Elitism, Thy Name is Cindy McCain

What would the the pundit class say if....

Michelle Obama breezily remarked:
"In Chicago, the only way to get around is by stretch limo."

Or how about if Michelle spun around town in a car with vanity license plates that read: "Ms. Hope?"

We know what would be the result. The accusations of "elitism" and "snobbery" and being "out of touch" would fill the airwaves day and night. 

Yet, on CNN Monday, Cindy McCain said: "In Arizona, the only way to get around is by small private plane."   She also perkily recalled that she discovered this "fact" was when her husband was first running for Senate and so "I bought one!"  We assume she meant a plane, not her husband.

This week, the media also revealed that Cindy has a car with the license plate "Ms.Bud," a reference to her multi-million inheritance from her father's beer distributorship.  No details on the make and model of that car or at which one of the McCains' SEVEN homes it might be stored.

And speaking of beer, Miss Cindy stands to knock down another million or two from the sale of Anheuser-Busch to Belgium's Inbev.  Of course, that's just pocket change for Mrs. McCain who once racked up $750,000 in one month on her credit cards.

Yes, the mainstream media, in passing, have mentioned Cindy's wealthy heiress status, but where is the accompanying feigned outrage we have seen in the coverage of the Obamas?   Does any one of the talking heads see a double standard here?  Barack Obama goes to a diner and refuses a cup of coffee and orders orange juice instead.  Chris Matthews hammers him for not being trustworthy as "a regular guy" for days.  But Cindy McCain jokes about buying a fricking plane and spends more in a month than many Americans make in their adult lives and the McCains are portrayed as just "down home" folks? 

Comments

[Former Arizonan]

Have you ever lived in Arizona? It can take you nine hours to drive from one corner of the state to the other. Arizona is not as wide as Texas, nor tall as California, but it's the fifth largest state and it's f%%%ing hot. If you're running for office and trying to visit as many towns as you can, as often as you can, you use an airplane. This isn't elitism, it's being practical. Oh, he could have consolidated his trips and taken his bus. Oh please! He was running for the senate, fiscal responsibility is not a requirement. There were hundreds of fiscally responsible candidates running for the senate by driving around in their cars. The reason you never heard of them is that when they finally arrived in your town the election was over.

If you don't like McCain then dump on McCain, leave Cindi alone. She's rich, get over it.

[Chris Edelson]

thanks for saying this--my mind has been reeling for a while over the fact that Obama gets called elitist while Prince and Princess McCain are somehow good old salt of the earth types like the privileged GW Bush. The media double standard re: McCain never ceases to amaze

[MeMeMe]

Wow, you sound bitter and angry. I know it doesn't feel very good to not be rich. Some deal with it by working harder, others deal with it by demonizing those who have money.

Like when you were a kid and your next-door neighbor got the new bike you wanted. Suddenly you don't want to play with him anymore and call him a big poopy-head behind his back and say you never wanted that stupid bike anyway.

That's what we call "progressive" thinking in the USA.

[MeMeMe]

Furthermore, if you HONESTLY believe the media in this or any other country are somehow biased TOWARD McCain, you need to get out of your isolation tank once every decade or so often. Are you getting 100% of your news from Rush Limbaugh or what? Because I'm conservative, and I can tell you flat-out that's a really bad idea.

All the major media outlets except Fox News and about 15% of the newspapers have been little more than cheerleaders for the Obama campaign for 3 or 4 months now.

National media coverage can be summarized in 2 headlines:
"Barak Rocks My Socks,"
"American Economy Finally Finished: Bush Administration to Blame."

[WAIT!]

What concerns me is not how elite and out of touch Cindy Mccain and the rest of Washington is. It is how her family just jumped on the "America for sale" bandwagon!! That is one of the biggest reasons our economy is going down the tubes. All of our business is either leaving or being sold to other countries. Budweiser!!!? you can't much more American than that, now what am I supposed to drink with my hotdog and apple pie.

[Marissa]

The person who made the first comment has a point. Even if I don't like McCain and I don't plan on voting for him, I do know what living in Arizona is like, as I am a current resident. The major cities outside of Phoenix are Flagstaff and Tucson, both of which are at least a couple hours away. Sure, it wouldn't kill them to drive instead of fly, but when you're talking about driving 4 hours to get there and then back (depending on traffic, which can add an hour to any trip) through blisteringly hot, brown desert, I'm sure he has better uses of his time. Heck, if I had the money, I would be shelling out cash for a plane right now if it meant not having to get in my overheated car, waiting for 10 minutes for the steering wheel to be cool enough to touch, and then sitting in traffic for an extra 45 minutes before I reach my destination.

