the obama xmas photo on new yorker cover...

[Fern]

Originally posted by: eskimospy
Never quite understood why elitism is bad in a presidential election. In theory we're looking for the single smartest/most capable/best person in a country of 300 million people to lead us in life or death situations for 4 to 8 years. Am I the only one who wants someone elite? I don't want someone I can share a beer with.

Elitism

1. practice of or belief in rule by an elite.
2. Snobbery

Some synonyms for elite might be "Upper-class," or "Aristocratic,"

Elitism doesn't necessarily mean achievement etc.

I think it clear that most people relate elitism with snobbery, or worse "aristocracy". The latter being historically a *bad word" in the USA. Those countries who enjoy monarchs might like elitists; we don't

You used the word "capable", I don't think most others equate the two as you seem to.

"Capable" is what Obama and McCain are striving for.

Fern

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: yllus
Oh, it's not that bad. It's nothing that hasn't been expressed in words already by the people who would visualize him like that. And the point of the article of the New Yorker is to lampoon the extreme right, not to perpetuate their ideas.

That's the claim, but I don't perceive it like that. I have only seen this on TV, not the magazine rack. If I read the article, I might think otherwise. However, on face value (and that's what most people see of this, period) it doesn't seem like that. I think it's worse than tasteless, it's entirely reprehensible.

 

[cubeless]

for those with a love of good reading, i recommend ws churchill's 'history of the english speaking people'... my kids are feeding it to me volume by volume as presents (i'm on vol 3 of 5), and it sure proves that people just keep doing the same things over and over...

the names and the scenery change a bit, but it looks like a few hundred years isn't long enough for human nature to "evolve"...

and wait until pres obama extracts retribution on the new yorker... i feel a whole new era of political correctness (meaning suppression of free speech) a'coming...

 

[jman19]

Originally posted by: Fern

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: Fern

Originally posted by: yllus
Oh, it's not that bad. It's nothing that hasn't been expressed in words already by the people who would visualize him like that. And the point of the article of the New Yorker is to lampoon the extreme right, not to perpetuate their ideas.

While I'm not sure what your definintion of "extreme right" is, I think they are lampooning those "bitter people who cling to their religion and guns". The ones too stupid, afraid or uninformed to know that the "Obama is a Muslim" stuff is untrue.

Elitism rears it's head in the campaign again.

All-in-all, I don't think it's a plus for Obama.

Fern

I don't get how that's elitism. If someone thinks Obama is a Muslim or a terrorist in hiding or whatever (and those people are clearly out there in this election), they deserved to be lampooned.

How ironic. I think you've proven my point in your attempt to dispute it.

Fern

If that's elitism, then I don't see what's so bad about it.