As someone who grew up in the midwest and has lived on both coasts post-9/11, the guns and religion and general bigotry statements ring true NATIONWIDE. It is NOT a statement to disinfranchise the "hick" voters of the midwest. The entire country has been on a downward spiral for the last 6 years, heading for economic and social collapse, and all people can do is mince words on who Obama may have offended when he was telling the truth. Wake up people. When friends of mine who are educated (BS / BA / MA / MS) are unable to find work for over 5 months (myself included) despite having experience and the required piece of paper, something is wrong. People who see Hillary for the spindoctor she and her staff are will know to vote for Obama because he is straight with people like this and actually has the potential to turn the country around.
Besides, what is the problem with having a president who IS smart and possibly elitist? It'd be a nice change for once after 8 years of cowboys.

Jen, San Francisco, CA

I think American people should go for a fresh start (Obama), they had a Bush followed by a Clinton followed by a Bush. The question is will it be a good thing to have another Clinton?????

Ben , London, UK

America is finished story book. Give me a new book please.

Uma Shankar, UK,

When I look at the last few days and the firestorm over Barack Obama's comments the choice for President is crystal clear.
1. A person that attempts to communcate and thinks about the possible root causes of our problems. Barack Obama
2. A person who lies and twists the truth to their advantage regardless of the larger consequences of their actions. Hillary Clinton
3. A person who will jump on the bandwagon to their advantage and stubbornly cling to their interpretation of the facts, like their interpretations are the real truth of a situation over and above what anyone else says or thinks. John McCain

As American's we have only one candidate that represents a new possibility for our rapidly decaying democracy. May everyone get their heads out of their backsides and choose wisely. Obama '08

Sharon, Charleston, SC, USA

Your Al Gore story "Look for the Union Label" is widely discredited. There are documented references to this being an often repeated joke of Gore's. I refer you in particular to a New York Daily News article which quotes Evy Dubrow, a Democratic National Convention delegate and former bay-sitter of the infant Gore, talking about this joke six weeks before the "incident" you refer to. Tape of the Teamsters' meeting Gore was speaking to also shows them laughing.
You might wonder why I am bothered by this; it annoys me that this sort of laziness allows mischievous disinformation to be perpetuated. It really is not good enough for a newspaper of record to the the work of political propogandists for them.
Please will you check your stories, or next you will be saying that Al Gore claimed to have invented the internet!

James K Hamilton, London, UK

Gerald, you might be anti-gun too if you lived in the inner city. Guns have their place. No one should be "anti-gun" or "pro-gun". The issue is much more complicated than that. We've got to get the guns out of these kids hands while still allowing you to hunt. So, of course obama is not anti-gun. He taught constitutional law. He just believes we have to be careful how we interpret our right to bear arms so that innocent people aren't killed in the name of upholding the 2nd amendment to the constitution. I'm sure we can find balance if we try. As far as all of the other comments, it's obvious that you don't support him, but you like Clinton, have also chosen to misrepresent him in hopes of persuading others to move in another direction. I would encourage people reading this blog to do their own research about the man and not rely on the inaccurate information being disseminated in many blogs.

Rhonda, Durham,

For Clinton to try to make political capital out of an honest if inelegant remark by Senator Obama,points to a desperation on the Clinton machinery to stop at nothing to be aboard Airforce One ! The tragedy of this strategy is it is bound to hurt the party,come election time! It is opening angles of attack not only on Obama but on the party in to-to and Clinton will rue her misjudged pontification as Mc Caine boards the Air Force One en route to a new military adventure!

Tumi Moema, Johannesburg, South Africa

It seems we're missing the race element in these remarks. If you look carefully at the quote there is no doubt that Obama IS equating clinging to faith or owning a gun or being anti-trade with bigoted things such as "antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment". My impression is that Obama was talking in code for blue-collar whites in the same way that white politicians are said to 'dog whistle' on race time and time again. (Go do the demographics and see which racial profile best fits someone who is from small-town Pennsylvania or the Midwest, is of faith or owns a gun, or is anti- trade or doesn't like immigrants/people who are different to them. If this is true, then how are Clinton and McCain misrepresenting him for being elitist? If anything, they should be calling him for dog whistling on race to his San Francisco fund-raisers.

Adam Tebble, Cartagena, Colombia

If the same statement had been given by Clinton or McCain it
would be accepted as a wise statement by Vested Interests.
But Obama is slammed because his truth has a lining of the color. The reality is that the White Supremicists are not ready to
accept a colored person to live as a tenent at the WhiteHouse.

Khalid Rahim, Scarborough, Canada

Pretty accurate statement I'd say. Plenty of despair brought on by years of Clinton / Bush type rule.

Phil, Hong Kong,

Now American's are beginning to see the true personality of Barack Obama. He has hidden behind the slogan "Change you can believe in" which stirs many Americans to follow him, but he has not revealed his stance on the issues. This is but a small glimpse of what he stands for. Just let Obama continue to speak. If we can see where he stands on other issues hIs campaign will self destruct just as Howard Dean's did years ago.

