Superdelegates: Obama’s ‘bitter’ comments not much of a liability

Superdelegates from states voting next in the Democratic primary say that Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) controversial comments on guns and religion will not cause much damage to his political standing despite an intensifying assault from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Republicans.

“I don’t sense a lot of frustration,” said Rep. Baron Hill, an uncommitted Democrat who represents a rural district in Indiana, which will hold its primary on May 6.

{mosads}“People say, ‘What’s the big deal? Where’s the beef?’ ” said Hill, who added that the strongest reaction has come from members of the press. “Rank-and-file people aren’t that hyped up about it.”

Other uncommitted delegates held back from criticizing Obama’s comments, which have spurred attacks from Clinton and Republican political operatives. The muted responses raise questions over whether Clinton’s attacks will prove effective.

Obama told guests at a private event in San Francisco that he was having  trouble attracting support in rural Pennsylvania because people living there had become “bitter” over their economic circumstances and as a result “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.”

A guest reported the comments on a liberal blog, and the Clinton camp seized upon them. Obama has since said he phrased his comments poorly.  

Clinton is now trying to capitalize on the flap with a television advertisement in Pennsylvania, which hosts an April 22 primary. In the ad, a woman characterizes Obama as a skeptic of religious faith.

“I’m not clinging to my faith out of frustration and bitterness,” says the actress in the ad. “I find that my faith is very uplifting.”

Rep. Tim Holden, an uncommitted Democrat representing a rural district in eastern Pennsylvania, said Obama’s comments were unfortunate but somewhat understandable given the long and intense scrutiny of presidential candidates.

Holden said he disagreed with Obama’s assertion that people living in rural areas turn to guns and religion because of bitterness. At the same time, however, he said that there has been little reaction in his district.

He said he checked with his district offices and heard about no complaints from constituents.

“I could be dead wrong, but I’m not hearing very much about it,” he said.

Rep. Mike Doyle, a neutral Democrat representing Pittsburgh and its suburbs, told The Washington Post that he was not particularly troubled by Obama’s comments.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D), an Obama supporter representing West Virginia, which holds its primary on May 13, brandished a new Quinnipiac poll conducted over the weekend in Pennsylvania. It showed that Obama had lost no ground to Clinton two days after his comments became public.

Rockefeller used the poll to argue that Obama’s gaffe would not cause him great harm in West Virginia, where voters cherish their gun rights.   

Rep. Brad Miller, an uncommitted Democrat representing a rural North Carolina district lying next to the Virginia border, said he understood the importance of faith because his mother was raised in a Baptist orphanage. But he chose not to criticize Obama’s comments and said he has not heard any complaints from Democrats back home.

Despite the tepid reaction of these superdelegates, campaign aides for Clinton and presumptive GOP nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) said Tuesday that they would keep pushing the controversy in hopes of keeping the narrative alive throughout his candidacy.

Obama on Tuesday continued to defend the remarks, telling a meeting of the Building and Construction Trades union in Washington that candidates who don’t recognize the bitterness are “out of touch.”

“If anybody denies that people are frustrated and angry and, yes, sometimes bitter, then they are out of touch,” Obama said.

Clinton’s campaign said Tuesday it would strive to keep the issue alive. Howard Wolfson, a senior Clinton adviser, told reporters “we believe this is an important campaign issue.”

He added that the remarks are “something we intend to continue to discuss.”

Obama has fired back with an ad of his own. The spot features Clinton receiving jeers from a crowd in Pittsburgh after attacking Obama for his comments.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Clinton campaign released a list of 100 Pennsylvania mayors who endorsed Clinton. The campaign also released an open letter from political officials in Montana and Indiana, two of the few remaining contests, expressing their “sincere disappointment” with Obama’s comments.

“These views are offensive to millions of hardworking Hoosiers who strive everyday [sic] to provide for our families, lift up our communities and strengthen our country,” the letter said.

Most analysts agree that by trying to push and keep the remarks at the center of the debate, Clinton is hoping for a two-pronged effect.

The first and most immediate is to hope uncommitted superdelegates will take pause as a result of Obama’s comments and hold off on making an endorsement.

The second directly affects voters in remaining states like Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina and Montana, where the Clinton campaign hopes Obama’s comments will turn off white, blue-collar voters.

McCain has joined Clinton’s attack.

Steve Schmidt, a senior McCain adviser, told reporters on a conference call Tuesday that the McCain campaign would continue to talk about Obama’s remarks throughout the “duration” of his candidacy.

“The reality is this is an important and defining moment in the race,” Schmidt said.