I am still having a somewhat difficult time figuring out why Barack Obama's statement about "bitter" small town folks is even slightly controversial.  So first, let's spell it out.  Obama articulated a simple truth about voters in economically depressed areas.  And that is, these voters will only vote against their own best (economic) interests when they are preyed upon by wedge issue such as guns, god, and gays (and xenophobia).  This is not only the truth, it is a political reality that the Democratic party on the whole has needed to fight for years now.

So, how does Hillary Clinton react to Obama's statement?  Well, as Keith Olbermann so astutely put it - she addressed it as if she is playing the Republican to Obama's Democrat.  Don't get me wrong, I completely understand that Hillary is fighting for this nomination and that she must seize on any supposed "gaffe" made by her opponent.  And so, if she wants to call Obama's statement "elitist and out of touch" (as she did), then she has every right to do so.  What is offensive is when she then goes the extra pandering mile and tries to portray herself as the most aw shucks God fearing gun totin' female you ever saw in your whole goldarned life.  This is insulting and disgusting.  How does she expect any Democrat to vote for her in November with this bullshit?

And let's talk about this whole "elitist" nonsense and get something straight.  The right wing in this country believes in an "elite" just as much as the left wing does.  The only difference is, the left believe in an elite made up of the intelligent and the talented, while the right believes in an elite consisting of the wealthy and the connected.  So when Hillary (or anyone else) accuses Obama of being elitist, I say "Bravo."  I *want* my President to be among the elite, i.e. - among the most intelligent and talented.  I heard one Democratic strategist say that voters don't want to vote for a candidate that thinks he's smarter than they are.  This may be true, but it sure as hell shouldn't be.  I *want* to vote for a candidate who I'm damn sure is smarter than I am.  And, humbly speaking, I'm smarter than the average bear.  Why don't people who are dumber than me have the same idea?  I know, people of every intelligence level don't want to feel condescended toward.  But, jeez....if you never graduated elementary school and you voted for George Bush because he seemed like a regular folk just like you, you should have your voting privilege taking away.  And if you plan to vote for Hillary or McCain for the same reason, maybe you should have that privilege revoked pre-emptively...