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Joan,
It's not about the where, but the who and the what and the why.
All the coverage of "bittergate" has focused on references to guns and religion, and criticism couched as elitism. I think Obama's quote smacks of racism. He's basically saying that these rural whites are bible-carrying, gun-toting haters (antipathy)of non-whites and immigrants who are bitter about manufacturing jobs going overseas 25 years ago. What if a white politician characterized African-Americans as bitter welfare recipients who resort to crime and rely on welfare because they never got over the impact of slavery 150 years ago. Both attitudes are messed up.
