Elitism

I am an unabashed elitist.

Whenever you normally hear the word “elitist”, it seems invariably to fly from the mouth of someone a) clearly not elite, or b) elite, but not in the field/instance/environment in question. Equally invariably, the term elitist is always accusatory and the typical response sputtering and abject denial.

I’m thinking most particularly of the political realm, where presidential hopeful Barack Obama has been accused of being elitist. This in turn has produced countercharges of co-presidential hopeful John McCain being “out of touch”, usually with reference to his ownership of multiple homes (thus, a similar charge: “Nuh uh! YOU’RE the elitist!”). And so on.

Now, let’s think about this. The definition of elite is “the choice or best of anything considered collectively, as of a group or class of persons”. So, the derogation of an elite individual, especially in the race for the presidency, implies that we the electorate want less than the best individual for a president.

I would think we would have had enough of having an idiot for president (more on this later).

As far as I can tell, there are only two circumstances where this makes sense.

Scenario 1: the governed are so stupid, that they really buy into the idea that “anyone can be president”. So anyone who seems too darn smart clearly has to be suspect. Because if I can’t identify with him, and I know that I could be president, then he clearly can’t be. I.e. if you’re not as dumb as me, then you can’t govern me.

Scenario 2: the government is so powerful and overweening, that we can’t have that power wielded by anyone too clever, or else they might enslave us all and we would become Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge. Or Apple.

LESSON: We must either get a smarter electorate, or a smaller government. My vote is for both.