Conversation | 04/21/2008 10:22 am

Does a Little Obama 'Elitism' Go a Long Way in Politics?

With Joan Juliet Buck, Lesley Stahl, Liz Smith and Whoopi Goldberg

JOAN: What is this thing of Obama being perceived as an elitist? Is it important? Is it going to harm him? What do you think?

LIZ: I think it does harm him. And the National Review story on Michelle Obama complaining to ladies in Ohio about how could the two of them live on $500,000 a year, and how they couldn’t pay for their children’s tennis and dancing lessons, or piano lessons, or something. But, honestly, you have to admire the Obamas. They’re an upscale, young American couple. They’re a model for every downtrodden person in America. So, I think a little elitism goes a long way. I think it both helps and hurts. It’s like people having money or being rich. Well everybody wants that. The public wants the same thing. So I think it’s sort of a two-edged sword. But do I think the Obamas are intellectual elitists, probably. They’re smarter than the rest of us.

LESLEY: You come at this issue the way we come at the whole campaign now – now that we’re this deep in. And that is with certain preconceived opinions. If you like Obama, I don’t think it bothers you at all. If you don’t like Obama, it’s a huge thing. And this is why, to me – and I’ve always said this to some criticism – when it comes to the president, the most important thing the people vote on is likability. That you get down to hearing these discussions about the issues and they get so confusing. Sometimes the difference between the candidates – and this is true between Obama and Hillary Clinton – the differences on issues is so small that it’s very difficult to listen, where you can’t go back and re-read and figure out exactly who said what. And then, if they disagree, the argument goes back and forth and back and forth and you agree when this one says it and then you agree when the other one says it. You get lost. So you end up making your decision on whether you trust them, whether you’re comfortable with them, whether they convey a sense of confidence, comfortableness in their skin. And I think that Hillary Clinton runs the risk, in this particular question of whether he’s elitist, of being too heavy-handed. And I noticed the other day there was a new poll. It said that her negatives on this likability factor have gone way up as she keeps pounding away at this. It could end up where, yes, he’s painted as an elitist. But she gets hurt more than he does by it.

JOAN: Whoopi?

WHOOPI: I just think it’s the most ridiculous thing in the world. You know, it’s a phenomenon which, had both candidates been white, wouldn’t be as big an issue as it’s become, because they painted John Kennedy the same way, that he was an elitist. So now they’re saying Obama’s an elitist because he pretty much said that when this is happening and this is happening and this is happening, people cling to those things that they know best, that they’re most comfortable with. He didn’t say, "Only people in Pennsylvania." He said, "Folks who have gone through this kind of experience." He didn’t say, "Only white people." He didn’t say, "Only poor people." And it’s the same with rich white folks. They cling to what they know. All of us do it.

LESLEY: Whoopi, I think the fear the Democrats have with this issue is not because he’s a person of color. It’s because the Republicans latch onto this exact kind of argument time and again and make it work for them. As with Adlai Stevenson, with Dukakis, with Kerry, with Gore …

WHOOPI: Well, what’s the matter is the Democrats are an elitist group. That’s the truth.

Read more about: Barack Obama, Election, Hillary Clinton, Politics

320 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

I definitely think Obama comes across as a snooty HS debater and not as smart as he thinks he is, with his little hip-hop gestures and so on. (I bet he doesn’t even listen to rap or hip-hop—we sure do around here!) The problem to me was not saying people were bitter (though that word is prejorative) but talking about one favored group about another less favored group. Really condescending. And I don’t think that is why some people in PA don’t like him anyway. It’s not why I don’t. I don’t because he seems opaque, this all seems orchestrated, and people are following seemingly mindlessly, which scares me. It’s now down to two concepts—Hillary is a liar, he is a dimestore savior. Well, all three of them are liars. Politicians lie. So get used to it. And if he gets elected, mark my words, a lot of weird stuff will happen—all will not be well or even an improvement.

By StarLawrence on 04/21/2008 11:03 am

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Star—I’ll vote for Obama because while still a company man he’s not totally married to the failed policies of yesteday as are Clinton and McCain. You are so right the system is totally fixed. With the backing of many in the fathers rights movement I tried for the GOP nomination. The last thing the GOP, and likely the Democrats too, want is a real outsider. To be sure I got no traction the GOP openly cheated me in straw polls. The first time was at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in Memphis in 3/06. Refused a line on the straw as a write-in I beat Guilani, Brownback, Hegel, Gingrich, Barbour, Tancredo and JC Watts. My results were listed as “Other”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oQdn6NvhIU Later in Iowa as a favor to a politically connected fathers rights activist, I was added to the Des Moines area GOP chairman’s straw poll. Quickly went to 52% of the vote which at that point my name was removed and the count reset to zero. The Iowa GOP refused to take my $15,000 for a ballot line at the Ames Straw Poll last August. See Part 2 of the Des Moines GOP chairman’s blog entry. http://therealsporer.blogspot.com/2006/08/musicians-wanted.html

