My take on Bush supporters.

[Holman]

RM9:

If you agree that those issues aren't solved, or that they were solved by people other than the intellectual elites - why did you just list them as the successes of the intellectual elites?

Because "not solved" does not equal "completely unimproved." And because the equivalent of today's "intellectual elites" were greatly involved in (and, IMHO, greatly accelerated) progress on all of these issues. Remember, we're dealing with the art of the possible here.

noxiousdog:

Susan B. Anthony and Martin Luther King were hardly intellectual elites. They were doers, not thinkers.

They are exactly the kind of people who would be tarred with the brush of "elitism" in today's political climate. ("That crazy lesbian Susan B. Anthony is trying to stir up discontent among our wives and daughters! Why can't she just leave our decent communities alone??") "Elitist" has replaced "commie" as the conservatives' epithet of choice for their political enemies.

We live in times when any liberal (such as Bill Clinton, who grew up in poverty) is branded as an "elite" while any conservative (such as George Bush, the scion of privilege) can cast himself as a "regular guy." We're talking about rhetoric, not credentials. After all, I presume that the GOP doesn't intend Rove, Wolfowitz, or Kristol when in its ads blasting those intellectual elitists who think they know better than the rest of us.

LordMortis:

I guess part of my problem is that I am not sure who the "elite" are nor do I see specific improvements being brought on a group I would call elite.

That's because the word as used in politics today is devoid of meaning.

[RunningMn9]

"Elitist" has replaced "commie" as the conservatives' epithet of choice for their political enemies.

No, it's the word we apply to the people that wax poetic about how their decision to support candidate X was reached through careful deliberation of the nuances of the positions - whereas the supporters of candidate Y reach their decision throught deliberate stupidity.

[Holman]

No, it's the word we apply to the people that wax poetic about how their decision to support candidate X was reached through careful deliberation of the nuances of the positions - whereas the supporters of candidate Y reach their decision throught deliberate stupidity.

You don't sound stupid. Just petulant.

[Austin]

You don't sound stupid. Just petulant.

You sound ironic.

[LordMortis]

We live in times when any liberal (such as Bill Clinton, who grew up in poverty) is branded as an "elite" while any conservative (such as George Bush, the scion of privilege) can cast himself as a "regular guy." We're talking about rhetoric, not credentials. After all, I presume that the GOP doesn't intend Rove, Wolfowitz, or Kristol when in its ads blasting those intellectual elitists who think they know better than the rest of us.

Clinton fit the role of elite? Oh god. Some one shoot me. I figured you put Gore in there, but Clinton? Please find my heart medication.

[noxiousdog]

We live in times when any liberal (such as Bill Clinton, who grew up in poverty) is branded as an "elite" while any conservative (such as George Bush, the scion of privilege) can cast himself as a "regular guy." We're talking about rhetoric, not credentials. After all, I presume that the GOP doesn't intend Rove, Wolfowitz, or Kristol when in its ads blasting those intellectual elitists who think they know better than the rest of us.

Clinton fit the role of elite? Oh god. Some one shoot me. I figured you put Gore in there, but Clinton? Please find my heart medication.

Yes, it's obvious that Paul Roberts is using a definition of intellectual elite than the rest of us are using.

Al Gore is a classic example. He pines about the environment without ever having to worry about being affected by a factory closing due to EPA standards. He's so out of touch with his constituents that he couldn't even win his home state.

[Kadoth Nodens]

We live in times when any liberal (such as Bill Clinton, who grew up in poverty) is branded as an "elite" while any conservative (such as George Bush, the scion of privilege) can cast himself as a "regular guy." We're talking about rhetoric, not credentials. After all, I presume that the GOP doesn't intend Rove, Wolfowitz, or Kristol when in its ads blasting those intellectual elitists who think they know better than the rest of us.

Clinton fit the role of elite? Oh god. Some one shoot me. I figured you put Gore in there, but Clinton? Please find my heart medication.

Yes, it's obvious that Paul Roberts is using a definition of intellectual elite than the rest of us are using.

I thought the point was that Clinton clearly wasn't an elitist, yet still got painted that way by some of his opponents simply because he was a well educated liberal?

( I don't like the new confused emoticon. It looks more perturbed than confused.)

[LordMortis]

I thought the point was that Clinton clearly wasn't an elitist, yet still got painted that way by some of his opponents simply because he was a well educated liberal?

Who painted Bubba as elite? I totally missed it. Now I could see a case where Hillary is painting herself into an elitist corner, but she wasn't even relevant enough to notice until she decided to become a New Yorker.

[Kadoth Nodens]

I thought the point was that Clinton clearly wasn't an elitist, yet still got painted that way by some of his opponents simply because he was a well educated liberal?

Who painted Bubba as elite? I totally missed it. Now I could see a case where Hillary is painting herself into an elitist corner, but she wasn't even relevant enough to notice until she decided to become a New Yorker.

I wasn't trying to imply that anyone here was painting him that way (and I didn't think Paul was either, but I could be wrong).

Google "Clinton" and "Elitist" and you'll come up with some doozies. It's mostly fringe-loonie stuff, but the claim's definitley been made.