Geesh, people are still bringing up Obama’s “bittergate” gaffe.
Let me paraphrase what he was trying to say:
People in small towns want a politician who can stand up for their economic interests, and do what it takes to promote job stability and job growth, e.g. keep their jobs in their towns instead of moving overseas, making good health care available, etc. But they have become bitter when they vote those issues because no-one’s been doing that for them. But there are Republicans who will work for other values, such as protecting their gun rights and, i guess, promoting their religious values. So they have been reliably voting Repub, since Repubs have been reliable on those issues. If Dems will start being reliable on the economic issues that are important to them, they’ll start voting Dem.
Granted, the way Obama phrased it was open to misinterpretation.
