There’s some politicking going on in Bill Kristol’s interpretation of Obama’s controversial remarks in San Francisco:
What does this mean for Obama’s presidential prospects? He’s disdainful of small-town America — one might say, of bourgeois America. He’s usually good at disguising this. But in San Francisco the mask slipped. And it’s not so easy to get elected by a citizenry you patronize.
That it never occurs to Kristol, or Hillary for that matter, that Obama’s remarks were not intended as condescension but instead as exploration and explanation I find unbelievable. I also find it unbelievable that in quiet company Kristol (and again, Hillary, who is attacking Obama for the remarks in the exact same manner as Kristol) would not agree that economic depression nearly always causes a swing towards jingoistic sentiments, religion and a distrust of the government. That’s one of those “well, fucking duh” things one learns in their first year of social studies.
Obama has said the same thing, in a much better way, in the past. Once you’ve seen this video, it’s obvious what Obama meant. So obvious in fact, I find it dishonest that anyone would imply he meant differently. It’s a cheap political game. Take someone’s remark, ignore the intended meaning, focus on the exact wording, and score some dishonest points.
Anyone advancing this “disrespectful” party-line is either a massive idiot, or a dishonest politician.