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Among the Snakehandlers

The American Jesus, keeping watch on the Rio Grande*  

Obama, back from the hinterlands, reports on the aboriginals. Updated: 

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 gonna 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

There’s always the possibility that these backward hicks like their guns and their religion, and don’t like strangers, regardless of who is or was in Washington. But he’s the anthropologist who did the field work, so we’ll have to take his word for what’s going on in deepest, darkest Pennsylvania. 

It’s pretty rough stuff. Here’s the sugar-coated Mr. Rogers version, compliments of the Huffington Post. Mayhill Fowler takes us on a charming ramble far from her California home, then addresses the regretable condescension:

Obama made a problematic judgment call in trying to explain working class culture to a much wealthier audience. He described blue collar Pennsylvanians with a series of what in the eyes of creamy Californians might be considered pure negatives: guns, clinging to religion, antipathy, xenophobia.

I’m not sure this is what at least this lot of Californians needed to hear about Pennsylvanians. Such phrases can reinforce negative stereotypes among Californians, who are a people in a state already surfeited with a smug sense of superiority and, as an ironic consequence, a parochialism and insularity at odds with the innovation, prosperity and openness for which California is rightly known.

She wants creamy, surfeited Californians to understand the hardscrabble, backward Pennsylvanians are poor as dirt and hung up on the past. At least, I think that’s what she was trying to avoid saying. She goes on to report that Obama plans to invite everyone to a big table to celebrate their differences.  

“I’ll have the biggest chair, because I’ll be President,” he added.

One of the roles of host is making introductions. Just as Californians need to learn a few things from Pennsylvanians, the reverse is also true. California is the, most racially tolerant and ethnicity-tolerant state in the Union. California has found a way to bring strict environmental standards to prosperity’s table. Californians celebrate entrepreneurship, open-mindedness and creativity.

While celebrating their differences, perhaps the West Coast sophisticates can teach the Appalachian throwbacks not to be such simple-minded beercan-tossing bigots. At least I think that’s what she’s trying not to say. 

Maguire, Just One Minute: Obama unleashes his inner Michelle. Sounds like there’s some inner Jeremiah in there, as well. You know, the pastor at that church where Obama’s been clinging to religion all these years.

Malkin does some fieldwork of her own among said rustics … and does a driveby in SF.

Embedded even deeper in the back of beyond in West By God Virginia, Surber remarks charitably, “It’s sort of the po’ white trash version of they-sell-drugs-in-the-ghetto-because-the-only-job-is-at-McDonald’s excuse.”

Hinderaker at Powerline: “Is Obama’s campaign over? … I don’t see how anyone known to have uttered these words can be elected president.” Two words, John: Double standard. If that’s not clear enough, here are three: Affirmative action candidacy. Anyone have a better explanation for how someone who spent 20 years in a church echoing with the words “God Damn America” would still be in the race? For the extended play version of the free pass, see HuffPo link. 

Reynolds’ roundup cruelly suggests a Harvard Law propensity to think you’re the smartest person in the room, and pitfalls of same.

Ed at Hotair, even more cruelly, suggests: This is why rookies shouldn’t run for president. Yeah. Pathological liars and their pathologically lying co-candidates, too.

Noted political anthropologist Steyn explains the cultural differences between Kerry’s consumerist snobbery and Obama’s profoundly disconnected condescension.

Hero of Tuzla is down with Snakehandler-Americans.

Obama, who didn’t get the big deal over his spiritual advisor’s bigotry, doesn’t get the big deal over his bigotry, either.It’s a “little typical sort of political flare up.” via NYT:   

“So I said, well, you know when you’re bitter, you turn to what you can count on,” he added. “So people, they vote about guns, or they take comfort from their faith and their family and their community.”

Either that or, you like guns, you go to church, and you don’t much like wiseass Ivy League strangers or ones that didn’t quite bother to learn English or get their papers stamped.  And you’d pretty much feel that way whether the mill was open or not.

Not exactly related, but not very different: Barcepundit digs up some snide remarks regarding one of the great backwoods goobers of American history.

