More Montana Democrats throw Obama under the bus

In a Big Sky Cairn post, we recently pointed out that the governor was pretty anxious to throw his party's presumptive Presidential nominee under the bus.

To mix metaphors, the wheels are at the moment coming off Sen. Obama's own bus, thanks to his comments about bitter rural voters in Pennsylvania clinging to guns and religion because of hard economic times.

Now, folks from fly-over land do disproportionately cling to guns and religion -- the thing is, those of us who own more than our share of Bibles and rifles do so whether the economy is in a boom or a bust.

Obama's comment is hardly a surprise. If you are from a conservative rural background, just go off to the big city, add a few letters behind your name, make a little stack of money, learn to talk all polite-like and correct, and accept invitations to gatherings where the smart Democratic set mingles.

You'll hear that sort of thing, and more. Now, maybe we're just being a wee bit cynical, but we would imagine that perhaps... just maybe... derogatory things about gun-loving, Bible-toting hicks have been said by Sen. Clinton a time or two. Naw -- what are we thinking? She's one of us, now.

As part of burnishing her new NASCAR-mom image, Sen. Clinton's website features a press release from some Montana Democrats hastening to distance themselves from Obama. Led by former U.S. Rep. Pat Williams and Senate Maj. leader Carol Williams, this group of Clinton supporters had this to say:

We wish to express our sincere disappointment with comments made by Sen. Barack Obama at a private San Francisco fundraiser last week - comments which demean the heritage and values of working Montanans.


And even more cutting was this:

After seven years of a president who refused to talk to us, the last thing we need is a presidential candidate who talks down to us.

Well, one thing we won't need to worry about is Sen. Clinton talking down to us. What a relief! And then there's this, just in case someone might confuse them with ignorant gun-loving religion-tolerating people (i.e. Republicans.) --

We are intelligent, optimistic people who believe in a better America.

Of course, unless the superdelegates (like, say, Pat Williams) give the nomination to Clinton in spite of Obama's insurmountable lead in delegates and votes, these intelligent, optimistic people are trashing their own future nominee. In doing so, though, they are just following their governor's lead.

Sen. Clinton may be gleeful, but she should note that these Democrats criticized Sen. Obama, but did so without mentioning her own name. This would seem to indicate that they, like the governor, believe that neither Democrat has a shot at winning Montana, and that their choice would seem to be over whom they more want to distance themselves from in the fall.


Addendum: More Montana Headlines commentary on Big Sky Cairn: George Will and Liberal Condescension.