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May 18, 2008

Obama is to McCain as Merkley is to Smith

Barack Obama and Jeff Merkley both come from very modest socio-economic places utterly devoid of political power, as the two linked biographical pieces reveal. Both of them traveled internationally in their youth and were struck and forever changed by the abject poverty they saw.

Obama: “He was clearly shocked by the economic disparity he saw in Pakistan. He couldn't get over the sight of rural peasants bowing to the wealthy landowners they worked for as they passed,”

Merkley: “We were surrounded by families struggling to earn enough money to feed their kids the next day.”

John McCain wasn't exactly raised in opulence, though he does live it now, but he was raised in an environment of great political power as the son and grandson of Navy Admirals. It would be fair to say that he was raised in an environment of comfort, though. And of course he married the heiress of a huge fortune.

Gordon Smith was raised in both affluence and great political power, being the son and heir of a very wealthy business owner who went on to be a powerful official in the Eisenhower Administration. In addition, his relatives, the famed Udal family, were both affluent and politically powerful as well.

Gordon Smith counts John McCain as a "good friend" and is one of his strongest supporters. Not surprising since "birds of a feather flock together" as the old adage says.

Not surprisingly, both McCain and Smith are trying to paint their main political opponents as out of touch with regular Americans. McCain claimed that Obama is insensitive to poor people and out of touch on economic issues. Taking the cue from his pal, Smith claimed that Merkley doesn't "understand our rural economy and our way of life". Which is the usual Rovian GOP tactic of trying to ascribe your own greatest weakness upon your most feared opponent.

Americans and Oregonians are smarter than that.

Posted by Kevin at May 18, 2008 11:45 AM