What's wrong with being "professorial?" And who's elitist?

This was a constant criticism of Gore, then Kerry, and now Obama. Elitist and too smart!!

First of all, why are elitist and smart used as near synonyms?

Second, I WANT leaders who are smart, I think it's great if they're ivy-league, and I think the elitists are the people who put them down for it. Why are "small-town plain folks" so often seen as better than other people?!

Isn't anti-intellectualism a feature of fascism? Is it to inoculate against truth-tellers? ("Don't listen to those elitist professorial scientists who tell you we're lying to you! They aren't regular folks like you and me!")

They're doing this again, leading up to Friday's debate. I LIKE it when a smart person gives an answer long enough to present details and a thoughtful point of view. I don't want rehearsed soundbytes, which is all McCain did in the GOP debates. And there's nothing inherently wrong with professors.

Who are the real elitists?

running the village??

And Obama has a J.D., not a PhD, just FYI.

I want the SMART people in charge for a change.

For anyone to attempt to label Obama an elitist while largely ignoring son/grandson of admirals, got into school on a legacy McAnus and his sugar-mama elitism...ridiculous.

Andrew Sullivan said that he knows John McCain personally and that McCain is one of the biggest celebrity hob-nobbe party goers he knows. He thought it was insane how they were trying to label Obama as 'Hollywood' since he attended a Streisand fund raiser...

she was on hardball and really pissed me off!!!


Ms Tucker,


I'm listening to you bash Barack on Hardball with Chris Matthews. Why is being educated and thinking before you speak such a bad thing? Why does he continue to have to "prove himself" and not be too intellectual. Do you really think Americans are that dumb? I'm not understanding people who spout off that he has to reflect strength when he is the only person who has been speaking with the media and actually answer questions from the media. Where have McCain and Palin been all week? Taking pictures and not taking questions is all they have been able to do. If you want to talk about strength, Obama is the person exuding strength and a passion to lead this country out of the gutter.

I heard some of that exchange -- he can't be too smart, instead he has to be strong. Huh?!?

I also heard somebody say how McCain was "aggressive" in the GOP debates. He was so rehearsed it was comical!! "I'll follow him to the gates of Hell and destroy him!" followed by an oddly big grin. That's "aggressive?"

Bizarre.

"I want the smartest m*$%*!*%^#*$s in the room?" That's pretty much my position.

but someone asked:

In what other occupation do we see "elite" as a bad thing? We want our surgeon to be elite, to have graduated at the top of his/her class at a great school and have a distinguished performance record. Don't you want an elite pilot at the helm of your Delta flight? We love elite athletes and cheer them on at the Olympics. We want our plumber to be the best there is. Etc. etc.

So it's ridiculous not to expect similarly high standards of the most important job in the country.

"Sorry, you're well-qualified for the job, but we've decided to hire someone more plain and regular."

was a GOOD THING.

Kids: NO WAY!

Me: Yes, way! It was awesome to know things, seriously!

Kids: Wow, that's weird. People who knew things weren't made fun of? Had rocks thrown at them?

Me: No, quite the contrary, they were admired as people who Knew Things.

Kids: Weird.

"Did you and Dad ever like... Know Things?"

That's the issue.

I'm glad Obama is a smart guy, but I wish he could use ten cent expressions sometimes. Most people don't have college degrees (something like 3/4 of the country).

...and THEN elaborate if he must.

Make that point in the first ten words! Joe Biden has worked at training himself to come right to the point. So can Obama.

It's more important than we realize, I fear.

For God sakes, McLiar married a multi millionaire and Obama and Biden both have a lot less in comparison. Cindy McCain spent $300,000 on her outfit, shoes, and jewelry for one (!) night at the RNC. $300,000 would be the equivalent of more than 3 years of my husbands two jobs!

"I LIKE it when a smart person gives an answer long enough to present details and a thoughtful point of view"

And do you like it when half the people flip to another channel, start snooring or ask themselves "what the f*ck did he just say"?

Brother Obama:

If you're trying to communicate with the average voter with an average education who does not have a PH.D you might want to sound smart but not arrogant or elitist.

There is no need to impress us with big words and long drawn out lectures that show us just how brilliant you are.

In other words, talk like most of us working class folks in the common language we use in our neighborhoods and at work.

And us "small town" and big city and rural "plain folks" happen to be the great majority of people in this nation. We do the work!

So don't put us down and don't talk down to us.

Get down to earth.

We don't need to be lectured too.

And if you lecture us, many of us will tune ya out.

He drops his g's from the end of words. His cadence gets a small bit of street lilt to it.

That is a separate issue from the ongoing failure to communicate directly and with certitude -- to talk around an answer, not directly, decisively answer a question.

In my opinion, that's losing potential votes. It loses me, waiting for him to get around to the point.

Yes, he needs to talk with real compassion, answer questions directly .... truthful and effective "sound bites" are fine with me!

I really don't need or want him to go on and on and on and on.

And I don't drop g's from the end of words I use!

No need to do that.

I WANT someone as president who knows more than the average guy, someone with outstanding critical thinking skills, an affinity for both logic and diplomacy, and a little more going for him than being "plain folks."

Getting a fine education and then using it to serve others is so very much not elitist.