Progress Without Evidence

Speaking to a group of wealthy California donors in San Francisco, Barack H. Obama recently said:

“Our challenge is to get people persuaded that we can make progress when there’s not evidence of that in their daily lives. 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 they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are going to regenerate and they have not.

“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.”

In the statement above, Barack H. Obama reveals much more about himself than he does about the people who live in America’s small towns. McCain adviser, Steve Schmidt, spoke well when he said, “It shows an elitism and condescension towards hardworking Americans that is nothing short of breathtaking. It is hard to imagine someone running for president of the United States who is more out of touch with average Americans.”

Obama’s statement reveals a patronizing, elitist worldview that literally drips with contempt for the average American. He is actually saying that our economy has driven people to become bitter, gun-toting, religious and racial bigots. Let’s break down the logic of his statement further:

I. Bitterness over the economy causes small town Americans to cling to their guns. I wonder if Obama has ever been hunting. Has he never heard of sport target shooting? Has he never heard of self-defence? Does he understand the second amendment to the Constitution?

II. Bitterness over the economy causes small town Americans to cling to religion. Mr. Obama seems to be doing very well financially and we have recently heard a lot about his church and pastor. Does Obama not cling to his faith in Christ as the source of his strength? Is it only the economically poor who cling to their religion? If this is so, what are we to make of Obama’s faith? Is bitterness the source of faith? His statement is one that is expected of a cynic of religion, not a believer. Does he understand the first amendment to the Constitution?

III. Bitterness over the economy causes small town Americans to cling to feelings of racial bigotry. He uses the word “anti-immigrant,” but this is just “truth-speak” for “racism.” From Obama’s perspective, small town Americans could not be opposed to illegal immigration because it is – of all things – illegal. No. Small town Americans blame illegal immigrants for their economic unhappiness because they have to blame someone else (“to explain their frustrations”). Obama just doesn’t get it like so many other politicians we send to Washington. Americans believe in the rule of law. They believe in freedom within the laws of a safe and orderly society. Most Americans are, frankly, baffled by our government’s unwillingness to enforce immigration laws.

IV. Bitterness over the economy causes small town Americans to be anti-trade. Americans are not anti-trade when the playing field is level for everyone. Americans are anti-government involvement in big trade deals. Americans do not trust the government to make sound decisions concerning economic policy any longer. Americans feel that their politicians often sell out to international interests when their first responsibility should be to America. Our government cannot even control its own spending and balance a budget. So, why would people blindly trust the government with international trade deals?

Mr. Obama sees America very differently from most freedom loving, self-reliant, patriotic Americans. Barack Obama says, “Our challenge is to get people persuaded that we can make progress when there’s not evidence of that in their daily lives.” Well, persuade away Mr. Obama. Persuade small town America that you can make “progress” without “evidence.” I’m afraid, however, that too much of what lies behind the curtain has already been revealed, but you persuade us all – Mr. Obama – if you can.