Why do beer snobs prefer european beers to american beers?

I'm pretty sure you're right. They want to feel elitist. I've been brewing beer for years, and I've tried many hundreds of beers from all over the world, and many of my favorites are American craft brews. I love a good German doppelbock, Scotch ale, Belgian dubbel, or Baltic porter, but some of my favorite beers in the world are from Dogfish Head, Stone, Flying Dog, Weyerbacher, or other American breweries. I guess what it really comes down to is drinking what you like. I love a cold bottle of Corona with a lime on a hot summer day, as much as most beer snobs would ridicule me for that, but I also enjoy my occasional brandy wine. Some people genuinely enjoy the tastes that are found primarily in certain European beers, just as some people genuinely enjoy the big American pilsners. On the other hand, if you're judging European beers by the Beck's, Newcastle, and Heineken that you can buy in American gas stations, you're doing a vast disservice to thousands of years of brewing tradition.

Just like car snobs don't like american cars. There's that "exotic" feel to it. Personally I'll slam down some bud light and take a 30 case of keystone to pound-town before I'll pay 10 bucks for some shitty german beer.