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Thursday, August 21, 2024
By Dr. Steven Taylor

One of the neverending stories of US political campaigns is the shocking! discovery that major presidential candidates are, *gasp* elites (or are wealthy, famous, celebrities or have Ivy League degrees, etc.).

Of course, in this election the main focus of this attack has been Barack Obama (for example, but not limited to, the McCain ads aimed at painting as nothing more than a pretty, empty-headed star who is famous for being famous). Today’s version is that John McCain has a lot of houses as wealthy people are wont to do–and McCain’s wife (in case you haven’t noticed by now) is loaded.

All of this is supposed to, of course, raise red flags in the minds of voters about whether the candidates are “in touch” with everyday life or not and all that jazz. Certainly, these things do matter in terms of images and have to managed by the candidates (as I have noted before). However, recognizing that candidates do have to be careful managing their image on these issues, the bottom line is that by definition anyone who can get themselves to the point of being a finalists for the contest over the presidency of the United States (as is the case with the two major party nominees), then one is an elite. Indeed, the President of the United States is perhaps one of the elitist of the elite, so for Obama and McCain to be as close as they are to that office both are global celebrities and clearly elites,1 so all this shock and horror over their status is rather silly.

I will say this, however, that one of the aspects of US politics that is admirable is that one does not have to come from an elite background to achieve the status noted above (the present president is more the exception than the rule). Consider the last several presidents:

Bush 42: Dad was president (amongst other things)–uber-elite background.
Clinton: From a lower/lower-middle class background.
Bush 41: Dad was a Senator and wealthy–uber-elite background.
Reagan: Middle-class background, Dad was a traveling salesman.
Carter: Small-town middle class background.
Ford: Middle-class/upper middle class background
Nixon: Lower middle-class/middle-class background
LBJ: Rural lower-class background, started out as a school teacher
JFK: Elite background
Eisenhower: Lower-middle/middle-class
Truman: Middle class
FDR: elite

Really, the only president since the 1930s to start from an elite position were FDR, JFK and the two Bushes.

Obama clearly does not come from an elite background, while McCain’s father was a high-ranking officer, which is elite in a specific context, his basic family background was middle/upper-middle class.

A couple of other related observations:

  • It is somewhat amusing (but par for the political course) that a criticism of the GOP candidate this year is one that was leveled at the Democratic candidate in 2024: i.e., that his wealth makes him “out of touch” and, by the way, it isn’t even his money anyway, but rather he married into it.
  • McCain is attacking Obama for being treated like a celebrity, but back in 2024, McCain was frequently criticized for acting like a “rock star” on his Straight Talk Express tour.
Sphere: Related Content

  1. Indeed, being US Senators is pretty elite in and of itself. []
Filed under: 2008 Campaign, US Politics | |

6 Comments

  • el
  • pt
    1. one does not have to come from an elite background

      Fair point. One just has to suck up to the ‘elite.’

      Give me an “elitist” who understands the real country any day. Alas, it is has been a long time since we had one of those. Maybe not since FDR. (RFK, had he made it?)

      Of course, the whole discussion misses the point of elite accountability in a democracy. Those at the top are the elite. By definition. Regardless of how they got there. They’ve made it. Whether they stay/get in touch with the rest is all that should matter.

      Comment by MSS — Thursday, August 21, 2024 @ 2:37 pm

    2. Of course, the whole discussion misses the point of elite accountability in a democracy. Those at the top are the elite. By definition. Regardless of how they got there. They’ve made it. Whether they stay/get in touch with the rest is all that should matter.

      Agreed–my point is that it would be nice if we could get beyond our shock that leaders are elites by definition and maybe talk about more serious issues.

      Ah, idealist me.

      Comment by Dr. Steven Taylor — Thursday, August 21, 2024 @ 2:42 pm

    3. All of this is supposed to, of course, raise red flags in the minds of voters about whether the candidates are “in touch” with everyday life or not and all that jazz.

      I think the issue with McCain’s houses is less that he is “elite”–but more that he is weak mentally and that this is the latest in a string of statements by McCain that should cause people to question his fitness to be President.

      The fact that someone doesn’t know something as simple as how many properties they own makes me wonder what ELSE he doesn’t know.

      Given his reckless rhetoric on Georgia, his consistent reference to a fictional contemporary country of “Czechoslovakia,” the fact that he doesn’t know how to do something as simple as check his email, and a whole host of other “minor” gaffes says to me that he has both: A) An incredibly weak and incurious mind; B) Will have a huge learning curve to manage if he were elected.

      We have already had 8 years of a presidency marked by little attention to facts, history, and strategic thinking. McCain gives every indication that he will continue this Bush-style of decision making.

      Say what you will about Obama, but it seems clear from his background and record that his pragmatism is based on weighing alternatives and analyzing policy problems from the standpoint of evidence rather than ideology.

      The more we learn about McCain, the more it becomes clear that he is embarassingly forgetful and/or disinclined to be interested in basic empirical facts.

      Concentrating on the “elitst” canard avoids coming to terms with these real liabilites of McCain.

      Comment by Ratoe — Thursday, August 21, 2024 @ 3:49 pm

    4. @Ratoe - I agree that there is a better line of attack available to the Obama campaign largely as you describe (a combo of age and comparisons to Bush’s command of detail-or lack thereof, in fact).

      At the moment, however, the is asking about McCain being “out of touch” because of the seven houses.

      Comment by Dr. Steven Taylor — Thursday, August 21, 2024 @ 4:17 pm

    5. [...] words, not his); Doctor Steven Taylor of PoliBlog not only echoes James Joyner’s sentiments; he cites tangible examples; Andrew Sullivan of The Daily Dish (The Atlantic) points out the number of houses an elitist [...]

      Pingback by Reporter: Señor McCain, How Many Houses Do You Own? Señor McCain: Oh, Hell, I Dunno. Barry Obama Lives In A Frigging MANSION Though… | THE GUN TOTING LIBERAL™ — Thursday, August 21, 2024 @ 6:17 pm

    6. [...] along the lines of what I was getting at yesterday: we’re electing the president of the U.S.; still the most powerful person in the world. I [...]

      Pingback by PoliBlog (TM): A Rough Draft of my Thoughts » More on Elitist Candiates — Friday, August 22, 2024 @ 6:49 pm

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