I think there’s a fair amount of truth to this article:

http://clivecrook.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/09/democrats_must_learn_some_resp.php

Thoughts?

http://meganmcardle.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/09/coastal_privilege.php

More on a similar topic.

I also think that something brought up in comments was interesting: Being smart doesn’t necessarily mean that you make good decisions…

Any geek can tell you that Intelligence != Wisdom.

I’ve tried typing a response to this eight times already. Failing.

Great points, and I’ll go ahead and be honest: I’m guilty of this mindset. I don’t feel GOOD about being a smug liberal jerk, but there it is.

More later, perhaps.

Response 1: I am almost certain that neither of these authors ever socializes with anyone connected with the class of people they’re trying to analyze. Which makes what they’re saying both questionable and hypocritical:

Politician: I represent working Americans!

Journalist: You condescend to working Americans!

Me: Neither of you know any working Americans, DIAF.

Not that I do not know any working Americans either but I don’t pretend to understand that particular group.

Response 2: Democrats are stupid in the sense that they assume lower-middle-class voters should vote for them solely because their economic policies favor redistribution. Most people will not compromise their stated values for a welfare check.

I guess what I was thinking of as far as my smug liberal jerk-ness was like.. rednecks. The south. Yada yada yada, all the media portrayals/ stereotypes of that group. It feels to me like that’s what theyr’e referencing… I mean, Crook even uses the phrase “laughable redneck notions” at the end.

I suspect you’ll have a hard time getting anyone here to argue honestly in the defense of the notions of rednecks, Julie. :-D