Palin apologizes for "real" and pro-America remarks

Here's what she originally said, for comparison:

We believe that the best of America is in the small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call real America, being here with all of you hard-working, very patriotic, very pro-America areas of this great nation.

This is where we find the kindness and the goodness and the courage of everyday Americans, those who are running our factories and teaching our kids and growing our food and are fighting our wars for us, those who are protecting us in uniform, those who are protecting the virtues of freedom.

The apology, of sorts, is at 18:30:

No, I do not want that misunderstood. When I go to these rallies, and we see the patriotism just shining through, these people’s faces and the Vietnam veterans wearing their hats so proudly, and they have tears in their eyes as we sing our national anthem and — it is so inspiring.

And I say that this is true America. You get it, you understand how important it is that in the next four years we have a leader who will fight for you. I certainly don’t want that interpreted as one area being more patriotic or more American than another. If that’s the way it has come across, I apologize.

Really? This isn't very satisfying. Taken with the recent Pfotenhauer, Bachmann, and Robin Hayes incidents, I'm getting a clear vibe from some Republicans that they don't consider some parts of America to be as patriotic, "real", or relevant as redder areas. They're retreating into this neo-McCarthyism as their polls sink because they have nothing else to offer besides personal and tribal attacks.

Today John McCain himself, campaigning in Pennsylvania, said on the stump:

"I couldn't agree with you more on the fact that Western Pennsylvania is the most patriotic, most God-loving, most patriotic part of America."

So McCain is saying that today, but we're supposed to believe that Sarah Palin honestly never meant to indicate the red crowds she visits are more patriotic and real than the rest of America? Come on. This doublespeak fools no one.

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By the way, is it just me or is CNN's the first interview in which Sarah Palin seemed more competent than the person interviewing her? In all the previous interviews, if you asked me who I'd prefer as VP, I'd have said the interviewer would be better at the job than Palin. But this CNN guy was weak by comparison.... yeah, it's partly his fault, but it also seems like Palin is getting better with practice.