Hillary's Optimistic America vs Obama's Bitter America. Reality?

        As strategic mudslinging continues, candidates are losing the battle to keep their noble image. While Hillary Clinton laughs to keep from crying, Barack Obama attempts at redeeming himself from a flawed image created by a rabid pastor are being undermined by his most recent speech, in which he called blue-collared workers "bitter." The statement was originally made at a meeting with private donors on April 6th in San Francisco as an explanation as to why American workers in Pennsylvania are hesitant to back his campaign, which he reiterated again at a public speech in Indiana only days later when asked a question regarding his statement in San Francisco. In his speech he stated "People are fed up, they're angry and they're frustrated and they're bitter and they want to see a change in Washington and that's why I'm running for President of the United States of America."

      As the media cracks down on Obama's word-choice in describing the American people, it is becoming evident that this candidate-shredding is taking on a more specific form. While Clinton has stretched the truth about her Bosnia trip, she seems to be quick to turn the tide on Obama as he describes Americans in a truthful, although not positive, way. At a recent speech in response to Obama, Clinton emphasized her humble beginnings--or at least those of her grandfather--as a worker at a lace mill in Pennsylvania. She has also managed to such up to the population by calling Americans "optimistic," as she attempts to contrast what she sees as a condescending Obama with an angelic opposition. This Chicago-born, Yale-trained lawyer doesn't quite fit into the "small town" identity she attempts to give off. Perhaps the reality is that none of the presidential candidates fit into the appealing profiles of humble, average, blue-collar, or small-town individuals.

      John McCain, meanwhile, is laying low as he attempts to scrap up evidence for the forth-coming presidential election, while allowing the democrats to do the damage. While his representative has called Obama "out of trust" with the American population, this military man, with endless vocabulary regarding lengthening the Iraqi liberation war, seems out of touch with the war-fatigued nation.

     Despite the irritation over Obama's word-choice, there is an underlying message--one that goes beyond simply labeling people, but that analyzes why this group of Pennsylvanian people (and likely workers from other states) are not backing Obama's campaign along with its promises. Obama claims that the explanation as to why workers are bitter is the deterioration of the American economy, the loss of health care and pensions, the loss of jobs (often due to outsourcing) and lack of resolution by the past three administrations. The fact is that election after election, administration after administration, little to no change is being made. Instead of airing this criticism of prior administrations and the promise of the Obama campaign, the media has sought to highlight the single word: "bitter." Repeatedly.