Reply #21: "Elitist," when used by a politician, is a right-wing dog whistle word for "uppity." [View All]

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

And yes, I am an elitist, in the sense that I am an educated professional who lives in a large city (since that seems to be all it takes to qualify these days). I don't use terms like "white trash" or "low-information voter"; I don't drink lattes or drive a Volvo, but I also don't have two mansions and $109 million in the bank; I didn't go to an Ivy League college or get a spot on the board of Wal-Mart; and I haven't spent most of my adult life hobnobbing with presidents, politicians and lobbyists. So maybe I'm just a low-grade elitist.

I am an elitist in the sense that I believe a president should be better, more ethical, and smarter than most other people. I definitely want my president to be smarter than I am. I also don't want a president who feels an obligation to brag about having a gun or slamming shots or standing on the bed of a pickup truck or pretending to pump gas like a regular person in order to prove they are not "elite" when very clearly they are. If "elite" means being the best, good. I want the best possible president, not a phony or a panderer. And I especially dislike the use of the word "elite" as an insult. Particularly in the specific context of this primary, we know damn well it really means "uppity."