The Elitist Tipping Point

John McCain can't remember how many houses he has (he has to check with his staff and get back to us). Immediately he's hit by some with the charge of being an elitist.

Yet I recall watching an episode of Oprah once -- only once -- where she stated with a straight face that she was really upset because she had been about to make a meal when she realized she'd left her favorite cooking pan "in my other house." And all the nice suburban ladies trying to get by with their median household income of 48k did not bat an eye. She's Oprah. She's supposed to have many houses and favorite cooking pans. Now, obviously, Oprah's not running for president. But she could and she might just win. We love her for being so much more fabulous than us.

And, so, this is our public conundrum: what exactly is the elitist tipping point? Where does regular end and aristocratic begin? Is it a dollar amount? An attitude? Can one be poor and out of touch, rich and down to earth? It's almost become an annual ritual: Fortune 500 companies revealing their executive compensations to much public ire.

But when a guy like Bill Gates -- off and on the richest man on earth -- reveals that he often flies coach, he's derided as being either a skinflint, or too showy with his austerity.

In every election cycle that I can recall there comes a moment -- or a few -- where charges of elitism and claims of commonness are wielded by presidential candidates like a sword and a shield: vote for me 'cause I'm one of you. It's the other guy who's out of touch.

Folksiness is a queer thing. You can be from a well-to-do family, attend an ivy-league school and be a "regular Joe" like George Bush, or you can be from a well-to-do family, attend an ivy-league school and be "haut monde" like John Kerry.

Or you can grow up living on food stamps in a single parent home, attend an ivy-league school and be an "elitist" like Barack Obama for implying that people get upset and myopic when they lose their jobs.

Though it's nearly indefinable, elitism's like porn: you know it when you see it, and what somebody else likes doesn't necessarily turn you on.

And yet, we're electing the president of the US; still the most powerful person in the world. I don't want an underachiever working on my car's transmission. Why would I want someone regular sitting in the Oval Office? Sorry, give me somebody who's demonstrated a capacity to excel. The cliché gotcha question of journalist is asking candidates what's the price of a gallon of gas at a particular locale. Can the candidate demonstrate with a single answer that he (or she) is a person of the people? Brother, I don't care if the candidate knows the local price of gas. I care if he fully understands the metrics that drive up or down a barrel of oil.

So the question isn't how many houses John McCain owns. The question is: does he understand what's negatively affecting the equity of those houses and what can be done about it and how can such gross fluctuations be prevented in the future?

He'd better hope he doesn't have to check with his staff to answer that one.

Comments

[hopefulinpa]

IT is okay to be rich, but not when you are running for president in a failing economy and don't even know it. McBush has no clue about the economy. He still says it is in good shape... sure for the mega rich it is wonderful but he majority of the US is middle class. He is so out of touch. We need someone who knows what is like to have to buy groceries, put gas in our cars, send our kids to school. His kid gets a credit card and goes hog wild. The thing is he reallly deep down doesn't care about any other problems facing this nation except keeping us at war. He follows Bush's economic policy because he has none of his own and really doesn't care to have one of his own. He tries to pass off drilling for oil as a saving grace and it definately is not.. he doesn't care.. it puts money in the oil company's pockets. His foreign policy is a joke. He has been wrong on foreign policy more than he has been right and fails to acknowledge it. It is okay to be rich. It is not okay to be uncaring, uninvolved, and stupid.

OBAMA/BIDEN 08

[laocoon]

An elitist is one who espouses a system where some group is considered more worthy of having control or receiving the benefits of society because of their superiority. It is a philosophy about governance or other societal power and is the opposite of an egalitarian. Being smart or well educated or rich does not make one an elitist. Espousing control by some who are deemed more worthy does. the right wants to redefine elitism so anyone who is successful enough to have a chance at office is by definition unable to espouse egalitarian policies because they are too elite. Urging that government only enforce the outcomes of a free market is elitism because it espouses a system where the economically elite are given much greater control.

[SethBLiNK]

Oprah has billions and several houses. But it is the image of her actually taking her single favorite cooking pan from one house to another (rather than just getting one for each house) and her pulling it out and cooking with it that makes her one of us. Also the fact that she spends an hour each day with common folk, talking about their common folk problems, crying with them, etc.

Perhaps she could win the Presidency, but she isn't running. Obama is. And that brings up the great Catch-22 of the elitism question.