The Jeremiah Wright issue has not been put to rest either as he rears his head and comes out of hiding and as he continues to open his mouth and that begins to unfold the demise of Senator Obama is at hand. HIllary should stay in this race regardless because in the end Democrats need a candidate they can believe in and can be elected. She should make her slogan.... "A Candidate You Can Believe In"

Mel, Garland, Texas

It makes me laugh - we are always saying that we want our politicians to speak to us straight about the reality of situations.
...when they do we denigrate them. Stop being so hypocritical!
Obama called it how it is...whether people like it or not there is bigotry and people do hide behind religion and guns etc. If he is condemned for saying it the shame should be on the condemners rather than Obama

Vernon Butcher, BASINGSTOKE, England

Its NOT Legal IMMIGRANTS! Its illegal MIGRANTS that everyone is upset about! Like other Democrats, either Obama doesn't "Get It" or else he is deliberately misleading us.
Obama is obviously anti gun but he wants us to think otherwise. Isn't that called bamboozling?

Gerald, Moulton, Alabama

This kind of remark will definitely hurt him in Ohio and Pennsylvania. These two states must be carried solidly by one or the other if the Democrats want the White House.

John Pittaway, Tustin, California USA

Like Obama, a lot of you guys don't get it: Americans "cling to" their RIGHTS, which include religious freedom and the right to bear arms. It has nothing to do with being bitter. Obama, I'm beginning to suspect, "clings to" a kind of liberal elitism, which is regrettable.

Gail, Washington, DC,

Obama did not actually say they were bad people just that they attribute their poverty/troubles to immigrants etc.

In the UK we have exactly the same thing and is the reason that the BNP is now becoming a main stream party.

Lets face it if we don't get that promotion or lose our jobs we will always want to blame someone else. Not my fault govenor it was a damp Monday and the dog ate my mobile.

What a wonderful world we live in sometimes.

joe, Edinburgh, Scotland

Mr Obama may well be right Mr O'Sullivan, but the game is politics;the rules state you should not denigrate those whom you would wish to have vote for you,or irritate them into voting for your opponent.

robert everitt, wolverhampton,

The truth hurts. This is something obvious to the rest of the world but impossible for a American to admit hence the trouble he's in.

Dean, Southampton, England

Whether or not he's right, Obama has shown a remarkable lack of leadereship here.

Ian Jones, Reading, UK

For a Country who had Colombine Masacre, and endless murders, and serial Killers, and School Yard Shoot outs. I am surprised at Hillary Clinton. Obama is right in times of dispair people losing Jobs, their homes, one thing will go up is succides, and guns always comes in handy for that. The trouble with Politics, it is full of liers fraudsters, tricksters, people who twist the truth for their own political end. Hillary is not fit for leadership if she cant win against McCain Obama will not win either that is her stance she does not care if she damages the party and her self in the process. I think for the first time in History, Politicans are being exposed world wide as criminal liers people that can not be trusted, lies to start wars, lies to hold on to power, lies to win votes, once they are elected you never hear a word about their false promises, Italy many have decided not to vote for that reason in this 2008 elections. Obama was absolutely right, no one is glad to lose their jobs

Daphne Kenward, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Well - couldn't Obama be right ?

Peter Vernunft, Berlin, Germany

So Obama is in trouble for speaking the truth?

Mark, Zurich, Switzerland

Funny that Obama's comments are turning into a firestorm, when in actual fact he's absolutely right.

Sam, London,

Sentence by sentence it is difficult to disagree with what Obama has said. This is a clear case of hyperbolic manipulation by the Clinton campaign who are willingly getting into bed with the Republican attack machine. The latter are desperate to both protract the battle for the Democratic nomination and to ensure that Clinton eventually gets it, as they know that her presence will galvanise their base. It is obvious to anyone with a brain that she has less in common with struggle and with blue-collar workers than Obama, and that a former board member of Wal-mart is ill-qualified to castigate him on their rights. It will be lamentable, and an ironic indictment of the gullibility and lack of political intelligence of these very voters, if this nonsense succeeds. Sadly, I think it will.

Keith M C O'Sullivan, Canterbury, UK

A truly deadlocked convention might be an opening for Al Gore.

James Lachowsky, Swindon, Wiltshire

Rush Limbaugh continues to urge his listeners to vote Hillary in what he calls "operation chaos". Fully 9% of Rush Repugs voted Democrat in Texas and Ohio to keep the unelectable Hillary in the race.
It is with great irony that this very divisive Washington establishment woman who earns $12,000,000.00 a year (not counting offshore accounts) refers to her opponent as "elitist'". Hillary is clearly out of touch.

Rodger, Redwood City, Ca

Fact is, there are enough killer quotes for Obama and Mrs. Clinton to defeat them both... when Hillary talked out of both sides of her mouth supporting the now discredited Governor of New York, that was priceless.

David Chorley, Tulsa , Oklahoma USA

The republicans are most afraid of Obama and will make comments promoting Hillarys nomination.

Larry Slater, edgartown, marthas vineyard