Letters to the Editor

This letter is associated with the following article:
A senior foreign policy advisor to Obama's campaign made some unguarded statements in an interview; the campaign was quick to try to take it back.
  • This illustrates the issue with a campaign that appeals to "latte liberals"

    To use the derogatory term. There's a reason why the Republican bamboozling of the working class was effective--anti elitism is a sad but true fact of life. People do not like to be looked down upon, and there is a severe temptation by some on the Democratic side to give the impression that they are being patronizing. Ok, so a poor person wants their issues addressed--is that really bamboozling them? I know that academics think they know what's good for the poor, but maybe the poor want a say in it too.

    I have to say that I dislike all the populist anti-NAFTA BS, but appealing to bread and butter concerns of the struggling isn't exactly dirty politics. We Democrats need to move away from "now, now we know what's best for you poor person (/Colombian peasant/Chinese worker/whatever) to at least trying to show some respect for their concerns (which, unfortunately can include "God, Guns and Gays").

    Like it or not, the majority of American's don't have a college degree--it is probably better not to patronize people in those groups from the ivory tower.