As the first man of color with a real shot at the Presidency, Obama has had to walk a very thin line. He has had to convince millions of white people who never visualized themselves voting for a man of color to do so. Had he affect a W-like fake folksy quality, it would have been a disaster. Works for W, because under that faux-Texas Rancher, everybody knows is the son of Connecticut Patrision former President. Everything about Obama has to exude his Harvard-bred qualifications. But then, after he dazzles us with his intellect, his opponents can point to the fact that he is "not one of us" which let's face can mean so many things.

It's an effective tool, because Obama can't break character to combat it. The saddest part of it is that McCain was shown how effective it would be by the Clintons.

[zann]

Hey, just trust your common sense about money.

First, rich countries produce material things that other countries want. Oil, say. When the rich folks in this country wanted cheaper labor, they moved the factories and middle management to China and India, then pocketed most of the savings that would once have been middle class salaries. They also filled the air with hallucinatory theories telling us that we can have a healthy economy, a huge trade imbalance and cavernous debt.

Second, people worth more than about 10 million dollars distort the economy. More luxury goods. All that extra money looking for passive profits creates bubbles- tulips, real estate, oil futures. We only benefit when it's invested in American businesses. (The only legit capital gains deduction)

Because the resources of the earth are limited. Agricultural land, building materials, sunlight. People have an instinct about what's fair and a competing instinct to take more than their share. Our leaders ought to be honest about this and not completely degrade the instinct for fairness.

Define the financial elite at, say, the 95th percentile. Leaders above that are not in the same boat as the people they are leading.

Republicans have shifted the word elite from financial elite to mean snobby, intellectual and effete. Maybe folks in a diner will think for a minute that they have more in common with the financial elite than with thinkers like the founding fathers, who care for what is fair and sound and lasting.

[FreedomBeforeDemocracy]

Only as newspeak, does elitist mean “someone in an elite class”. An elitist is someone that believes the people can’t make their own decisions, but need an elite ruling class, the government, to make decisions for them. John McCain owning 10 properties (unverified – it’s the highest number I’ve heard) makes him elite as a property owner. It does not make him an elitist. When Obama said people cling to their guns and bible, he was indicating that this was the wrong course of action and he had a better one. This is one indication of his elitism. Imho, it is dwarfed by things like putting higher taxes on oil companies to bribe (or stimulate I guess) the American public into voting for him. The desire for redistribution of wealth by the elite ruling class is the height of elitism. So, Obama is an elitist. By the way, so is John McCain (just not for owning multiple properties.)

[Artemrs]

It seems to me we need to go back to our dictionaries to read the definitions of "elite" and "elitism." It is offensive to me that this label is put on someone like Barack Obama. Here is a man who had the fortitude at college age (how many of us can) to change his path. He worked hard, used his mind, and brought himself up. Amazing. McCain, on the other hand, was brought up by a military family, and the military was all he knew until his latching on to his wife and her family's connections and money in Arizona. McCain, I'm afraid still is in military mode. His views on world affairs is narrow, focused only on might. He gets it mixed up; diplomacy, negotiations, dialogue first, then might. Those that call Obama an elitist I believe is a code word for "uppity," and you know the code word for that.

[FreedomBeforeDemocracy]

You got elite, but how Obama grew up has nothing to do with his elitism. And it elitist is a code word for uppity (only for Obama I take it) then could you kindly share the code word for elitist, so people don't get confused when I want to call Obama an elitist.

[zozosmom]

Beautiful!!!
I'm going to have use that line about sharing the code word. yes indeed, can all those Obama supporters please give us the code words for arrogant, egotistical, sexist and elitist? And don't forget corrupt and fraud.

[TommyMcCarthy]

I've had some STRONG disagreements with a number of John Ridley's positions over time.........

I think that must be why.....when see I Ridley's name next to a piece ...I pull it up eagarly.....

Looking for an argument?.­..........­Not at all.....

Ridley almost never "echoes" the conventional wisdom.......

And Ridley rarely seems to be DELIBERATELY saying something controversial just to provoke a reaction.

In short, Ridley almost invariably makes me THINK.....

These musings on "elitism".... are a case in point........

I like to remind people who get excised about the weath of various politicians the following: ......

To my mind..... the President who did more FOR working people than any other,........was FDR .....born to VAST wealth.....

And the President who did more TO working people......Ronald Regan........ came from EXTREMELY humble roots.

Good piece
tm

[FreedomBeforeDemocracy]

Yeah, in fact, didn't FDR give over 70,000 US citizens (and some 40,000 non-citizens) free room and board for about 2 and a half years. Some tried to refuse, but FDR's "generosity" wouldn't allow it. Ronald Reagan had the gall to apologize for this "housing assistance" program.

