McCain reminds voters of Obama's 'bitter' gaffe

The Washington Times ^ | August 13, 2008 | S.A. Miller

[Berlin_Freeper]

Sen. John McCain reminded Pennsylvanians Tuesday that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama said the state's small-town voters "cling to guns and religion" because they are "bitter," a gaffe that possibly contributed to Mr. Obama's loss in the state primary and might haunt his general election campaign in this battleground.

Mr. McCain told a town hall meeting that this state's voters are the "heartland," and "beam of hope and liberty for everyone in the world."

His reprise of the "bitter" flap - an off-the-cuff remark made by Mr. Obama at a private fundraising event in San Francisco prior to Pennsylvania's April primary - harkened back to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's successful campaign in the state. She won the Democratic primary by a 9-point margin, largely by appealing to the state's more conservative rural voters on issues such as gun rights.

[Maelstorm]

Mark Warner said something similar that hasn’t gotten a lot of press. It isn’t a surprise that he, who is another liberal elitist like Obama, is giving a keynote speech.

Here is what Mark Warner said:

Are you a threat to what it means to be an American? If you are a member of the NRA, Right to Life, Christian Coalition or the home school community – Mark Warner would say “yes.”

Mark Warner wants to live in the past and ignore our future. This is why his campaign is focused on his tenure as governor, but nothing before or after it. In May of 1994 Mark Warner said the following:

“One of the things you are going to see is a coalition that is just about completely taken over the Republican Party in this state and if they have their way it’s going to take over state government. It is made up of the Christian Coalition, but not just them. It is made up of the right-to-lifers, but not just them. It’s made up of the NRA, but not just them. It is made up of the home schoolers, but not just them. It’s made up of a whole coalition of people that have all sorts of differing views that I think most of us in this room would find threatening to what it means to be an American.”

[Berlin_Freeper]

"It’s made up of a whole coalition of people that have all sorts of differing views that I think most of us in this room would find threatening to what it means to be an American.”

The mens room at the airport.

[RED SOUTH]

Yes , well , we cling to our guns and religion down here
in the south too. God Bless PA!

[peeps36]

We know small town people love their guns and their God but what do big city dwellers cling to? Some groups cling to members of the same sex and others cling to their favorite glass pipe. Then there are the liberals who cling to their wrongheaded and ridiculous brand of politics.

[WestSylvanian]

Gun ownership and hunting, particularly deer hunting, is practically a second religion in western Pennsylvania. More than half of registered Democrats here own guns. And religion is not some refuge of bitter racist bigots here, either. There is also a great respect for military service and a lot of Pennsylvanians are serving in Iraq. McCain’s heroic military service is an enormous asset for him in PA.

Obama lost big in Democratic primaries in western Pennsylvania. He is NOT liked. I predict McCain can win Pennsylvania. He’s running ads here practically non-stop. Obama has a few, but not as many as McCain.