“I think he speaks only to people he can convince to vote for him. He’s a liar and a loser. He’s a goddam loser and should never have been in there. People wanted change and they sure as hell got it,” he said. I asked what Obama was lying about. “They can’t find any records from school; he’s refused to release a birth certificate. He was going to help the underclass, but he didn’t give any way he would do that. They were just words.”
Though Puderbaugh is a Republican, he has voted for Democrats from time to time, but he did not vote for Obama. He voted for Kennedy and for Bob Kerrey, who served the state as governor and later a U.S. senator. Obama, he said, “is no Jack Kennedy.” Puderbaugh added that he is disillusioned with politics.
So is thirty-five year-old Jason Ables, who manages a bar and restaurant specializing in small plates. He sat down with me for a lengthy chat. “I don’t think anyone in politics speaks to me. Obama is supposed to have a vision,” he said. What is it? “To be honest, I couldn’t tell you.”
He said Obama was speaking to the middle class, which he defined as folks with incomes of $250,000 and up. “Heck, if you define it this way, he’s not talking to me about anything.” Ables’s income is only about $40,000 a year. “I now have health insurance for the first time. It’s a catastrophic policy.” He pays $60 a month for coverage with a $5000 deductible. The more we talked, the more I could see that the president was speaking to him on some level, at least economically speaking. He didn’t like the bailout for the banks. “Everything should have been allowed to collapse. They got bailed out and walked away with millions. They are con artists. They are running a scam. When I was twenty years old, I screwed up my credit and dug myself out,” Ables said, asserting that the government should’ve forced the banks to do the same.
“Where’s the accountability?” he asked. “All politicians are really the same guy—only a little different. Everything is a fake. It’s hard to tell what’s real.” As Ables got up to begin preparing for the night’s customers, he said the restaurant had hosted fund raisers for both Democrats and Republicans. “I make sure their drinks are filled, and if they want snacks, we’ve got them.”
who cares what these people think? aren't these the same Americans who bought Taylor Swift's albums and watched Dear John in theaters? there are plenty of valid criticisms of Obama, but whether he is connecting with hoi polloi is the least of my concerns.
#1 Posted by Hardrada, CJR on Thu 6 Oct 2011 at 03:19 PM
there are plenty of valid criticisms of Obama, but whether he is connecting with hoi polloi is the least of my concerns.
And thats precisely why he's going to get CREAMED in the general election. After all, us "hoi polloi", flyover folks and bitter clingers vote, and you cant muscle us with white liberal guilt again.
#2 Posted by Mike H, CJR on Thu 6 Oct 2011 at 05:39 PM
Well good for you Mike, but I'm more concerned about whether our president is doing the right thing than whether he's popular or not.
Tattoo artist Cody Schneider admits he's "uneducated and unreached." That's great; maybe if that's the case, he should, y'know, not vote.
#3 Posted by Hardrada, CJR on Thu 6 Oct 2011 at 11:27 PM
“They can’t find any records from school; he’s refused to release a birth certificate,” sez 82-year-old knuckle-draggin' mouth-breather Homer Puderbaugh.
I hope you're proud, Mike.
#4 Posted by Hardrada, CJR on Thu 6 Oct 2011 at 11:29 PM
I'm more concerned about whether our president is doing the right thing than whether he's popular or not
Unfortunately for the unwashed proles in the little speck of land between LA and New York, commonly refered to around here as America, he is neither popular nor doing the right thing.
#5 Posted by Mike H, CJR on Thu 6 Oct 2011 at 11:32 PM
The info here would be more meaningful if you knew how many of these people actually voted and voted for President Obama.
I live in Texas and I know no one who voted for him who is UNhappy with him. They believe he is making progress in very difficult circumstances.
Those who did not vote for him never connected with him and never will. Those who are not paying attention only know the narrative of headlines. Headlines written/spoken to attract attention of most readers/watchers and attention is given to negatives and conflict so those are the headlines.
#6 Posted by JDS, CJR on Fri 7 Oct 2011 at 11:04 AM
If you ask me, the real reason Obama lacks connection is because he continually tries to be the man of no sides, the man who stands above the fray and "shakes it off" while brushing his shoulders while idiots accuse him of being a communist, make him work with a skeleton cabinet while the worst global economic collapse is on going, and actively attempt to sabotage the country with his presidency.
So I get it, the guy has challenges. However, the result of his stance is a perception - when a man has no sides, he doesn't stand on yours. This is compounded by the fact that when Obama does get angry and does pick sides, he picks the "safe targets", people he knows are going to vote for him whether they will be pumped up as they were in 2008 or whether they'll be holding their noses as they will in 2012. They won't be voting republican after all. He attacks his allies and puts forth policies hostile to his allies in order to prove he's not on "their side".
That is what really hurts in the long run. Yes, Obama doesn't alienate any voters by being neutral (except for the ones who will vote for him anyway) but he doesn't grow his base, he doesn't make make a case for the people who support him and the ideas they advocate. Why has Obama messaging been such a muddle since the election? Because Obama can't point to the villains and the ideas responsible for the 2008 catastrophe without taking sides and alienating their supporters.
And therefore these people have had no public accounting and feel no shame. Shame is for liberals who haven't been supportive enough of the alloof guy.
#7 Posted by Thimbles, CJR on Fri 7 Oct 2011 at 12:29 PM
"Unfortunately for the unwashed proles in the little speck of land between LA and New York, commonly refered to around here as America."
Yeah, I used to live in Nebraska. It's not special
#8 Posted by Hardrada, CJR on Fri 7 Oct 2011 at 03:51 PM
Yeah, they just let anybody teach Architecture. Nice typical liberal comeback Hrdrada. I live here in Nebraska and love it. I am glad you are gone. This is a special place and every time I travel out of state I am thankful to get back here.
Go join the others wasting time occupying Wall Street. Meanwhile you will still buy goods produced overseas. You will still donate to democrat campaigns who will in turn use the money to buy ads on corporate tv and radio stations, lining the pockets of the fat cats laughing at you. Why don't these protesters go to Maytag Headquarters or Whirlpool headquarters and protest there.If they said that they will not buy any appliance made overseas, then you would see manufacturing jobs come back to the US. The middle class would expand and the goals of both left and right wing voters would be acheived peacefully.
#9 Posted by Proud Husker, CJR on Fri 7 Oct 2011 at 09:10 PM
SHELLACKING II, 11-6-2011
OweBama went to Harvard and criticizes America. Herman Cain is a Navy vet and Purdue M.S. (CIS) and worked like a dog. Yes, the Republicans are racist (LOL)
The 99% -- who only pay 60% of taxes. No wonder the USA has been invaded by illegals. They'll take the citizenship of any of any P.Ant. in that park.
U-Haul -- will need a lot of trucks, DC to Chic., after next election
#10 Posted by Frank, CJR on Fri 14 Oct 2011 at 09:18 PM