By now, probably almost everyone who follows politics has heard about Senator Obama’s statement at a California fundraiser that the small-town folks who aren’t eagerly jumping on his bandwagon are just bitter, deluded people who “cling” to false beliefs such as a belief that their Second Amendment rights are jeopardized by politicians like him when in fact their real troubles could be solved by embracing the socialistic economic policies he advocates. Among other columnists, George Will has an excellent take on this here.
Obama made his remarks before a fawning audience of already-wealthy leftists who see nothing to lose with his increasing government intervention in the economy. Maybe he was just telling them what he figured they’d like to hear. I suspect that we got a look at the real Obama, though. He’s utterly certain that more government economic control would be beneficial to all people. (Of course, so is Hillary, and I’m afraid that I don’t see McCain denouncing government economic meddling.) He believes that the power of the government, used properly by well-meaning people like himself, can greatly improve upon bad old laissez-faire.
I don’t think Obama will ever again make that point, but if he did, it would be delightful if someone in the audience would interrupt and say, “I’m not bitter. I think the right of an individual to own firearms is important and fear that your crowd will restrict that right. Furthermore, I see free-market capitalism as the key to an improving future for myself, not the hidebound welfare-statism that you are preaching. I’d rather live in a society where I’m free to succeed or fail on my own efforts without governmental help or hindrance and where I can buy a gun if I want to, than in a society where I have to rely on politics for both my sustenance and protection.”