FDR is the poster child of elitism (and tyranny). Ronald Reagan ushered in the return of America being the "land of the free".

[TommyMcCarthy]

Yup..........Ya got me there...."freedom"

The tyrant Roosevelt who saved the American economy as a warm-up to saving the entire free world....and introduced the tyrannical Social Security system, ran roughshod over the rights of poor Wall Street speculators (who had done so MUCH for our country up to 1929 (SEC),....­....heartl­essly violated the rights of predatory capitalists by allowing their workers to unionize and be guranteed a minnimum wage.........

Thank God Regan finally reversed all that awful New Deal/Great Society concern for PEOPLE and restored FREEDOM to wher it belongs.....in the hands of CORPORATIO­NS!......t­he FREEDOM to break the unions,.....steal the workers pensions.......move thier jobs overseas.......move the CORPORATION's address to a plaque among thousands on a wall in the Cayman Islands and pay less tax than any ONE security guard patrolling the now-empty factory in the U.S. .....Ah! freedom!....the freedom to have THREE minimun wage jobs and still have no heath care..........and best of all.....the freedom to make unrestrained war on the peasants of Central America for wanting food and health care .

We Irish have developed a quaint mythology over the centuries best summed by Mom's
"Tawmee......ya' think no one sees when ya' get away with doin' wrong?? Well, Gawd sees Tawm and we'll all have to answer to HIM"

You can fool SOME of the people ALL of the time.
tm

[sharpstyx]

Does John Mccain really think hes a regular guy? I mean even if he hadnt blown it big time with the whole "houses" thing, he hasnt been a regular guy for along time and hes never been part of the working class. He probably cant remmeber when he owned just one house, and he surely has no idea whats its like to live paycheck to paycheck. Im not say Obama does either, but ill be obama at least has some vague what its like to struggle to make a house payment or to put food on the table. The middle class is dissappearing and John Mccain is right there making it happen and i believe that if elected he would continue to tax "the rest of us". I dont want to imply that i think the POTUS should be one of us, but they need to have some idea of where we are coming from. Other than his time as a POW, which he will not let anybody forget or overlook, hes been sheltered his entire adult life. This man has no clue what it takes to lead us and he has no clue what its like to be us. He is part of the top 1% and "the rest of us" are just some distant notion somebody might have mentioned to him awhile back.

[2cntswrth]

Great post, and so true! But in our hearts we all probably know that Barack Obama could not really be an elitist per se. Most black people living in the US are not. Those like Oprah, Tiger Woods, and many others usually came from humble beginnings (like Barack) and made good in a world where the odds were stacked against them to NOT achieve the level(s) of success that they have. When people refer to black people who have been hugely successful it is usually "code" to mean that they have somehow managed to move beyond their "designated" social station in life. Yet, the real truth is that anyone seriously aspiring to be president IS successful, talented, usually wealthy, highly intelligent, is well connected, and much more. Both the candidates we have running for president fit the mold when it comes to those things. Why should we expect anything less? I don't.

[dogman44]

B U S H may be wealthy and well connected, but he is not successful, talented, or highly
intelligent.

[ChloeQ]

This business of "who do you want operating on your kid? the guy who graduated at the bottom of his class?" so completely misses the point (though it makes a valid point).

If there's one thing that the 2000 campaign should have taught us, it is that presidential elections are now completely symbolic. Nobody chooses candidates anymore based on: 1) their competence and/or ability; or 2) their positions on the issues.

It's all about how candidates - as perceived through the media filter - align with the voters' idea of what America is, and who Americans are. It's all about ideals; reality never enters into it.

And this is why the winners are still those who conjure up images derived from Westerns: the quiet, but tough, lone gunman (Cooper/Eastwood); the wise, strong-but-fair patriarch (Lorne Green); etc.

GW Bush did it in 2000, and McCain is doing it now.

[MadDemocrat]

Look at all you hypocrites. Is it not the dream of almost everyone to be wealthy? If you say no, it's just because you're lying and are not. McCain is wealthy and so is Obama. Does it really matter if you make 5 million a year like the Obama's or however many million like the McCain's? No. Don't let Obama trick you into thinking that he is an "average Joe". I don't think either one of them is struggling to pay their mortgages no matter how many they have. Most of McCain's properties are rental properties and houses that some of his family members live in. Also, McCain has donated all the royalties from his book sales, Obama's went directly into his pocket. The McCain's have donated 28% of their income to charitable causes and the Obama's, 4%. If you want to get into a pissing match on who gives more back, it's easy, the McCain's. They have done more for the poor than Obama could ever afford to do. What's worse, a super rich guy who gives more back ultimately? or a very rich guy that doesn't give much at all? P.S. Could you lefties at least remove the "Buy American" stickers off your Hyundai's? Hypocrites!