By MARKKLEINMD on 04/21/2008 11:49 am

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Dr. Klein—how much of your life do you spend posting on the site? At least 2 hours a day I would guess. It’s pretty ironic for a male chauvinist, father’s rights type. Your cause would be more likely to get some traction in a Clinton administration, because Obama would be afraid to touch it for fear of alienating women I would guess. I agree that the Family Courts are widely perceived to be biased toward mothers, but in most cases it turns out better for the children, in my experience. I’m a retired family law attorney. What is your take on Texas’s treatment of the families in the polygamous community?

By MichaelSalling on 04/21/2008 8:59 pm

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Obama’s arrogance may work for a certain segment of the American population, but a President must speak to and represent the entire nation. All social and economic classes. You simply cannot marginalize a whole class of people you consider beneath you and call them “embittered” and expect to win their votes. The best thing about this nomination process is the time it is taking. Candidates begin to show their true colors under the sheer duress. Even last night’s speeches after Hillary’s 10 point win in Pennsylvania made things clearer. Her victory speech was poignant. His concession speech sounded like another angry scold. Obama keeps telling us how to think and be, instead of listening to how we think and are. That’s what Hillary does so well. And that is exactly why she has won the important battleground states that Democrats need to take in the general election to win the presidency.

By BuhBye on 04/23/2008 3:57 pm

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I couldn’t agree more - Obama comes across to me as snooty. He tries to act otherwise but every now and then it slips out. I am disappointed in Hilary’s stretching the truth and exaggerating some of her experiences, but when push comes to shove, she has proved she is the strongest of the two and definitely a fighter! She doesn’t back down and she has had to take a whole lot more punches than Obama has during this campaign. I hope she “cleans house” in the elections on Tuesday. I also have this gut feeling, if Obama gets elected a lot of weird stuff is going to happen. And my gut feelings have never let me down.

By BeckyR on 04/21/2008 1:43 pm

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I have an issue with Obama being called an African American,is he not HALF WHITE? Why does everyone call him that? Or better yet he calls himself a BLACK MAN. What a slap in the face for his WHITE MOTHER. Now I am not sure if this is a big deal and maybe trivial to most, but as a mother of two sons I find it kind of dismissing.MR. OBAMA stop calling YOURSELF a BLACK MAN.

By BarbW on 06/04/2008 12:39 pm

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As a “black” woman that is half white, why is it such an issue what we are called? Why don’t we talk about the real issues like disease, pollution, lack of jobs, why my two black children face racism because of their skin tone…etc. I think he can call himself wahtever he wants & I support him all the way! Comments like Barbs is what divides our country today. Blessings

By JadeStanford on 06/11/2008 9:24 pm

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Thank you Star. You are absolutely right on! Mark my words…..if it happens, it won’t be good. Young man needs some time to mature. GKG

By GloriaGermain on 05/08/2008 12:26 am

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What is all the fuss about? I know I will vote for the one who wins this battle in the Democratic party. I do not care what his wife or her husband said. Rich or poor background. Whatever color. We have two great candidates. Lets give credit for some strong people who came forward and asked for this job, look what the Republicans found.

By JeannotKensinger on 04/21/2008 11:24 am

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I completely agree! I have followed the candidates and followed the issues. Which is very difficult to do, when all the media, including my favorite shows, want to do is become the “National Inquirer” . People are so angry and bitter over the last 7 years, that we strike out at each other and salivate over utter nonsense. No matter which excellent Democratic Candidate gets the nomination, I will be voting for them. And then I will be pressuring them and all our elected officials to bring about change in health care and green energy and an end to the corporate government and war crimes and imperialism and the occupation of Iraq. When we elect the Democratic Candidate to be the next President of the United States, our work will have only just begun.

By DeniG on 04/22/2008 12:40 pm

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JMK Singer. Précisément. Exactement. Tout à fait.

By NoGOP on 04/23/2008 2:06 pm

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Before the public gets all riled up about “elitism”, I think it might behoove us to ask what they mean by “elitism.” Many women on this site are distinctive with their superior intellect, dazzling personal ability, exceptional lifetime experience, and focused professional training. I submit that these women could be considered members of the elite and that their point of view of life carries weight. Being elite is not necessarily being bad. I am suspicious of anyone who tosses around any “ism”, because isms reek of resentment.

