Barack Obama’s comments at the end of last week epitomize, in a large way, the difference between the conservative mindset and that the liberal movement. In case you missed his behind-closed-doors observation, in speaking about blue collar, rural voters

“It’s not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

So far, Obama has said “I didn’t say it as well as I should have” and that he “regrets his choice of words”. Nowhere has he said he didn’t mean it. In fact, we now get to see how important he feels religion actually is. It is the “opiate of the masses”. How fitting. I’m sure Michelle is proud. It’s the social gospel - just ask Reverend Wright.

This is among the most offensive attack he could have lodged against nearly half the country. He can kiss Pennsylvania goodbye (Hillary’s ad on the quote was superb, by the way), and if he doesn’t completely self destruct, has seriously wounded himself for the general in Ohio and Michigan, states any Democrat has to win. His opinion is that rural working voters are simpletons who cannot be blamed for holding dear to silly, unimportant things, like Christianity and constitutional rights. And, of course, they are largely bigots, too, merely “acting out” their frustration in all these ways. Contrary to Obama’s head shake inducing assertions otherwise, this is no spin. No one had to spin it. The first rule of interpretation, as the former editor of the Harvard Law Review knows, is to give words their plain meaning. Off-the-cuff is how we learn who people really are. Off-the-cuff in a presupposed private setting is really how we learn who people are.

Too, remember that Obama is brilliant, and eloquent. He chooses his words with great care. His cadence demands it. All he has said is that he is sorry he said it, not that he doesn’t believe it. Some of his biggest donors heard it, and wrote thousands of dollars in checks to his campaign. If they cared, Obama would have prudently clarified his remarks at the time. He did not. The people who support Obama’s candidacy believe this just as much as he does. They are dangerous to this country.

Deep in Obama’s “slip” is the core truth that he believes the federal government should be taking care of everyone. No problem is too small, and no perceived slight is too irrational, for the federal government to insert itself into. He is the new and improved 2008 model of the McGovern / Mondale political tradition. The government is the provider of happiness. The bureaucracy is the clergy and he, Obama, in his narcissistic glory, is the messianic figure. You’re not allowed to cling to anything else.