1) What he said is 100% true, and when taken in its full context, is not offensive or condescending at all.

2) He should have known that comments like that will be misinterpreted and opportunistically taken as an insult from people who are just waiting for some reason to pounce on him. The Archie Bunkers are enraged when the highfalutin' black dude with his fancy talk and fancy diplomas condescends to them.

3) By the same token, the people who will be offended by this are likely people who were not voting for him anyway.

4) Of course Hillary and McCain's responses were predictable, lame, and perfectly reflect the fantasy world that typical politicians foist upon the public. "Everything's fine! We're working hard and making it! There are no major problems here! Look over there at the TV while we steal your wallet!"

So where do these "deeply held beliefs" come from? What causes people to take up causes like opposing abortion and gay marriage and vote accordingly? What causes deep doctrinal religiosity that promotes bigotry and hatred? What makes someone deeply need to own a firearm? Where do you see it most? I'll give you a hint - it isn't in the Hamptons.

These "legitimate beliefs" are a product of their situation - economically depressed, undereducated, raped by U.S. corporations, and pandered-to for years by selfish, power-hungry politicians who exploit these fears and needs and situations for their own political gain. Hillary and McCain are cut from this cloth.

For instance, how is abortion still legal given the Republican stranglehold on legislation in the past 7 years? Didn't all of those republicans in office use abortion as a campaign promise? Did they forget about their pledge? And won't "values" be another issue come the Fall, when McCain supporters fawn all over his fake brand of patriotism and war-heroism while questioning Obama for not wearing a flag pin?

Nothing will change because nobody is addressing the real issues. The "legitimate beliefs" you think Obama belittles are actually illegitimate beliefs borne out of commonly-held misconceptions and exploitation. These people have been exploited by politicians and corporations for years, and have been led to believe the real enemy is someone else.

Obama wants to change that. If the people will let him.

Sorry. I didn't realize that Columbia PhDs were the norm in the factories of Altoona and Scranton. I've lived in rural, working class towns, and my experiences were very different from where you must live. Either way, the focus shouldn't be on whether the comment was "elitist" but whether it's true, and lots of people are saying that it is true, including people who were the subject of the remarks.

I'm not saying blue collar workers are bad people. I'm saying there's a reason they've latched on to these non-economic social issues while voting for their own economic exploitation, and that reason isn't Jesus Christ.

We're the only industrialized country dumb enough to cast off a potentially transformative leader because he's too smart and speaks the truth.

We're the only industrialized country dumb enough to not realize how dumb we are and insist on leaders who are just as dumb as we are so we don't feel so dumb.

What a country!

News is that Hillary is about to open a new fast food chain in working class towns across America called Pander Express. It will feature glorious looking pictures of sumptuous meals for affordable prices. However, the actual food that comes out will be hot garbage made in India and China. But it will be loaded with sugar and butter and people will think it's good. But it will actually only serve to deepen the depression felt in these towns by causing heart failure, diabetes, and other health problems.

Pander Express - coming to a small town near you in 2008!

I'm special. I'm always right. It's someone else's fault. I didn't do it. My opinion is correct. There are no valid viewpoints other than my own. I will only vote for someone who's like me. Anyone who's not like me can't understand me. Don't insult me. Tell me what I want to hear. I distrust people smarter than me. I don't want to feel dumb. But I also don't want to read and learn and understand - I already know everything I need to know. The good book tells me. Foreigners are shady. USA is #1. Wooooo! The truth is what I want it to be, and anyone who disagrees is lying. I like people who are like me. I like people who agree with me. I don't like to be challenged. I never change my mind. You're either with me or against me. I have morals. My morals are the only valid morals. People should be forced to live their lives like I live mine - then America would be a better place.

Is there a politician out there who can pander to me? Great. I'll vote for them. It'll feel good knowing that they care about what I care about. And they surely do - they just said so!

God Bless America.