Much has been made over the last few days about the comments that Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) made to a group of über-wealthy fundraisers in San Francisco. Much of the focus of ire (from both the right side of the political spectrum and Senator Clinton supporters) revolves around the idea that Senator Obama believes that people “cling to guns and religion” when times are bad (See link here for text and mp3). Much has also been discussed about Senator Obama’s dismissal of the voters in rural Pennsylvania as racist (See link here for text and video). As I stated in the title, I’m feeling a little generous today. I’m willing to give Obama a pass. I’m willing to believe that he was simply misunderstood and taken out of context as he and his supporters are now claiming.
In attempting to spin his way out of that political gaffe, Obama had this slightly more polished way to say things [H/T Dan McLaughlin at RedState]:
I said, well look, they’re frustrated. And for good reason because for the last twenty-five years they have seen jobs shipped overseas. They have seen their economies collapse. They have lost their jobs. They have lost their pensions. They have lost their health care. And for twenty-five, thirty years, Democrats and Republicans have come before them and said “We’re going to make your community better. We’re going to make it right.”. And nothing ever happens. And of course they’re bitter. Of course they’re frustrated. You would be too. In fact, many of you are, because the same thing has happened here in Indiana. The same thing happened across the border in Decatur. The same thing has happened across the country. Nobody is looking out for you. Nobody is thinking about you. [Emphasis mine]
This is where Senator Obama is correct. He is correct that for the last twenty-five plus years, both Republicans and Democrats have been promising that they know how to fix things. Senators, Congressmen, Presidents, Mayors, Governors, et al have been promising the farm to voters. Without fail, they have all failed to fulfill their promises.
It is Obama’s solutions to this problem where he goes drastically awry. Senator Obama’s response to the problem is the classic idea that it was the wrong people trying to promise the changes. Senator Obama has bought into what his followers have been saying about him. He has come to believe that he is on a Messianic mission to save the people using government as the tool. He believes that he can deliver “Change” .
Senator Obama classically misses the point. We all inherently mistrust government. It is my gut feeling that both liberal and conservative alike do not trust the government. On both sides of the political aisle, cries can be heard that the government is intruding on our lives. On both sides of the political aisle, people are tired of having their “rights” infringed (Just which rights each sees as being trampled are completely different). This is what Senator Obama, and other liberals miss. When conservatism is explained properly, that is keeping government out of our lives, we can and should find a lot more common ground with all but the most liberal among us.
Senator Obama has the right question. How do we improve peoples’ lives when so many before have failed? The answer is less government. As Ronald Reagan once said, “Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.”
Cross posted at RedState.
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