Do Democrats Hate the Working Class?

Look at three Democratic politicians: Bill Clinton, LBJ, Mario Cuomo. If you used the standard measurement for "working class," their backgrounds fit the label.

Look at working class Democratic politicians as the control group:  Bill Clinton, LBJ, Mario Cuomo.  Two of the three went to non-elite colleges.  All of them grew up in lower income circumstances than Palin (Clinton’s was pretty harrowing with the drunken stepfather).  Again, if you used the standard measurement for “working class”, they hit most of them regarding their background–these are politicians who are “from” the working class (of course, like Palin herself, and every other successful politician, they did not remain in the working class–really, what an amazingly stupid assertion!!!). Ok, what’s my point?  It’s this:  Do Democrats and liberals hate those three?  No.  Obviously during the sixties, the Left vehemently opposed LBJ over the War.  But liberals today are sad–that’s really the word–about LBJ’s descent into Vietnam.  They think he missed a chance to be as great a president as his hero, FDR.  But they admire him more than ever for his domestic accomplishments; they, especially admire his genuine commitment to civil rights and his toughness and shrewdness.  Liberals think Clinton’s kind of an underachiever, and undisciplined to say the least about his sex life and his politics, too.  But he’s a good Democrat over all.  Cuomo remains, years after his retirement, broadly admired for his eloquence and decency.  All from the working class–all admired. So Democrats and liberals don’t have anything against politicians from the working class–that’s just a stupid argument, and probably an argument made in bad faith too.  Like conservatives, they are opposed to politicians who:  1) they disagree with about the issues–therefore, of course they oppose Palin because she does not share their views.  If Palin had the politics of LBJ (domestically), Clinton or Cuomo, nobody on the left would care about “you betcha” and that she went to five non-elite colleges. But she doesn’t. But there is also something else they don’t like about her: she is mediocre.  This dislike of mediocrity is sometimes described as “elitist.” It’s not. LBJ, Clinton, and Cuomo  were very able politicians, very smart people who understood the issues, understood how to promote the liberal agenda, understood how to intelligently advance progressive policies.  They knew what they were talking about.  Palin has a certain telegenic gift, but she does not know what she is talking about. Just as any smart boss wants capable employees, and any teacher wants interested, hardworking, achieving students, liberals believe public officials should be competent.  The reason liberals–and some discerning conservatives–don’t respect Palin has everything to do with her competence. In the case of liberals, it also has to do with her views on the issues.  It has nothing to do with her working class bona fides.