Out Of Touch Elitists

In 1972, Pauline Kael’s infamous quote “I don’t know anyone who voted for Nixon.” became a rallying cry for those who wish to paint liberals as out-of-touch northeastern elites[1]Which is understandable. It’s a really stupid thing to say.. Thirty three years later, the tables have turned and it’s conservatives who don’t understand the world outside their insular bubbles of influence :

Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean, responding to criticism from the vice president, said he doesn’t “care if Dick Cheney likes my mother or not.”

The vice president said in a recent interview that Dean was not the type of person to lead a political party and mentioned the chairman’s mother.

“I’ve never been able to understand his appeal. Maybe his mother loved him, but I’ve never met anybody who does. He’s never won anything, as best I can tell,” Cheney said in an interview on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity & Colmes.”

Of course you don’t understand his appeal, Mr. Vice President. People who love Howard Dean aren’t the money-grubbing pieces of shit[2]Pardon my “freedom”. who would spend $10,000 a plate for a “seat at the table”. That’s your constituency.

1 : Which is understandable. It’s a really stupid thing to say.

2 : Pardon my “freedom”.


posted by greg on June 21, 2005 @ 9:57 am

6 comments

  1. It’s a funny thing. I’ve spent a good part of my life alienating liberals for being out of touch because, as a liberal, I recognize that that sort of stuff only helps make conservatives strong. But the thing about Pauline Kael is that, while it was sort of silly of her to express surprise over Nixon’s election on the grounds that she didn’t know anyone who voted for him, the fact remains that our side said the guy was a lying sack of shit who couldn’t be trusted to run the government and — land o’ Goshen — he turned out to be a lying sack of shit who couldn’t be trusted to run the government.

    Pauline and her libbie pals were the ones who proved to be right on the big issue.

    Comment by Hieronymus Braintree — June 21, 2005 @ 1:27 pm

  2. I find it enormously encouraging that all Dick Cheney has left in his arsenal is “yo mama.”

    Now that’s leadership!

    Comment by Roddy McCorley — June 21, 2005 @ 3:01 pm

  3. I knew someone who voted for Nixon, but he apologized.

    Comment by Avedon — June 21, 2005 @ 3:21 pm

  4. I’m having visions of john kerry and the family’s fleet of SUVs

    damn I wish we’d had a real candidate

    Comment by Kate — June 21, 2005 @ 10:04 pm

  5. But Nixon’s opponents were so weak and uninspiring, how could you vote for them? I mean, sure, he was a crazy, evil, lieing, et cetra et cetra, but at least he stood for something, with his homey, all-american, silent-majority ways. Plus, Nixon was strong on Communism, which turned out to be a big plus.

    Comment by Joe — June 23, 2005 @ 11:06 am

  6. I’m starting to believe that Dean will make a good foil, or lighting rod for Republican bullshit. As long as he keeps ducking the potshots, he can keep coming back and tellin’ it like it is. The fact that they are bothering to attack him proves he’s a threat.

    Comment by Reality Bites — June 27, 2005 @ 7:33 am

Copy link for RSS feed for comments on this post

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.