Yesterday, President Obama returned to Elkhart, IN, a city that was in economic distress when he visited it shortly after becoming President. In a speech on the economy and politics that should be a template for any Democrat running for office this fall, the President reminded folks of the significant progress that's been made in the last 7 years, despite nihilist Republican obstruction (Elkhart's unemployment rate going from nearly 20 percent in 2008 to around 4 percent today, for example). He also touted other successes, did some "myth- busting," and provided an agenda for the middle class (including expanding Social Security benefits) that contrasted with a Republican "agenda" that "is not designed to help you" and whose "answers to our challenges are no answers at all."
At the core of his speech was his puncturing of the lies Republicans have been telling to engender hate, fear and xenophobia in the population. Here's a small snip, but read the entire speech here and get your spirits lifted:
So, look, here’s my main point: The primary story that Republicans have been telling about the economy is not supported by the facts. It’s just not. They repeat it a lot -- (laughter) -- but it’s not supported by the facts. But they say it anyway. Now, why is that? It’s because it has worked to get them votes, at least at the congressional level.If you want to begin to counter the phenomenon of the "low- information voter," you've got to relentlessly push back on the hourly, daily deluge of lies and distortions being pumped out by the right- wing noise machine. Democrats have generally done a very poor job of that, in our opinion. They need to do much, much better because, as the President demonstrated in Elkhart, they have a strong, positive case to be made that fortunately relies on facts.
Because -- and here, look, I’m just being blunt with you -- by telling hardworking, middle-class families that the reason they’re getting squeezed is because of some moochers at the bottom of the income ladder, because of minorities, or because of immigrants, or because of public employees, or because of feminists -- (laughter) -- because of poor folks who aren’t willing to work, they’ve been able to promote policies that protect powerful special interests and those who are at the very top of the economic pyramid. That’s just the truth. (Applause.)
I hope you don’t mind me being blunt about this, but I’ve been listening to this stuff for a while now. (Laughter.) And I’m concerned when I watch the direction of our politics. I mean, we have been hearing this story for decades. Tales about welfare queens, talking about takers, talking about the “47 percent.” It’s the story that is broadcast every day on some cable news stations, on right-wing radio, it’s pumped into cars, and bars, and VFW halls all across America, and right here in Elkhart.
And if you’re hearing that story all the time, you start believing it. It’s no wonder people think big government is the problem. No wonder public support for unions is so low. (Applause.) No wonder that people think that the deficit has gone up under my presidency when it’s actually gone down. (Applause.) No wonder that -- they did a survey, a lot of white Americans think reverse discrimination is as big a problem as discrimination against minorities, even though black unemployment is twice as high as white unemployment. And the typical Hispanic woman makes 55 cents for every dollar a white man earns, and there are only a handful of women running Fortune 500 companies.
He's going to be a welcome, powerful voice this election season.
(Photo: President Obama in Elkhart, IN - Reuters photo)
