Your title is a spoof of President Obama’s comments in 2008 at a Democratic fundraiser. Did his words offend you as a “gun toting, chicken eating son of a Baptist?”
I was offended as an American. When he delivered those remarks, I remember thinking, “Wait a second. Most of my family carries a gun and goes to church, sometimes all at once, and we don’t seem to be all that bitter.” The truth is that I believe President Obama holds “Bitter Americans” — people like me — in contempt. And yet, truth be told, we’re not bitter. We’re blessed.
Is Bitter America a geographic region? Where can we find it?
That’s the surprising part of my book. I discovered that there are “Bitter Americans” from coast to coast. I even found some living among the liberals in my Brooklyn neighborhood. These are people who love America, who love the traditions and values that make this country great. If you believe the Mainstream Media, the folks who live in “fly over” country are the anomalies. But in reality, it’s the folks who live in the big cities who are the anomaly. Most of the United States shares the same values: God, family, country. These are the values that make us strong.
What issues most inflame Bitter America politically?
Religious liberty. I believe that is the hottest of hot-button issues. I tell a story in the book about how President Obama considered removing the nativity scene from the East Room during his first Christmas in the White House. That told me everything I needed to know about this president: he was not going to be a friend of the faithful. Sadly, that turned out to be true. People just don’t understand why President Obama consistently allowed his administration to attack Christians. And my book is filled with plenty of evidence to back that up.
The other issue that really bothers Bitter America is President Obama’s propensity to apologize. Right or wrong, my country. That’s how patriots view the United States. And it’s so unsettling to see our Commander in Chief apologizing for us on foreign soil, bowing to other world leaders and telling people that we are no longer just a Christian nation. That’s not very presidential in my book.
What does Bitter America think of Mitt Romney?
[They're] confused. People are sick and tired of Democrats and Republicans. They have trust issues. There is a sense among conservatives that the Republican Party only wants their votes, not their values. It’s this idea of “shut up and do what you’re told.” There’s a reason why folks like Sarah Palin and Allen West are resonating with conservatives. It’s because they not only talk the talk, but they walk the walk. Voters respect that. They want someone to tell it like it is. I remember a quote from a Romney surrogate in New Hampshire. He said that electability trumps principle and belief. That’s why people have trust issues with politicians.
You write that the “antithesis of Bitter Americans” is those “who’ve been educated in Ivy League schools, who listen to highbrow music, and who dine on arugula and fermented soy.” What do you have against arugula and fermented soy? And what’s so bad about America’s most elite academic institutions?
Have you ever tasted fermented soy? It smells like something that came out of a cat. I find it difficult to take anyone who doesn’t eat meat seriously. After a particularly long day on the campaign trail, a flight attendant on board then-Sen. Obama’s jetliner offered me a plate of sushi. She could tell I looked perplexed and asked me if I needed something. I replied, “Yes. I need some peanut oil, some flour and a deep fryer because somebody forgot to cook the fish.”
As for what’s so bad about America’s most elite academic institutions? Our last two presidents went to Ivy League schools. How’s that economy working out for us? At this point, I think it’s time to give someone with a community college education a try — or maybe a trucking institute.
