Are American political leaders and the politicians aspiring for national leadership really aware or concerned about the economic plight that faces Americans, especially Americans in the middle and lower classes? If they are, then how can so much time be spent over the recent days talking about Barack Obama’s comment that some working class Americans are bitter about their economic circumstances and cling to guns and religion as a result? Instead of Obama’s comments sparking a well needed debate on the dreadful state of our economy, and initiating proposals to improve it, attacks have been made against Obama that his comments were elitist and divisive.

The fact is that working class Americans, including African and Caribbean Americans, are angry, fed-up and bitter at the economic downslide taking place in America. Each time they pull up at a gas pump and see that the price of a gallon of gas is higher than the last time they visited they get bitter and angry. Each time they go the grocery store and find that they cannot buy the quantity of food that they usually buy to feed their family, because the price of food keeps rising, they are bitter and angry. What’s worse they get more angry and bitter, when they realize that those they elect to represent their interests seem to be doing little to alleviate their economic burdens. Tax rebates of $600 will hardly make America’s working class less bitter.

Why hasn’t John McCain or Hillary Clinton used Obama’s comment as a platform to address the economic plight of Americans, instead of wasting time on this silly controversy? If neither of them is aware that Americans are angry and bitter about their economic wellbeing then they are badly out of touch. Of all the issues that affect Americans it’s the economy that is the most pressing at this time.

We are getting weary of this ridiculous debate on semantics; about time wasting discussions about the word “bitter” or the words “cling to.” We are looking forward to a leader or leaders that are cognizant of their bitter economic experience, especially as they see no solution, or attempts at solutions, being taken to address their problems.

What are the plans by the current administration and the political candidates to strengthen the free-falling American dollar? Where are the plans to meet with the oil producing companies in an effort to roll back the price of oil so that the economies of North America, Latin America and the Caribbean do not implode? What are the plans to assist states, counties and cities to meet their respective budgets with sales tax falling as consumers spend less? These are the issues that working class Americans are interested in, and are becoming increasingly bitter about since they can’t get the answers.

All those involved in the current presidential campaign need to wake up and smell the stink that this economy is creating. Not just the candidates but their surrogates, and the mainstream media act like vultures preying on any lose words or mistakes by the candidates, rather than drawing them over the coals for not meaningfully addressing issues like the economy.

There is encouragement that Obama has not backed down as a result of the criticism and furor over his remarks. Instead he has reiterated that working class Americans are indeed bitter over the economy. His words are the truth. A late night comedian gave a sound interpretation of Obama’s words, saying “What Obama said was true. Americans are turning to religion to pray that they don’t lose their homes, and they cling to their guns to protect them from being taken away.” Seriously, most Americans are very bitter, and need leaders who can and will offer solutions to alleviate this bitterness.