The Candidates Respond To "Elitist" Label

(CBS)  In November, Americans decide whether Barack Obama or John McCain becomes the 44th President of the United States. In the series "Presidential Questions," CBS News anchor Katie Couric asks questions that move the candidates well beyond the usual sound bites. Some questions concern policy. Others are more personal. All will give you a better sense of who these men are - and what has shaped them. What follows is Couric's question - and the candidates' full answers.

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Katie Couric: You and your opponent have both been criticized as elitists. Given the way you live today, why isn't that a valid criticism?

Barack Obama: Well, look, look at how I came up. Raised by a single mom. Family had very little money when I was growing up. We were on food stamps at some points. I went to school on scholarships.

Michelle, coming from the south side of Chicago, to a working class shift worker who never graduated from, never even went to college, and a stay-at-home mom. That's our background. And, up until - I can provide you the date exactly - up until I spoke at the Democratic National Convention, where suddenly my book sold as a consequence of people knowing who I was, we were living in a two, three-bedroom condo that was already getting too small. Two kids. No college fund set up yet. Not much of a retirement fund to speak of. At the end of every month - sometimes having to figure out whether or not we could pay all of the bills. So the things that middle class families are going through right now, Michelle and I went through five years ago. So the point is that we are about as ordinary a pair, a couple, as probably as ever embarked on this journey to the White House.

Couric: I think it's the Ivy League education - that somehow going to Harvard Law School and being the head of the Law Review and for Michelle, going to Princeton and Harvard Law School, it puts you in this rarified air.

Obama: Well, you know, I think that's an interesting point. And Michelle talks about this quite a bit because - and sometimes this is something that in the African-American community has been a problem. As Michelle puts it, we have done everything that you said you wanted your kids to do. Right? We worked hard. We focused on school. We reached for, you know, what we were told was the best education possible. To then suggest that that makes us elitist, or that we're no longer part of the community, which again, has not only been part of the public dialogue but Michelle and I and a lot of other African Americans sometimes have had to struggle with. The notion is, if you're authentic in the community, you wouldn't go to a place like Harvard. I think that's a perverse incentive, a perverse message in terms of what we want to send to our kids.

John McCain: Well, let me just say to start with I grew up as the son of a Naval officer. I don't believe that most Americans would believe that's an elitist lifesyle. In fact, that entails a lot of sacrifice on the part of the family. Second of all, I lived for five and a half years without a kitchen table or a chair in a small cell sometimes by myself. But the point is that you get in touch with the American people by doing the town hall meetings where you hear the hopes and the dreams and the aspirations and the concerns of the American people and you come in direct contact with them. In all due respect to programs like these, you can look into people's eyes and hear what's on their minds. And that way, you can learn so much about what's going on in America, especially during these tough times. There are people that are coming to these meetings and losing their jobs, that are facing losing their homes. You--that's the way you stay in touch with the American people, in my view.

[lelliott22]

Staycalm_ This Acorn thing is hogwash. If you will read about this thing (and there''s lots of stuff out there) you will know it. Senator Obama was not working with Acorn during this election cycle but did some work for them in the past on behalf of the Justice Dept. You right wingers keep looking for some impropriety or gotcha moment during this election. The reason why Katie Couric has not written about it -because there''s nothing there to write about... at least not tying it to Obama. If there were something ... trust me Katie Couric would have no problem writing about it (She''s one who truly care about her profession over partisan politics). But republicans keep using deception and trickery to try and make voters think that Obama was knee deep into this Acorn thing. It really doesn''t appear that anyone else even cares about this anyway. This thing with voters turning in these type of fraudulent voter registrations turn up every year. The thing of it is they can not vote without voter ID anyway -so why even worry about fraudulent voter registration cards.

[lelliott22]

A lot of you are missing the whole point of the reason the right call the left elitist especially during elections. It''s mainly done to turn the poor and middle class voters against the rich democratic guy. Think about it: Most of the democratic candidates (past or present) are every bit as rich as their republican rivals, but yet the democrats are out there trying to help the poor people -so the republican elitists make sure to point that out by saying things like ... he''s not like you... he''s a rich guy who lives in a ritzy neighborhood ... he''s this elitist that looks down on you. And yes sometimes this little ploy is effective in turning the voters off.

