While the McCain campaign has been implying where the line between Real AmericaTM and Fake America lies, John McCain himself came right out and said it in the interview he and Sarah Palin had with Brian Williams.
From Politico:
WILLIAMS: --a state of mind? It's not geography?
PALIN: 'Course not.
WILLIAMS: Senator?
MCCAIN: I-- I know where a lot of 'em live. (LAUGH)
WILLIAMS: Where's that?
MCCAIN: Well, in our nation's capital and New York City. I've seen it. I've lived there. I know the town. I know-- I know what a lot of these elitists are. The ones that she never went to a cocktail party with in Georgetown. I'll be very frank with you. Who think that they can dictate what they believe to America rather than let Americans decide for themselves.
There you have it. It's not geography... but it is these specific cities.
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Another interesting bit from Palin:
PALIN: Oh, I guess just people who think that they're better than anyone else. And-- John McCain and I are so committed to serving every American. Hard-working, middle-class Americans who are so desiring of this economy getting put back on the right track. And winning these wars. And America's starting to reach her potential. And that is opportunity and hope provided everyone equally. So anyone who thinks that they are-- I guess-- better than anyone else, that's-- that's my definition of elitism.
Hopefully, if we all work really hard, this great nation of ours can finally reach her potential in Sarah Palin's mind. Wait, wasn't she the one decrying how Obama "sees America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists"? So I guess she sees America as imperfect enough to pal around with Republicans. I'm still not sure which is worse.
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Of course, there is a bit of an irony when talking about people who "think they they're better than anyone else" in the same thought process as saying, effectively, that your people are better than them.
And of course, McCain complaining that they "think that they can dictate what they believe to America rather than let Americans decide for themselves." Of course he's right, we shouldn't be telling other Americans what to believe or how to live.
Unless they're gay. Or want to have a choice regarding abortion. Or want to smoke pot. Because that doesn't count.
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Well, I think that Jon Stewart could think of a very concise, two-word retort to what McCain and Palin had to say.