Word: bitters
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...prove that is a regular guy. Even under the best of circumstances that's not an easy task when you're standing on a stage before a packed auditorium of hundreds and being broadcast to millions. But considering the fallout he has had to endure since his notorious "bitter" comments about small-town America were revealed, and the fact that Obama has already had a hard time connecting with blue-collar voters during much of the campaign, it's an especially tall order...
...primary next Tuesday. Polls have shown that in nearly every state save for Wisconsin Clinton has won the white working-class vote, moderate swing voters sometimes called Reagan Democrats; her advantage in that demographic helped Clinton win Ohio by 10.5 percentage points. "Obama used the word 'bitter' when he should have said 'frustrated,'" said Donna Brazile, an undecided Super Delegate who ran Al Gore's presidential campaign in 2000. "Clearly Obama's comments were 'unartful,' but not inaccurate. Polls show most voters are dissatisfied with the current direction of the country. And politicians have always played on their fears...
...until the "bitter" controversy, Obama had been gaining in the polls in Pennsylvania. He started March down more than 20 points but in recent days had whittled down Clinton's lead to just 7.3%, according to an average of Pennsylvania polls by the non-partisan website Real Clear Politics. It remains to be seen whether the reaction to the statements will actually affect the polls or simply serve as fodder for the punditocracy. But the comments could potentially help Clinton not only in Pennsylvania, but also with winning over undecided superdelegates who might otherwise be reluctant to go against...
...response in Indiana, in which he reemphasized the point he was making rather than apologize or "clarify" it, was sensible and refreshing," said Thomas Mann, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington. Though the first wave of criticism focused on Obama's use of the word "bitter," over the weekend critics concentrated more on Obama's use of the word "cling" and the negative connotation it gave to people's attachments to guns and God. "I think you're on dangerous ground when you morph that into suggesting that people's cultural values, whether its religion or hunting...
...Mistakes become 'gaffes' when they play to an underlying stereotype," said Michael Munger, a polticial science professor at Duke University in North Carolina, which is scheduled to hold its primary May 6. "If Bill Clinton had said this thing about some white people being bitter and using guns, it would have been fine, since he grew up a poor white guy. But the Obama stereotype is a wealthy Ivy League elitist. He's a little too well-spoken; his suits are a little too expensive. From him, the comment comes off as condescending...