You see it''s not really about the rich people having the audacity to call other rich people "elitist". These rich people certainly know who they are. They simply want to clarify who this other rich guy is or is not(i.e. Kerry, Edwards, Obama) that''s out there purportedly trying to help the poor people -and seek to turn voters of those particular demographic groups against them.

[normaldude-2009]

I think it is interesting that Senator Obama said "up until I spoke at the Democratic National Convention, where suddenly my book sold as a consequence of people knowing who I was, we were living in a two, three-bedroom condo that was already getting too small. Two kids. No college fund set up yet. Not much of a retirement fund to speak of. At the end of every month - sometimes having to figure out whether or not we could pay all of the bills" yet according to his tax return, in 2003 (the year before he spoke) his AGI was $238,327. I make a lot less than that now and don''t have problems paying my bills and I have kids in college.

[staycalm]

Come on Katie...who really cares about elitism or when Sarah got her passport? Tell us about ACORN! The story of the century is staring you in the face and you''re not doing it. Does your loyalty to the Democratic party trump your professionalism as a reporter? Don''t you think the American people deserve to know that tens, if not hundreds of thousands of voter registration cards have been fraudulently submitted for this election? Isn''t this why you became a journalist? We are waiting...

[whatiknow2]

go to youtube ans search for "John McHanoi"

[snoop99991]

As typical McNuts had a memory failure. His Naval officer dad was a 4 star Admiral,same as his grand father. John, save some money drop out now!

On the final debate....

Wow, what an angry, bitter old man he is........
He reminds me of an older spoiled brat that is off his meds..
A man of privilege who cries and stamps his feet when mommy doesn''t give him his way!.
He looks at Obama with disdain and would probably love to say if you were my boy I''d
bring you out back and give you a good whuppin!

BTW - Wouldn''t you love to see Johns psychiatric reports, this man is seriously imparied!

[steeepe]

It has always stuck me as odd that McCain, who was the son and grandson of wealthy and prominent people, who was given special dispensation to attend a military academy, who, with his wife, has hundreds of millions of dollars and several multi-million dollar homes, accused Obama of being elitist. How is it elitist to be born in a poor home, raised by a single mother and grandparents, and to work your way to Harvard and a quality education? That''''s the American story. Let''''s tell the truth. The "elitist" charge is another kind of smear altogether.
Posted by albertw40 at 11:38 AM : Oct 16, 2008

Amen!! That "elitist" moniker applied by the GOP to Obama is laughable. The GOP doesn''t like intellectuals or critical thinking, they just like blind obedience to their failed policies. They''ve called Democrats elitist because they think that will fool the "low information" voters, and they might be right because a lot of people are pretty dumb and cannot realize that the GOP offers nothing for them.

[demsdebreaks]

Robert WURZELBACHER of Cinncinati, OH = Charles KEATINGS son-in-law and major Republican Party contributor. Joe WURZELBACHER of Cinncinati, OH = Average Joe Six-Pack who just happened to be out tossing a football when the Democratic candidate for president was on his street, who just happens to be looking at a business that NETS $250,000 per year after expenses? (Gee, I''''m not feeling sorry for him.)

It would be nice to know what street Obama encountered Mr. WURZELBACHER on and how far it actually is from Mr. WURZELBACHER''''s address on record. It would also be great to know just how closely Joe WURZELBACHER is related to Robert WURZELBACHER and Charles KEATING.

I smell maverick manure.

[sharednotion]

Ordinarily, I EXPECT candidates for president to be somewhat elitist; that''s part of how they got to that point. As long as they seem to be GENUINELY in touch with the rest of us, have good policies, are honest and competent, that''s good enough for me.

[albertw40]

It has always stuck me as odd that McCain, who was the son and grandson of wealthy and prominent people, who was given special dispensation to attend a military academy, who, with his wife, has hundreds of millions of dollars and several multi-million dollar homes, accused Obama of being elitist. How is it elitist to be born in a poor home, raised by a single mother and grandparents, and to work your way to Harvard and a quality education? That''s the American story. Let''s tell the truth. The "elitist" charge is another kind of smear altogether.