* You know, the real Jesus. Thanks Director Blue, who spotted that fine painting in a little aboriginal church in Pennsylvania.

Welcome, Instapundit, Hotair, Surberistas, etal. Always good to see you, come on in. We’re playing Tactical Jenga and Saddam Drop. Guess who else is observing this week’s anniversary, not least with apologies to the “beloved, brave American soldier.” We’re also arguing ponderous matters of law, specifically the Godiva Precedent. Finally, a broadcast network you can trust … to make you laugh your ass off.

Topics: pols

  Posted by Jules Crittenden at 8:44 pm on Friday, April 11, 2008

21 Responses to “Among the Snakehandlers”

1. tanstaafl Says:
   April 11th, 2008 at 9:24 pm

   Pennsylvanians should be thrilled to be explained by one condescending prick to a collection of other condescending pricks at a mansion in San Francisco.

2. CaptAmerica Says:
   April 12th, 2008 at 1:29 am

   Jumping jellybeans! I sure hope Mr. Obama does not divulge his expert findings about us unwashed souls in Minnesota. We live on frozen tundra half the year.

3. Vanguard of the Commentariat Says:
   April 12th, 2008 at 8:06 am

   As a son of Pennsylvania I am officially outraged. Perhaps Barry Oh! should take up a history book (if he can find one that talks about someone besides Harriet Tubman), and read about what a whole bunch of Pennsylvanians (and Minnesotans too, CaptA)
   did for “people of color” about 145 years ago. He ought to be in some of those little lily white working towns on his knees thanking the descendants of the people who fought and died to make him free. And there was no charge for that Barry.

   Oh and then he ought to go home and study up, get a real job and come back and run for President when he frikkin grows up.

4. Hot Air » Blog Archive » This is why rookies shouldn’t run for President Says:
   April 12th, 2008 at 9:50 am

   [...] Jules Crittenden has a great round-up as [...]

5. Stop The ACLU Says:
   April 12th, 2008 at 10:07 am

   SnOb-ama on Small Town Voters: Bitter, Xenophopic, Religious, Anti-Immigration,

   Update: Obama tries to change the subject…McCain says no dice.

   Bitter1-tmby luvnews

   “Instead of apologizing to small town Americans for dismissing their values, Barack Obama arrogantly tried to spin his way out of his outrageous San Francisco…

6. tanstaafl Says:
   April 12th, 2008 at 10:12 am

   Psstt, you want pictures ?

   Obama Visits Billionaires Row

7. griefer Says:
   April 12th, 2008 at 10:32 am

   It is the Jesusland slur!

   Do you read scifi, Jules?

8. Don Surber » Blog Archive » The week that was Says:
   April 12th, 2008 at 10:59 am

   [...] Jules Crittenden joked that Obama’s treastise on small towns is life among the snakehandlers. Well, we do have a few of those in West Virginia [...]

9. Clinton’s smug mug & other superior beings | The Anchoress Says:
   April 12th, 2008 at 11:55 am

   [...] of course, they will tell us hapless rubes - if we can be persuaded to look up from quoting our bitter bibles and polishing our resentful gun racks - that what we heard ain’t what we heard at all. Instapundit is giving major linkage to the [...]

10. leslein Says:
    April 12th, 2008 at 11:57 am

    “California is the, most racially tolerant and ethnicity-tolerant state in the Union.”

    Tell that to the Korean store owners in south central LA.

11. MagicalPat Says:
    April 12th, 2008 at 12:33 pm

    leslein…

    You are soooo right. After living through the L.A. riots, the Reginald Denny beating, the nearly unconstitutional retrial of the policemen involved with Rodney King and the dismissal based on race of O.J., I have found California to be anything but tolerant.

12. Former Belgian Says:
    April 12th, 2008 at 1:36 pm

    Stop the ACLU said: “SnObama”

    Heh.

13. RebeccaH Says:
    April 12th, 2008 at 3:26 pm

    In my little southwest Ohio town, we have a mixed race family living down the street, an Asian family in the new housing addition a few streets away, any number of mixed race children, and even though the town is 98% white, we had a black mayor for a time. As far as I know, no one has burned a cross on any of their lawns.