By branyon on 04/21/2008 11:34 am

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AB is right, we need to define ‘elitism’. What the heck is meant or being described? In my view, the problem is that this election has gone on much too long. We may have to pass a law ‘defining’ how long a presidential election should be allowed to run — shouldn’t have to, but candidates (Hillary in this case) don’t seem to have the self-control that would be desirable in a president.. This election has gotten out of hand with a lot of messy, childish junk the outcome. It also bothers me that we Americans fall so easily for words that are not defined as to context or have some image’, warped or not warped, attached to them. I hate to admit it, but in many respects, seems to me that we, Americans, are simply not well-informed enough because of our own lack of paying attention or thinking things thru or understand political, language, feelings, what kind of an America we want, etc. I suggest that SOMEONE initiate a national discussion about WHO we want to be. I’m voting for Obama because I think he is one heck of a human being, someone who has made personal and professional mistakes, mistakes in thinkiing about the world and then corrected them by changing what needed to be changed for optimum results. Pluses hard to come by, especially in the political worlld. As I see Obama, he is a person who can look at the big picture, do what it takes to get good counsel on any problem and then make workable solutions from all he knows, hears and thinks. In my view, we need a president who can THINK — inside and outside the box — and this is Barack. I did not hear or hear of Michelle’s comments about not being able to live on $500,000/year. Hard to believe any fool, especially a candidates wife, would say that. She has said a few things that are questionable, but she seems to have calmed down from the early days in the campaign. I do wish she would be more careful about what she says. Being in the White House might be interesting, maybe even fun. But we need a president who can THINK. Not rely on good old standard issuess that have produced little. Also, while I’m yapping, I really like Bill Clinton and thought he did a very good job as president. Will never forgive Gingrich and his group for the impeachment nonsense they put us thru when Gingrich and many others were behaving in the same way Clinton was. Gingrich and frens wasted two years of a presidency. Had they not so distracted everyone with nonesense, 911 might not have happened. Politics might be a ‘sport’ to politicians, but it’s reality for Americans and affects the way we are able to live. We NEED good, thoughtful, know how leadership NOW. I think both Bill and Hillary have shown a competitive side and a willingness to go ‘slumming’ when it suits their purpose that I have never seen before, and I’m disgusted and disappointed with both of them and Hillary’s campaign. I’m sic of ‘schuluck’ and right now, politics. Can’t CNN find something else to talk about?

By JennyOops on 04/21/2008 7:42 pm

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I want to agree about Gingrich’s behavior during Clinton’s administration. His actions cost us 80 million dollars to find out clinton got a … and the only one who cared was his wife. Until the last 8 years I’d never before been so embarrased to be a Republican.

By beverlylinens on 04/21/2008 8:12 pm

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Beverly- “…Never before been so embarrased to be a Republican.” Perhaps because the party of Lincoln and Eisenhower has been co-opted by the “Invasion of The Party Snatchers.” An odd conjunction of NeoCons, “Left Behinders” and plutocrats. Paul Craig Roberts, former Reagan Asst of Treasury, land Hoover Institute fellow, left George Bush’s Administration stating they are ‘dangerous war criminal psychopaths.” Here’s a short interview, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF7SXg04IXM His bio: Paul Craig Roberts, Assistant Sect. of Treasury under Pres. Reagan http://www-hoover.stanford.edu/bios/roberts.html - Website of Stanford’s Hoover Institute describes Roberts The Honorable Paul Craig Roberts is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. During 1981–82, he served as assistant secretary of the Treasury for economic policy. He was awarded the Treasury Department’s Meritorious Service Award for “his outstanding contributions to the formulation of United States economic policy.” A former editor and columnist for the Wall Street Journal and columnist for Business Week…the Forbes Media Guide ranked him as one of its top seven journalists. He has testified before committees of Congress on 30 occasions. http://www.lasvegastribune.com/20050729/headline3.html - Las Vegas Tribune’s July 29, 2005 article on Roberts Roberts said he hasn’t changed his political ideology or jumped from the Republican-conservative ship but “just can’t respect a party leadership who doesn’t respect the truth.” “I guess the real story about 9/11 is about what the people are actually saying. I’ve gotten hundreds of emails in response to my columns and many of them talk about not getting the truth from the government or the media about what really happened at the World Trade Center. I know many qualified engineers and scientists have said the WTC collapsed from explosives. In fact, if you look at the manner in which it fell, you have to give their conclusions credibility.”

By BuhByeHillaryHillaryBuhBye on 04/21/2008 9:09 pm