From Sherry Bebitch Jeffe at NBC Los Angeles:

Am I the only person in the universe who read Barack Obama's so-called "bitter' remarks and thought, "Yeah, there is some truth in that?"

Given time to think, Obama might not have used the phrase "cling (my emphasis) to guns or religion..." Given time to think, perhaps he might have used "turn."

But candidates these days aren't given time to think. Ruminating in the heat of the campaign is a problem in our attack-oriented, speed-driven (as in "driving too fast") political environment. Blogs, 24/7 cable news and talk radio are built to supply instant political gratification to a restless, grumpy electorate.

(No one should be surprised that the original reporting of Obama's remarks surfaced on the Huffington Post, the self-described "Internet Newspaper" and, according to MSNBC's "First Read," in about 72 hours the remark traveled from the HuffPost "and the blogs that picked it up, to the campaign trail and cable TV...the Sunday morning shows" and beyond.)

Forgive my dabbling in pop political psychology here, but stuff happens and people do become "bitter" (Again, given time to think, Obama might have used the less charged term "frustrated") and they do turn away from politics and governmental institutions and look for comfort, or stability, or safe harbor to what political science calls "civil society" -- informal and voluntary groups and institutions outside the strictures of formal state and governmental institutions.

Civil society refers, according to the London School of Economics, "to the arena of uncoerced collective action around shared interests, purposes and values."

So why -- four days after Obama stuck his rhetorical foot in it -- are pundits, bloggers and Obama's Republican and Democratic opponents still banging him and his words around?

How much serious discussion have you heard lately -- among candidates or media talking heads -- about issues of critical importance to Americans? Sen. John McCain, the presumptive the GOP nominee, has -- at least temporarily -- left the "bitter battle" to propose a gas-tax holiday and that's getting a little play in the media.

But then McCain has the luxury of sneaking in policy statements; he can wait until the fall campaign recycle the "elitist" label, should Obama be the Democratic nominee.

Words are easier -- less complicated -- to attack than ideas, particularly when the differences between the Democratic contenders on issues are, by and large, a matter of degree. And conflict and controversy make for better TV than thoughtful, detailed policy discussions.

Then there are the lessons of the 2004 Presidential race. The slow response of the Democratic nominee, Sen. John Kerry, to attacks on his Vietnam record by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth contributed to Kerry's loss to the incumbent, George W. Bush. Now every Presidential contender wants to be the "Swift boater;" nobody dares to risk being the "Swift boatee."

Despite the fact that "conventional wisdom" has been up-ended time and time again in this political season's roller derby, politicians who want to win remain tied to tactics with some record of success.

Never mind that 2008 isn't 2004. Public opinion on the economy and the Iraq war have changed dramatically -- in the Democrats' favor, and Obama appears to be a more agile and aggressive candidate than Kerry, in responding to political barbs.

Nevertheless, in politics, what has worked before will continue to be a part of a campaign's game plan -- until it doesn't work any more.

The most recent Quinnipiac poll of Pennsylvania Democratic primary voters, taken in the midst of the "bitter" brouhaha, showed Sen. Clinton's 6-point lead unchanged.

However, the new Clinton negative ad -- the first to attack Obama directly -- and the Illinois Senator's counter-attack ad -- had not yet aired. We don't yet know how -- or if -- these ads will influence voters.

We do know -- and so do the candidates -- that every time any one of those attack ads runs, there's one less chance voters will have to get at least a quick glimpse of the candidates' policy stances. With every inch of print and every minute of broadcast time the media spends fixated on political trash talk, there's less time and space devoted to the examination of issues of critical importance to Americans and to the future direction of this country.

And that's enough to make me bitter!