    Small towns are xenophobic? How does Obama the Great know this? He’s spent his entire life in large cities and exotic locales. Does he even know any small town people, of any color or ethnicity?

    Everything I read about this man merely confirms that my original decision not to vote for him was the correct one.

14. Davis Says:
    April 12th, 2008 at 4:37 pm

    I, too, am befuddled about California being the most racially tolerant of states. So the near open warfare between blacks and Hispanics is now a sign of tolerance?
    Us small town types have real integration. We work together and, unlike the universities, we sit down together for lunch. Our schools are really integrated, we are too small for the kids being sent to different schools because of neighborhoods segregation, al la Chicago.
    I don’t get to the big cities often, by choice. When I do I get strange looks for greeting strangers of other ethnic groups. Down here we tip our hats to the ladies, color does not enter in to it. Not so in the tolerant cities.

15. sdillard Says:
    April 12th, 2008 at 5:22 pm

    California is a big place. I was born in Fresno, in the San Joaquin Valley. My spouse is from Bakersfield. You will find the Valley folks friendly and kind. You will also find towns and small cities full of big Catholic churces, enourmous mega-churches, mosques, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Lao and Thai temples, Hindu temples and everything else. Most folks get along. I am 57 and when I was growing up my two best friends were the kids of Armenian and Japanese families. We never gave it a thought.

    Today I work in San Francisco and live across the Bay. I would wager that the liberals in SF and Berkeley are the most bigoted, prejudiced, hateful people around. And it’s all directed at white people who are not liberals. And the white liberals seem to spend most of their time apologizing for being white.

    I refuse to deal with any of it.

    And I won’t forget what Obama said. He has insulted my entire family.

16. pst314 Says:
    April 12th, 2008 at 5:39 pm

    “And it’s all directed at white people who are not liberals.”

    Well, not all of it: They also hate blacks who have the “wrong” opinions. (And the language they use when excoriating said heretics reminds me of an entry in Ambrose Bierce’s caustically cynical “The Devil’s Dictionary” in which “negro” is defined as “a n*gg*r who votes our way”.)

17. pst314 Says:
    April 12th, 2008 at 5:53 pm

    “Californians, who are a people in a state already surfeited with a smug sense of superiority and, as an ironic consequence, a parochialism and insularity at odds with the innovation, prosperity and openness for which California is rightly known.”

    That’s hilariously typical of the California liberal: self-contradictory and self-parodic at the same time. Does Ms. Fowler not understand that you cannot be “parochial and insular and smug” and at the same time be “rightly known” for “openness”?

18. tanstaafl Says:
    April 12th, 2008 at 6:49 pm

    The point is well taken, that wealthy Bay area residents were buying potential “access” in all the do’s last Sunday that Barack attended in the SF region, ranging in price from a bare bones $1000/head to $2300/head at the Getty mansion.

    Shades of William Jefferson Clinton selling access to himself & to the White House.

    The remarks about the openness of Californians were strictly flattery, as Barry flatters whatever group he’s talking to.

    I can’t imagine paying that kind of money to hear those kind of words. Those SF liberals must be insane. And they do get a little testy, BTW, when their beloved “homeless” defecate in their expensive front yards or when any form of reality intrudes on their highly evolved “liberal” worldview.

19. mojo Says:
    April 14th, 2008 at 4:21 pm

    “I’ll have the biggest chair, because I’ll be President,” he added.

    BZZZZT!

    Oh, sorry, Barry, but that answer is INCORRECT!

    But thanks for playing.

20. Jules Crittenden » Elitist, Pointy-Headed Type Says:
    May 2nd, 2008 at 9:20 pm

    [...] charm and an accident of his birth. And not a single voter has had the opportunity to address these words to a group of la-di-da San Francisco progressives: You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania [...]

21. Jules Crittenden » Bigotry Alert Says:
    May 10th, 2008 at 3:31 pm

    [...] would have more guns that teeth even if he has all his teeth. Then again, how hard could that be among the snake handlers? The president of the ”West Virginia Coon Hunters Association” is in there, too. [...]

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