America's turn: How bitter are you? Vote now

For days now we've all been reading about how bitter or not bitter small-town Pennsylvanians are.

All three major remaining presidential candidates -- Sens. John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, who started this whole thing by blabbing on in some ill-expressed psychobabble at what he thought was a closed fundraiser in the smallest of small towns, San Francisco -- have been trying to use bitter to their own political advantage.

Big shock there!

Clinton and McCain have bitterly attacked Obama over his bitter remarks and he admits he could have said it bitter.

Besides the fact that, yo, even Pennsylvania's large cities are small towns, the Keystone State has had its say.

Now, it's time for the rest of us to weigh in. Vote away.

And if your ballot requires further explanation, use the Comments section below.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Neo]

well i for one am very bitter. been that way since about 2003. anyone who knows what our government and Big business is up to that is not reported by the corporate owned news networks would be very bitter too. most Americans don't know the crap that is pulled in their name and under their Flag.

[Minin]

I think Hilary Clinton is showing a major lack of class in her attack on Sen. Obama. There was a time I wish she would run for President. I must say I'm ashamed of her now. She tries to cover up her major liabilities by lashing out at Barak. She is devisive and low class and lack the integrity to run this great nation.

[me]

bitter-yes

[Ericmiami]

Damn right I'm bitter. Bitter that George Bush was not only elected, but re-elected. Bitter that the electorate can't see through the Clintons. Bitter that Senator Obama can't tell the truth without being attacked for it.

[NC Bowles]

Barack has it sort of right, but just a tad off. Pissed is more like it, rather than bitter. But Washington has screwed up badly, and the situation gets worse as they try to fix it with their pablum solutions rather than real fixes. Americans have majority views on all sorts of important issues, but the beltway politicos respond to some other drummer. Until someone breaks the cycle, we are in for more of the bad stuff.

[XJT]

The only thing I'm bitter about is the media bias against Hillary Clinton.

[Runaway1956]

Who could be bitter that the Clinton presidency, as well as the second Bush presidency, has sold our jobs to foreign slave labor markets? Bitter? Who? Me? Nahhh. I couldn't even be bitter about all the illegal immigrants from south of the border, let alone China's huge slave labor pool.

I'll just work harder, for less money, and eat less often, so that I can compete.

[Dr. Dave]

Obama BUSTED!
This is more about the arrogance of the Obama campaign than anything else. In an age of American Idol and the Internet, an elitist group of cynical and condescending campaign staff lead by David Axelrod is conditioning and manipulating a new generation of voter. These voters respond virally to professional, well-crafted You Tubes, silver-tongued speeches, chantable meaningless slogans, carefully selected campaign suits (for each specific audience) and highly customized advertising graphics (for each and every region & class of voter!). We end up with s a sexy, stunning at-first, invented candidate named Obama upon which we can blindly project any and all of our varied dreams and aspirations.
But eventually Obama's mask has to come off. Each day that passes another layer is peeled away. And underneath is none other than a slick, fancy talking, small minded, small time Chicago politician with lots of hidden personal and political agendas.

[Deward Bowles]

It is sad when truth becomes a dirty word.

Senator Obama's comments were right on the money.

My vote is for Obama.

[Don M. Carleton]

Mr. Obama is absolutely correct when he states the the middle and lower middle class is bitter. We are in the largest economy the planet has ever seen and the real wages of almost all working people have been stagnant for the last 8-10 yrs. The elite classes, ie the republican capitalist 20% have wrecked the country in an ideological war fought by our sons and daughters and I, for one, am mad as hell and if I could would send the entire pack to the nearest unfriendly island for some reeducation. So bitter, ya I'm bitter.

[Jeff Schroeder]

I'm a carpenter and have two kids. For the last few years I've seen my income and opportunity slide downhill. I am completely bitter with this US government. I can fully relate to what he said.

[Web Smith]

Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton found an effective way to settle their differences over disparaging remarks. Alexander was, by some accounts, the winner since he no longer had to endure his self inflicted torture. Aaron, on the other hand, was forced to spend the rest of his life dreaming and struggling for, what he imagined, could have been.