[Mike]

Cindy is also an avid pilot. Good for her to be able to afford her own plane and use it for personal and business affairs. As far as her "business". Good for her. Work hard and earn money. INherit money and work hard to keep it and grow it. I wish I was so lucky; but I don't hold it against her.

[Coralie]

I'm not a fan of the McCains nor of the Obamas, which is why I feel the need to point out that you're rambling on about the potential first lady--not the potential president. If you don't like John McCain, you're allowed to be of that opinion, but there are plenty of things that HE has said and done that are actually worthy of the time it took you to type this.

[Eric]

I think the point of this is being danced around a bit. It's not that Cindy has money, or how she came by it - it's the nonchalant attitude with which she talks about the ease of buying *LUXURY* items while millions in the country have next to nothing. When you couple this with the policies her husband wants to continue - tax breaks on the rich, subsidies for failing (and thriving) transnational corporations, decreases or at least no changes in the failing social institutions of education and healthcare, and a basic denial of the effects of failed policies on the least wealthy - it becomes hard to see him as an OBJECTIVE and fully REPRESENTATIVE candidate. It's much easier to understand what it's like to be wealthy than it is to truly grasp the reality of a bottom-rung life.

I see the cynicism of the McCain critics as much more valid to the decision process for such a fully representative position as that of president than a bit of "radical" history in the arena of CIVIL RIGHTS. What is lacking from the McCains - and I believe this article pointed this out quite nicely - is a bit of cultural relativity and acknowledgement of the fact that sometimes "free markets" and abstract thoughts such as "Liberty" and "Personal Freedom" cannot equate directly to a true equality of opportunity for the poorest of the poor.

But yes. Her and Michelle are neither candidates for office, or worthy of our review. But I would agree that some insight can be gathered from this article as to that family's perception of the American REALITY. After all, fundamentally -- dreams aren't real. They're only what we make of them.

[Jessey]

Trolls! The conservative method of avoiding a point and addressing another works well for children and the elderly, but you should use it to advertise to kids or convince your parents they will be happier in a home, not for lowering the bar for political discourse: the subject here is the hypocrisy of the Obamas being accused of elitism by the "liberal media" for tiny things while it is Cindy McCain who realized that flying was the only way to get around so she decided to buy herself a personal plane. Whether having the gumption to work hard and get born into a wealthy family is or is not a virtue is not the point of the author is making. The wealth of trophy daughters is not the problem and doesn't necessarily instill bitterness, it's the double standard of saying one person is elitist because he asked for OJ and not mentioning the private jet of another.

[fred]

Even if John McCain really does want to improve our economy by bringing jobs back to our country, it doesn't look that great that his wife's family just sold a major U.S. business away. Jet fuel is really expensive I guess.

[skalA]

poopy head?

[Xsjado]

In response to WAIT!: Budweiser was originally a Czech beer, so its not very American at all.

[Thomas]

I wonder if the author of this piece is aware that many boats cost more than a private plane. Chalk up "Progressive Puppy" as another one who suffers from wealth-envy and hates the "evil rich".

[janis]

As author of the original post, I feel it important to note that the issue is not the McCains' wealth (Cindy McCain can buy a plane for each of her toes and fingers for all it matters). However, it is the mainstream media's double standard in addressing ELITISM between the candidates that is troublesome.

[Liz]

The original poster was not simply calling the McCain's elitist. The point was why are the Obama's the ones that are being called it? You wanna talk elitism? McCain was recently asked how much gas costs and he couldn't answer the question because he has no clue and he's totally out of touch. The man has proposed a gas tax holiday that economists have said will not help prices and will end up losing jobs (the money goes into the highway fund) and taking more money away from our crumbling infrastructure because, to paraphrase his own words, it will give us a little mental boost. He suggested people on the verge of losing their homes stop whining, get a second job, and forgo summer vacation. he has no idea that people are already doing this and more!

What really cracks me up is that somehow we are in a time when the black guy who grew up on food stamps with a single mother, who's relatives still live in huts, is considered the elitist! Insane.

[BigSteve]

Just two questions about McCainiac: If his wife is so rich and he owns seven houses and cars and airplanes, why is the government sending him a 100% disability check every month?

Secondly, if, as he claims, he was a "hero" because he was a POW, why will he not release his official records? The North Vietnamese, the Russians and other American POW's substantially agree with each other and are at odds with McCain's version of events. Why doesn't he just clear it up by releasing all the files we have kept locked up for 35 years? What is he afraid we will find out?

