Stupid reasons not to vote for political candidates #15: Confused rhetoric?

[orichalcum]

Clinton surrogate and Machinists union President Tom Buffenbarger: "Give me a break! I've got news for all the latte-drinking, Prius- driving, Birkenstock-wearing, trust fund babies crowding in to hear him speak! This guy won't last a round against the Republican attack machine. He's a poet, not a fighter."

Obama supporters...are all lesbians? My stereotypes are getting all confused. Oh, wait, maybe lesbians drive Volvos, and Obama supporters drive Priuses (because of their trust funds, presumably)?
That must be the crucial difference. Also, less sushi. (I hear the sushi in Iowa is terrible.)

The same man also made a comparison between "the editor of the Harvard Law Review or a fighter for working families" and called him "a trained thespian" and "silver-tongued." So maybe, um...Obama is a rich gay guy and Clinton is a straight working-class woman? Is that the message here?

Comments

[contrariety.livejournal.com]

I would disagree. Like I say, I think the "rich ex-hippie boomers and their trust-fund yuppie children" is a very easy label to pin on Obama supporters; The "wine-track candidate" label is one he's had since the beginning, and that's what this is evoking. Yeah, for obvious reasons he pulls a lot of the black vote as well, but that hasn't really been the defining story of his campaign and its appeal.

Whether the image will significantly hurt him is another matter; it hasn't so far, so it probably won't this time either. But I don't think that's because of dissonance.

Re: boomers & Clinton: yes, but her boomers are the poor boomers, by and large, not the Prius-drivers and latte-drinkers.

[julianyap.livejournal.com]

There's definitely a strong criticism/fear that Obama is the candidate of the rich/over-educated, ultra-liberal wing of the party, which is not entirely inaccurate given the voting demographics (the black community aside) in the earlier races, and for that matter, the lot of us.

That said, I think this is an increasingly inaccurate criticism given Obama's more recent performances, especially in Wisconsin, where he picked up votes among the working class.

Of course, how he'll deal with the Republican attack machine is anyone's guess. One of the major concerns many people had about an Obamam candidacy (and one I share) is his lack of time in front of the klieg-lights. But we'll see how it goes.

[orichalcum.livejournal.com]

He only got the wine-track label after NH, and it's unclear that it is not more true that Clinton is limited to "beer-track" candidates.

I suspect the label will also be less effective after the endorsement of the Teamsters today. Nothing says Birkenstocks like cement overshoes?