But beyond that, Obama tells NBC he recognizes the movement involves "folks who have legitimate concerns" about the national debt and whether the government is taking on too many difficult issues simultaneously.
During an interview broadcast Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show, Obama said he feels "there's still going to be a group at their core that question my legitimacy." But he said he didn't want to paint tea party activists "in broad brushes" and he hopes to win over members who have "mainstream, legitimate concerns."
Obama told NBC’s Matt Lauer that "there's some folks who just weren't sure whether I was born in the United States, whether I was a socialist, right?
“There is a broader circle around that core group, of people who are legitimately concerned about the deficit, who are legitimately concerned that the federal government may be taking on too much."
Obama said he hopes to allay these fears as time moves on.
And those core tea partyers? "That group we're probably not going to convince," Obama said.
The comments come as the debate over Obama’s healthcare overhaul continues to anger a sizable majority of the American public.
A new Rasmussen Reports poll reveals that the tea party movement is resonating with U.S. voters. This is despite attempts on the part of many mainstream and left-leaning media to label the tea party as a fringe group.
The poll specifically asked voters to express their opinions about the tea party compared with Congress. Among the findings:
* 47% reported that their own views are closer to the tea party than to Congress
* 26% said their views are aligned more closely with Congress
* 46% reported that the average tea partier is more ethical than the average member of Congress
* 27% believe that members of Congress are more ethical
* 52% reported that the average tea partier has a better understanding of the issues facing America than the average member of Congress
* 30% believe that members of Congress have a better understanding of the issues
11 comments:
Don't think he will ever convince people he is sincere until he address his own criticisms that he totaly ignores instead of being factual and releases the correct information from whatheaddresses to his College info, passport info and many other points of info. He cancels the Day of Prayer, Christian Faith but reconizes the Muslim Day of Prayer in Washington DC. Why?
Hi. Let's take things the wrong way. He did not say that core pf the Tea Party was made up of radicals and birthers. He was talking about the radicals and birthers in the Tea Party who he was never going to convince or change their views. That group has, at their core, birther and radical views.
He was not painting the entire Tea Party movement with that brush. The headline is misleading (though you probably did not write it) and will just stoke the flames of the angry misspellers who comment on here with great ferocity when they feel wronged, but Obama was being gracious and respectful of the Tea Party.
Obama is telling the truth. How many nutbags on this site get reved up every two weeks when Joe throws a birther post out there. Call a spade a spade.
Oops. I also realize that I typed "pf" instead of "of" in my 9:08 post above. My sincere apologies for my error.
I'm young so maybe I'm a bit naive, but I always thought that journalists were supposed to be trustworthy objective deliverers of the news. Listen to the interview yourself. Obama didn't slam anybody; he actually stated that the much broader majority of tea partiers were people with legitimate concerns.
9:22
Reread your first sentence and then just ask yourself if you have ever watched ABC,CBS,NBC, MSNBC or CNN. None of these networks ever done any investigation into Obama before or since his election. Oh and you can add all of the major newspapers.
That Matt Lauer always delivers a hard hitting interview....
The Tea Party movement was born of a deep and legitimate distrust of government....a distrust that has been earned.
Obama can talk all he wants...simply look at the government he promised and look at his actions....transparency???...and end to earmarks????...true bipartisanship???? He is a fraud who simply said what he needed to in order to be elected.You are seeing the true man now and it's deeply troubling.
The T.E.A. (acronym for taxed enough already)Party rallies should not be construed as a Party.
It is an action/protest that consists of Americans of all political, social and economic backgrounds. It is not a Party, and will probably never be a political party.
Once again, it is comprised of people who, many for the first time are involved in political protest and are becoming aware of government actions that run counter productive of liberty and freedom. This movement will identify conserative, constitutionalist candidates to support. In no way should this be construed as the establishment or existence of a third party.
obama would rather climb a tree and tell a lie than stand on the ground and tell the truth. thanks sjd
9:37 and 10:12, maybe you guys feel this way because you will jump on any anti-obama conspiracy without reading into the issue i.e. the current hitjob article.
Obama's rhetoric is meaningless whatever influence he thought he had is long gone people just don't care what he has to say !
Post a Comment