The Preamble

Ben Smith has more of Obama's remarks in San Francisco. Here's what preceded the passage jumped on by Clinton, McCain et al:

Here's how it is: in a lot of these communities in big industrial states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, people have been beaten down so long, and they feel so betrayed by government, and when they hear a pitch that is premised on not being cynical about government, then a part of them just doesn't buy it. And when it's delivered by -- it's true that when it's delivered by a 46-year-old black man named Barack Obama (laugher), then that adds another layer of skepticism.

It is indeed easier to play the red-blue resentment game. We'll see if it still works ...