i am one of those not offended in the slightets by president obamas quote, but perfect post either way kiowamohican:)

Obama may have wanted to go and actually look at the employment stats from Pennsylvania before he spoke. The unemployment rate is under 5% there and it's the 17th strongest economy in the nation.

Many do not have any problem at all with the quote, and many would also believe that to be very much true. No matter what someone says, there will be people who are not at all offended, or even agree with the statements. Heck; you still have many people who think the moon landing was all staged. However; the greater majority of people find remarks like that sterotypical, elitist, and condescending.
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This is no doubt that some small town people do fit into that category, but the major who don't will take great offense. This was clearly shown in Obama's performance in PA. Not only did he loose by 10% points in the overall vote, it was the results in those "hick towns" that were STARTLING. He lost those communities by a 33% margin! That is what you call being beat like a drum in a two way race! If not for the big cities of Philly, and Pittsburgh, he would have really been trounced in PA, much worse then he was.
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His comments will be the ungluing of his candidacy in the general election. He lost over 12% points in his favorable rating right after those comments (according to the best tracking polls), and stuff like hat will kill your appeal to independent voters.
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So yes; many won't be offended at all, but many more will be, and IMO it will be what history will write as what lost it for Obama when he takes on McCain.

I am not sure what the problem is with this Obama quote. As someone who grew up in one of these "hick" towns, I have to say I pretty much agree with him. If you want to find justification for Obama's comments all you need to do is look at many of the discussions on this site.

Here is how the face of todays Democratic party looks at small midwest towns people.

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""You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them, and it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations,"
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Direct quote from Barack Obama

it costs more to live where you have to drive to everything. so the cost of living here is NOT less. there is no store in Orfordville and the water bills are the highest i have ever seen. my property taxes are as high as the city too almost $3,000.00 a year for 1 acre.

Grow up... Hick towns? Are you serious? Small towns are better than Janesville. There is far less crime, people are more friendly, there are absolutely no gangs, the schools have no violence or drug problems and the cost of living is far cheaper than in Janesville. And besides that, we prefer to be called rednecks not hicks! The ignorance on these blogs is unbelievable...

Newsflash, they are already hick towns.

what are the communities going to do when all of the GM facilities close, including lear and all the others that make parts for GM?? The cities are going to become hick towns!