| I think the worst part of this denouncement of Obama's words as elitist is that his message is lost. What he's saying is substantive. He's saying those who have been hardest hit by government as usual in the past two administrations--nearly 16 years--have the most difficulty believing in an idealist like himself.
Do these people cling to [issues of] guns...as a way to explain their frustrations? Do they cling to [issues of] religion? antipathy to the other guy? etc? I believe they do. And I think it's clear every politician believes it and so does the press. If it were otherwise, I don't believe the politicians would tell the story about how they learned to shoot, I don't think they'd be so careful to portray themselves as good Christians, etc.
I agree with Poet that Clinton's statements were in the same vein as Obama's, but, as the consummate politician, Clinton only talked about race. Americans all know dividing people by race is wrong (even if they knowingly or unknowingly do it); it's un-American. Clinton's remarks are politically safe, whereas Obama touched on hot-button issues.
We, as parents, teach our kids ideals like always trying hard and being honest and being courageous and having dignity and treating others with respect and being fair and sharing and what-have-you. Then, after sixteen years of scandal and underhandedness and deceit and suspicion in the White House a politician comes along who espouses the ideals we value and he's elitist? I reject the notion that Obama is elitist. He's an idealist, and in the factories and union halls of Pennsylvania and throughout the country, where jobs have disappeared and the future is precarious, the politicians portray him as elitist when what he really is is elite.
He clearly has made choices in his life that reflect at least some of the ideals we all value and he has succeeded. I don't pretend for a minute that he's perfect--he's got a past like everyone else and he's going to make mistakes. The way he conducts himself leads me to believe he will be thoughtful and honest and will apply his considerable intelligence, work ethic and desire to help people to everything he does; in this he does have experience.
We like elite athletes, we seek elite schools for our bright kids, we choose the biggest and the best. But for President, for eight years we chose one who "could possibly be more intelligent than he seems". I definitely want change and I choose to believe in Barack. |