[SimonNZ]

t think you've been smoking Rush Limbaugh's pipe too long buddy,,,,,,,,,

[MadDemocrat]

Hey Simon, I bet you're a member of the Daily Kos too, hey? Drive a Hyundai perhaps with a sticker buddy? Imagine that. Hypocrite hit you where it hurts. It is becoming more typical for fellow dems to criticize a free thinker in their party.....­..........­...

[FreedomBeforeDemocracy]

I like your use of facts and numbers to prove your point. I'm curious to see if those that respond negatively also do so with facts and numbers.

And you do live up to half your name. You are mad (angry, not insane).

[zann]

Obama makes 4 million (not 5) mostly because he wrote a book that people suddenly, and only for a year or two, want to buy. He's not accustomed to money, so he buys a big house, and pays about 30% in tax. We all dream of wealth, but he should give 28% of this one time earned income away?

McCain gets 58,000 full disability from the government and some millions because of his father in law's liquor distrubutorship with its origins in prohibition era organized crime. They use every possible tax deduction so they wind up paying a smaller percent in taxes than the Obama's.

Different.

[larmarch5]

My brother-in-law is a preacher (Phd in theology, but still a preacher) and his wife is a sub teacher (MA in English, but still a part time teacher). Their daughter married the son of Polish Immigrants (He's a retired machinist and she works part time at Walgreens.) My B-I-L performed the marriage. He referred to his new inlaws at least three times during the ceremony as "salt of the earth." My S-I-L referred to them as "salt of the earth" again at the reception.

The Polish American inlaws beamed with pride every time they were called "salt of the earth." My parents would also have beamed at such a label. Sadly, it made me cringe and I don't think it should have.

[gage]

No, it shouldn't have made you cringe, and that's Obama's problem. He has a lot of supporters who look down on people who are unpretentious and down-to-earth. I've seen that attitude in the comments a lot here from Obama supporters.

[Fenianheart]

Oprah is a prime example of elitism. When she did her show about healthcare, she stated that she had no idea how many Americans were without healthcare. She had hers, so she just assumed everyone else had theirs. She went from poor to billionaire and in the process she lost touch with the rest of the country's reality. This is McCain's problem. He has no empathy for those of us not fortunate enough to have a father who can't remember how many oil leases he owns, or a wife who inherited millions. He has no idea of how the working class struggles on a daily basis.
Simply being rich does not make you elitist, and being poor does not mean you are not successful. Some of us see success as living through the trials and tribulations of life while retaining your integrity and morality, and helping those who are less fortunate than we are.

[CitizenE]

Obama is among America's intellectual elite. Insofar as his wealth is concerned, making money by selling books is about as tough a row to hoe as there is. McCain is among America's inherited and married into financial elite. In his school years, the only thing he ever distinguished himself at was wrestling. Of course, we want the best player in the White House; my vote goes here to the smart one; the one who earned his wealth.

On the other hand, how can Americans trust a man who doesn't appear to know the number of his own houses or can't distinguish between Brittany Spears and Barack Obama, between Purim and Hallowe'en, or Sunni and Shia? Who seems to have one thing only to stand on, a brief period in his long life when he distinguished himself with courage and loyalty over thirty years ago.

I don't care how much dough his wife brings to the table, what kind of shoes he wears, or if he flies in his wife's Lear jet from one Architectural Digest mansion or condo to another--John McCain's political career has largely consisted of talking out of one side of his mouth, voting out of the other; his fuse is notoriously short; he thinks bombing innocent civilians of another nation is funny, and he will if elected permanently transform the Supreme Court into a group of right-wing juidicial activists determined to reduce the Constitution to the narrow interests of a financial, political, and cultural elite.

[TerryCov]

Excellent comment, I've had the hardest time trying to explain this point to my knuckle dragging friends to no avail. I truly believe most americans think they'll be rich some day so they better set the ground work now, I mean if they can't grasp the "death tax" charade how can you convince them of anything else. I think we should push the fact that McCain will save 300k on his tax plan...300­k...amazin­g.

[gage]

"I've had the hardest time trying to explain this point to my knuckle dragging friends"

This is a prime example of what the post is about. You think people who have different politics from yours are just stupid, and you have a snobbish attitude towards them. This is a problem with many Obama supporters.