This Guy Is a Kaus on Fire, and He Doesn’t Even Get to the ‘Bitter’ Part

Penetrating instant analysis from Mickey Kaus aka the Mickster (HT Instapundit), about the “Cling Along with Hicks” statement of the presidential candidate I refer to as Mr. BOOHOO-OUCH (Barack O-bomba Overseas Hussein “Obambi” Obama – Objectively Unfit Coddler of Haters; bold is mine):

There would seem to be four distinct, major problems with Obama’s “cling” gaffe.

1. It lumps together things Obama wants us to think he thinks are good (religion) with things he undoubtedly thinks are bad (racism, anti-immigrant sentiment). I suppose it’s logically possible to say ‘these Pennsylvania voters are so bitter and frustrated that they cling to both good things and bad things,.” but the implication is that these are all things he thinks are unfortunate and need explaining (because, his context suggests, they prevent voters from doing the right thing and voting for … him). …..
2. Even if Obama wasn’t equating anything on his list with anything else, he did openly accuse Pennsylvanians of being racists (”antipathy to people who aren’t like them”).
3. He’s contradicted his own positions–at least on trade and (says Instapundit) guns. Isn’t Obama the one trying to tar Hillary as a supporter of NAFTA? Is that just ‘boob bait.’? (The trade point was also made by TIB All-Star and Weapons of Mass Discussion blogger Mark during Saturday’s show. — Ed.)
4. Yes, he’s condescending. It’s not just that in explaining everyone to everyone Obama winds up patronizing everyone. He doesn’t patronize everyone equally. Specifically, he regards the views of these Pennsylvanians as ….. byproducts of economic stagnation–in a way he doesn’t regard, say, his own views ….. Once the Pennsylvanians get some jobs back, they’ll change and become as enlightened as Obama the San Franciscans to whom he was talking. That’s the clear logic of his argument. Superiority of this sort–not crediting the authenticity and standing of your subject’s views–is a violation of social equality, which is a more important value for Americans than money equality. Liberals tend to lose elections when they forget that.

Please note that Obama’s characterization of Pennsylvanians as “bitter” doesn’t even make the top four.

I’d make one correction to what the Mickster said: Liberals lose elections when they inadvertently fail to keep their strongly-held belief in their own superiority covered up.

Kaus’s Point 2 is crucial, and arguably traces its lineage to the poison of Obama’s pastor and mentor of 20 years, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright of the Trinity United Church of Christ.

As Bill Kristol wrote yesterday, “the mask slipped.”

Better now than in December.

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UPDATE: Michelle Malkin links to appropriately designed Snob Gear.