"sort of" is elitist?

[Jesse Sheidlower]

This odd item appeared in today's _New York Post,_ that bastion
of linguistic discernment:

----
John Kerry had better watch his tongue -- it's starting to
betray his elitist leanings. The other day, he said, "This
president sort of wandered back." Language mavens say the use
of "sort of" as an adverb is a subtle indicator of upper-class
origins or aspirations. You won't catch any good ol' boys in
those vital swing states saying "sort of."
---

I don't have handy access to any usage book right now, so
perhaps a better language maven than I can tell me: what
the hell are they talking about? Is _sort of_ really regarded
as a status marker? Is there anything to this story at all,
or are they just on crack?

Jesse Sheidlower

P.S. Original story at
http://www.nypost.com/gossip/19673.htm