Since neither camp seems to remember that there are critical issues facing this country right now, perhaps they can take their respective camps to Mexico or Columbia and test Hillary's stated familiarity with weapons. They might consider doing us a favor and taking McCain with them. The good thing is that the winner won't be able to come back.

In other words, they should go try to entertain each other anally where someone cares.

[david nichols]

Bitter? Not really.

Frustrated? ABSOLUTELY!!!

Neither party can get anything done, they are petty and unable to do the right thing for the right reason.

They all should be voted out of office ASAP and replaced by people who care.

[Bernard O'Brien]

Journalists today are a part of the problem of America going nowhere, the wrong direction and around in circles.
You don't get out and make a story, not find one, but make one.

THE POPE IS IN TOWN!!! It is time to ask the Pope questions: 1. Isn't it time he and the Vatican come here to LISTEN to American Catholics. If he does not, what makes him think we won't start an American Catholic Church? 2. Gay Rights. Go right after him and his delegation and spokesmen in this country We don't agree with the Vatican on this issue. 3. Celebacy. How come it isn't optional and so on......

[Jen]

I am bitter as hell. This presidency has really messed up US relations with the rest of the world and it's no wonder we are in a recession. I agree with what Barack Obama said.

[RobinL]

REALLY BITTER---Obama's got it right!

[WylieD]

Wrong question.

Ask who is "clinging" and what are they clinging to.

[Poink]

I'm bitter that Scientologists dont have to pay taxes for religious education while every other person in every other religion does. It's unconstitutional!

[Mel]

If you're not bitter about the current economy and the state of the world in general, yuo're not paying attention.

[John]

I think he was brutally honest about how people feel. That's not what the average American wants to hear about oneself. Politicians, in the past, have never been honest to the people. They have felt that people want to hear how 'good they are' and 'God fearin' and so on. This flare-up couldn't have come at a better time. It is up to us now if we want to hear the truth and are willing to stand up for our rights. Now we have a choice to vote for someone not afraid to talk about the untalkable truths. Thank God,; and us.

[George Kramer]

I would rate my bitterness 15 on a scale of 1 to 10. The US Government has sold out it's citizens to the highest bidder.

[Ramon]

I guess I am not actually and literaly bitter but I am mad about the whole economic situation and the causes behind it. So if I voted yes it is mainly to state that I understand what Obama meant and fully agree with him about the situation many people in the states face.

[Josh Evans]

American truly is a society of soap operas. We are always looking for drama from somewhere. That has never been more apparent than with the recent tongue lashings being given out by John McCain, Hillary Clinton, and the rest of American media. Truth is, the majority of America is bitter and fed up with the state of US Politics. Small town Pennsylvanians, big city New Yorkers, and even hippies from Portland are fed up with big business running America. What Barack said makes a lot of sense to people who actually listened to what he said and what he meant. Instead we, as Americans, who as I mentioned are constantly on the prowl, have taken well intended words, and twisted them to create some entertainment. Will these words damage Barack enough that he lose the Democratic primary? Maybe. Will these words be enough to damage Barack's image? Maybe. But at the end of the day, if people are offended by the actualy words that Barack said, they are wrong. He explained what we as non-big business American's have been trying to put into words for a long time. Was it politically correct? No, but did it explain exactly what just about every American feels inside? Yes. And at the end of the day, that is why Barack Obama is the best thing that has happened to American Politics in a long time.

[bud]

The mainstream media is pathetic. Fortunately there are alternatives.

[Marty Branch]

I'm bitter about how the country as I know and love it has been taken away by the Bush administration. It's been replaced by a pre-emptive war we should never have been in with a non-questioning congress. It's immoral to do this to other people, and I'm disgusted and saddened by it! Shame on our country for allowing this to happen. All the deaths, wounded, suffering caused by our country! The economic cost has.been terrible too. You bet I'm bitter!