[tenio]

@BigSteve

You can question everything about McCain, but don't question his former POW status. Obama, hillary and countless others have all agreed with his version of events. McCain might not be fit to be the future president but he is a War HERO and deserves some respect.

-tenio

[WAIT!]

skalA-

True... but, up until a few days ago Budweiser was a "domestic" American owned company. just like many American staples, it immigrated here and was embraced.

[Vee]

I think these are all valid points. In the 2004 election, John Kerry was the subject of much criticism because of Theresa Heinz's wealth from her previous marriage. Why is no one bringing up elitism in the McCains?

[newwes]

Well, for one, Cindy McCain spends a great deal of her time and money actually helping people who would not otherwise be provided with the love and care may of us take for granted every day. She is also quite a savvy business woman who has more than doubled the worth of the business she inherited - through time and hard work. As for the media's "hypocrisy" about Obama's elitism, if there is such, probably has more to do with his position upon the pedestal where they have placed him more than anything. Here is a guy who has zero experience, comes from one of the most corrupt political machines in the country, has been elevated for no apparent reason, and talks down to every single person he meets as if he is better and smarter than they are. It also does not help that he is a lawyer married to a lawyer who tread with only the liberal elite in their circles. He has so isolated himself from America and what we believe and desire that he actually said that he was was glad to see gas prices rising (and yes, I did watch both interviews when he said that), even if he wished that the increase had been more gradual.

Cindy McCain actually goes out of her way to help others. Barack Obama actually cares nothing about the American people, unless he can steal more from them to buy votes. That is why many feel he is elitist and not many are going out of their way to paint Mrs. McCain as such.

[shannon]

HEY! this one's for "mememe" up there at the top! Wake up! Just because some people don't have rich daddies that are able to hand them jobs through upper class conservative nepotism, and/or money to get them into schools that give them job placement opportunities that other Americans "need not apply"- does not mean that they have to "work harder" just to deal with the fact that some jerks have more money than them. leave the definition of "progressive" to the progressives. the ones who have a sense of logic- and by the way, don't give a crap about demonizing the rich that they are apparently so jealous of according to your comment. nobody wants your crappy bike kid, we know how to build our own and be just as proud of it with the resources we have. the point of the piece is that society is quick to judge obama on insignificant bull like skin color or flag pins, and a wife with a soul who speaks her mind- but doesn't even touch sore facts about cindy mcCain. yeah- most of us don't care. sure, we are not voting for a first lady: but if you want to call the author of this blog a poor kid crybaby, maybe it's time you listened to an opinion instead of judging. Consider Thou judged: you seem very unaware of the fact that some people in this country work harder than the people on the upper pay tier, and never even scratch the surface. Sometimes it has to do with class, or luck, or race. And that is unfortunate. But to judge people for lack of determintation? That is just plain blind. I hope the next time the kid working at au bon pon or whatever who is so jealous of your badass job because he earns 15 times less than you, serves you the wrong latte and you don't like it. Since they are clearly all just lazy dumbasses huh? Since you would take the time to bother calling a blogger bitter and angry when they are simply making a social observation. SCARY! SCARY BLOGGER!! DEMONIZING THE RICHIES!!! oh no! one of them has been identified, damn rich demons! talk about projecting fear.

[Worm]

I don't like the McCain's personally, and I dislike Cindi for more than her overspending (drug abuse and such). That's not why I won't vote for him though. I won't vote because I refuse to vote for someone who will continue to illegally tap American citizens phonelines, and continue to trounce on our civil liberties.

[Squid]

Obama and McCain are both elitists. The only thing where McCain and Obama are equals is on the fact that they are both rich. My dear blogger, of all the things you could have discussed, you decide to bring up the only moot point in this whole election. Sadly, McCain represents the average black man better than Obama because of Obama's elitism. If I was doing coke and smoking weed, I'd be locked up for years, not going on to the Ivy league with the rest of my silver spoon white friends. The only way the poor (black, white, or any other race) can make it out of their situation is to join the military, something that Obama knows nothing about. At least McCain would understand those of us that made it out of the ghettos, those that served with him. Thanks for reminding us that this is about rich versus poor, and on that aspect, both sides are rich and for the rich, regardless what their lies are. Just vote for who is not going to raise your taxes.

[USA'r]

You might also mention when and how The McCain's met. John's first wife, a model, got into a bad car accident, leaving her deformed and scarred for life. By the end of her surgeries, she was four to five inches shorter and limping. John McCain reacted by beginning a relationship with Cindy while still married to his first wife.