Elitism

You hear this term used all the time. This is one of those moments where we need Inigo Montoya:

"Why you keep using that word? I dunnut think i' means wha' you think it means."

"Elitist" doesn't equate to "rich". It doesn't mean "educated", or "ivy league educated", "royal", or even "privileged". It's the belief that because you belong to some "elite" group that you are now qualified to run to the head of the line of people who get to tell everyone else what to do. It is the belief that you are somehow better than those who don't belong to whatever group you feel entitles you to pontificate and be taken seriously.

I've never once heard John McCain say, "I'm rich. Therefore, I know better." It's always "here's what I think we ought to do and here's why." He has appealed to our sense of trust by showing us his character and a bit about where it came from -- and that he has a long history of it. But he doesn't say "I served, therefore I can tell you what to do." He says, "Here's a sample of things I've been through and the kinds of decisions I've made. You can trust my character." He knows he isn't perfect and when he says he knows that, you believe him. But not because he owns 6 or 7 houses, and not because his wife is wealthy, and not because his grandfather and father were high-ranking Navy officers. Not because of his education or any clubs he belonged to.

Obama clearly believes cosmopolitan is better than mainstreet. Small-town and rural America is misguided. Religious people are ignorant. Government knows better than we do how to distribute the fruits of our labor. That is elitism.

Oh, and this stupid Sam Cooke song commercial The Savior has been running against McCain, using McCain's admission that he isn't an economic expert -- asinine. I trust a guy who says he knows he isn't an expert ... to consult experts. I don't think for a second Obama knows any more about economics that McCain does. I think McCain is just more willing to be self-deprecating. A little thing called "humility".

What I do know is that Obama's economic philosophy is Socialism, while McCain's is more akin to Capitalism. Each will take advice in light of their respective philosophies. You already know which one I'm more partial to.