety."

Macbeth 3:1

How should this demographic be described?

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Yesterday, John McCain actually said that if he’s president he’ll take on, and I quote, 'the old boys’ network in Washington.' I’m not making this up. This is somebody been in Congress for 26 years, who put seven of the most powerful Washington lobbyists in charge of his campaign. And now he tells us that he’s the one who’s gonna take on the old boys' network,” he said. “In the McCain campaign that’s called a staff meeting!- Obama, 9/17/2008

Non- college, blue collar etc..? the first is still a pejorative imho, but far better than the “uneducated whites”, which is, well speaks for itself.
I didn't graduate college, and take grave offense to the term "uneducated white" as I am, white as well, but am educated enough to know whom ever uses that appellation may need some education themselves, no matter WHO says it or uses it.

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Obama-e fungis nati homines....

I prefer Reagan Democrats myself. But then again, I am not a Dem.

Why do you think Reagan was so enormously popular with that group?

Because he respected them. He talked to them, not down to them. He was not patronizing and not contemptuous.

Contempt is the achilles heel for the left. They are absolutely blind to this glaring fault. It doesn't matter how many years go by - it is still a central issue and is never addressed.

If Obama wants to win the people who did not vote for him, he and his campaign had better step up to the plate and deal with this - and no more condescending garbage about clinging to guns and religion and bitterness and fear.

I admit the problems with the GOP. It's time for the left to stop pretending they are practically perfect in every way and learn some things - that is, if they want to win the Whte House.

For years I have disliked Hillary Clinton, but I will say this for her: she is that rare Dem who understands that - and it took her 60 years to get it.

__________________
"Our fears in Banquo
Stick deep; in his royalty of nature
Reigns that which would be fear'd: 'tis much he dares;
And, to that dauntless temper of his mind,
He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour
To act in safety."

Macbeth 3:1

Well I don’t think she understands the folks BUT yes she understands she got to deal with them and by and large succsefully has.

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Obama-e fungis nati homines....

Fair point - I agree that she doesn't really understand them, but she understands the issue and the need to address it.

__________________
"Our fears in Banquo
Stick deep; in his royalty of nature
Reigns that which would be fear'd: 'tis much he dares;
And, to that dauntless temper of his mind,
He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour
To act in safety."

Macbeth 3:1

oh yeah...agreed.
and I am going to love Obamas play for the religious middle, this should be fun to watch, the left has had issues and tried to craft themselves as more religious over the last several years as a counter weight to Bushs spiritualism etc. that they saw robbing them of possible votes they just had to reach out for. It was so ham handed I think they have just given up.

So where does that leave Obama? He cannot go around making hay of his 20 years of spirituality without making Wright an issue again.....so back to square one, as a grp. the dems don’t understand how to appeal to them, because deep down their platforms are antithetical to the religious value voter and even other religious dems, there fore they are without a lever or platform they can reliably run on to appeal to them, well, because they are what they stand for and it aint them.

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Obama-e fungis nati homines....

I wonder how many Americans actually know what Mexican history is behind Cinco de Mayo and that it's not their celebrated independence day?

true, its the anniversary of a battle. But as osb said, its been foisted on the country as a celebration day and I bet the US pop. as a whole has a better understanding of say, kwanza than the 5th of May, both being something of faux holidays so to speak.
The masses have been educated according to the prevailing culture, that is, not at all.

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Obama-e fungis nati homines....

He's just calling a spade a spade, spade...er, I mean Tim.

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Who does vote for these dishonest shitheads? Who among us can be happy and proud of having all this innocent blood on our hands? Who are these swine? These flag-sucking half-wits who get fleeced and fooled by stupid little rich kids like George Bush?

--Hunter S. Thompson

Odd. I would love to hear your opinion of someone like Bill Cosby, Shelby Steele or Clarence Thomas. African American conservatives who are eager to talk down to impoverished African Americans. They are told to "stop blaming whitey for their own shortcomings" they are told to "pull yourselves up, you can't expect a handout" they are told to "stop naming your kids stupid names like Kwisha or Mfmume." The right celebrates these African American conservatives for having the "courage" to "speak the truth." They are hailed for saying the things that whites can't say about black poverty because those whites are afraid of being called "racist."

But the MINUTE the shoe is on the other foot and uneducated whites are called out for being uneducated. And are called out for voting for politicians whose policies hurt them, then suddenly it's "liberal contempt"

I will agree with you. Liberals can be so self righteous, it's a thing I fight. But can we at least agree that the right celebrates self righteousness when its directed towards racial minorities and gets all huffy and pissed off when its directed towards whites?

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Yesterday, John McCain actually said that if he’s president he’ll take on, and I quote, 'the old boys’ network in Washington.' I’m not making this up. This is somebody been in Congress for 26 years, who put seven of the most powerful Washington lobbyists in charge of his campaign. And now he tells us that he’s the one who’s gonna take on the old boys' network,” he said. “In the McCain campaign that’s called a staff meeting!- Obama, 9/17/2008

That was exactly my thought.

Cinco de Mayo for Mexican-Americans is generally just an extra long workday as they serve Drinking and Drunken Americans that party harder on cinco de mayo than any of their latin counterparts.

The 16th of September is a real Mexican holiday. That's their July 4th. If you wanted to do something symbolic and ceremonial for Mexican-Americans, that's the day you'd do it.

In some ways, McCain's gesture is probably appreciated and in some ways, it's probably patronizing. If McCain thinks cinco de mayo is a big deal for Mexicans, he's showing that he's quite out of touch with them. He had many many latinos as consituents in Arizona, so you'd think he would know better.

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Screw Change!! Let's have a Seamless Transition of Power and Policy.. John McSame in 2008!

Do you really see those three as contemptuous or condescending?

Also, Crosby and Steele and Thomas are very, very different from each other.

When I think of condescension, I think of the passive-aggressive "I'm so much better than you that I don't have to take you seriously as I improve your life" that is epidemic on the left.

The smug smiles and the creepy grins and the lifted eyebrows and the snide, knowing chuckles.

All the while stealing money from the unwashed masses for the government.

Ugh......

__________________
"Our fears in Banquo
Stick deep; in his royalty of nature
Reigns that which would be fear'd: 'tis much he dares;
And, to that dauntless temper of his mind,
He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour
To act in safety."

Macbeth 3:1

Absolutely, the fact that you are shocked by that position proves the hypocrasy that I'm talking about in that post.

This is worse than, "I'm going to tell you what you want to hear while I pass policies that hurt you?" Can you explain why what you accuse the left of is worse than what the right does under the veneer of "talking to" people. Why is sitting in a room and smiling while you backstab with policy somehow better than being blunt and frank with people?
There are so many statements from the Karl Rove sect talking about evangelical voters that prove the right is just as willing to do all of this to their own voters. It's part of their strategy, not an honest engagement with those issues.

But let's take an explicit example. Federal marriage amendment, abortion, gay adoptoin. Three issues that Republicans have used to turn out evangelical voters in the last decade. Yet there has been NO move towards a federal marriage amendment despite majorities in both houses. Abortion remains essentially the same as it was before the Bush presidency and more gay couples are adopting than ever. I think it's condescending to run on "family values" and deliver NONE of those issues to your constituents.

__________________
Yesterday, John McCain actually said that if he’s president he’ll take on, and I quote, 'the old boys’ network in Washington.' I’m not making this up. This is somebody been in Congress for 26 years, who put seven of the most powerful Washington lobbyists in charge of his campaign. And now he tells us that he’s the one who’s gonna take on the old boys' network,” he said. “In the McCain campaign that’s called a staff meeting!- Obama, 9/17/2008