April 14, 2008

Fix It, Barack: The Guns/Religion Gaffe Has the Makings of a Real Problem

 

I’m finding the recent Barack Obama gaffe and resulting flap particularly upsetting – on several fronts.

 

Hillary Clinton is coveting the opportunity like a young child covets her rival sibling getting caught doing what she’s been getting away with for a while. She seems pathetic – suddenly grasping at “the elitist issue” like a new toy, now that the facts have made the experience issue moot, and her memory of her image as the gallant international warrior looks rather silly. Talk about remaking oneself! Hillary – woman of the people. C’mon guys, let’s get real.

 

I confess I’ve gotten to really dislike her, and will have a tough time voting for her, if she should by some miracle become the nominee. That’s probably an academic point, since any scenario that makes her the nominee would pretty much destroy the Democrats for this election. No matter. Hillary would rather run against a 75-year-old John McCain than an incumbent Obama. Does anyone truly believe that question has not been discussed among the revolving staff of Hillary’s campaign?

 

Here is confession number two. One of the reasons that Hillary’s grasping and ranting have bothered me even more just now is that I’m afraid there is some real substance to the problem raised by this recent gaffe and Obama’s way of dealing with it, or perhaps not dealing with it.

 

The most dangerous substance is not what the pundits are focusing on – “the frustration” of many working class people in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. It is wrong, and politically risky to generalize, and this is an example of the risk. Some will resent being lumped into the frustrated, victim category, though I suspect others will feel that finally someone understands what they are feeling.

 

When Obama said that these frustrated people are clinging to their religion and their guns, and rejecting people who aren’t like them, he appeared to discount people’s religious beliefs and belief in the Second Amendment, as well as equating racism with those legitimate, if disagreeable to some, world views.

 

Does he believe that religion is indeed the opiate of the frustrated masses? Is he really one of those God-rejecting limousine liberals after all? No wonder he didn’t notice that Reverend Wright had some kooky ideas. Perhaps he didn’t really go to church very much at all – he wasn’t frustrated enough, I guess.

 

Does he understand that some people who like their guns and believe in the Second Amendment do so for reasons other than their frustration? In fact we ought to be happy that more of those guys aren’t more frustrated, with their loaded weapons at their sides.

 

Does he mean that if I have strong religious beliefs and want to keep my guns, that I’m also against blacks? Or am I just against someone who doesn’t understand my point of view? Now that’s frustrating. This last piece carries with it the first suggestion of sour grapes I have heard from this very centered man and candidate.

 

These statements caused me some concern, even as a strong supporter. I can imagine the reactions of people who might have already had their doubts, especially if those doubts were about the seriousness of his religious belief, or his desire to understand the positions of the working class people, whose votes he needs just now to clinch the nomination and avoid the wrecking of his party and devaluation of its nomination for the presidency at Hillary’s hands.

 

As many pundits have missed the point here, so has Obama with his responses to the situation. In fact, the person whose criticism seemed most on the mark was John McCain, who came closest to naming accurately some of the issues I have mentioned here.

 

Obama needs to respond to the legitimate concerns about his unfortunate statement. Some people may feel some resentment toward him, without even understanding specifically why, and his “regrets” will not satisfy these people, unless those regrets are clear and about the right things.

 

He has done well up to now, in hearing and responding to criticism of him, his candidacy and his person. Generally that has involved taking the discussion to a higher level. His racism speech was perhaps the best example of his skill at that approach. This may be one where the only adequate response is to admit a blunder and try to get folks to move on along with him. As I’ve proposed in other contexts, “Perfect vulnerability is (often) perfect protection.”

 

People say the campaign and candidacy is about growth. We can’t always choose the areas in which we want to grow. Sometimes life sets the agenda, and leaves it to us to respond. Please Barack, do it soon. This one can be a real problem.