"Political Elite". What Does the Phrase Really Mean?

[louis c]

You hear it all the time from Trump surrogates. "You don't understand the average American because you're part of the 'political elite' ".

The political elite, I have determined, are people with knowledge. They know history. They know where Crimea is. They know the history of the Baltics. They understand the Republican southern strategy of 1968. They know that Goldwater alienated African-Americans in 1964, never to return. They know the difference between a Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish Muslim and why. Which counties in the Middle East support which alliances and the complexities of that region. They know that terrorism is a tactic and not an ideology. They know the position of the pro-life movement and that of women's rights. They know the value of protecting our institutions, including a free press.

What Donald Trump has tapped into is not "anti-establishment", but people who think ignorance is a virtue. "I don't watch the news, it's all lies anyway", they say. "All the politicians are the same, I don't believe any of them." "By the way, here's my opinion." Based on what? Based on some conspiracy theory that Obama wasn't born in the United States, or Cruz's Father was involved in the Kennedy assassination that you heard from another nit-wit in a donut shop? WTF.

Sometime, while trying to discuss issues with some of my contemporaries, I feel ashamed to have knowledge. Let's get something straight, I think my friends, in most cases, are as intelligent as I am, and in most cases, more. They've run businesses, raised families, developed trades. But intelligence doesn't always translate into knowledge. Knowledge takes time and energy. I was taught to make sure you had the best command of any set of facts available to you before you formed an opinion, and certainly know what you're talking about before you give that opinion.

I've been wrong on occasions. I've been challenged on issues by people with greater knowledge than I have on a particular issue, but it doesn't happen often and it hasn't happened in this election cycle at all. As it turns out, I have found Trump supporters to be one of two things, ignorant or bigoted. In some cases, both. As a result, as you can tell over the past two weeks, the Republican elite can not support Trump. Because, as I've said in the beginning of this statement, the political elite are people with knowledge.

[madokie]

1. I have to agree with you

The tRump supporters I know are all ignorant, bigoted assholes

[Go Vols]

2. I think this documentary from Noam Chomsky

defines it well.
"Requiem for the American Dream". Spoiler,its money and where it comes from.Trump is an idiot.

http://123movies.to/film/requiem-for-the-american-dream-11956/watching.html

[davidn3600]

3. How I label the "politically elite"

A bunch of folks who form a ruling class who enact laws that strictly benefit themselves, and then make it impossible for outsiders to have a role in the government.

The political elite is equivalent to a plutocracy. And no matter how hard you try to avoid it....these forms of governments ALWAYS lead to corruption and abuse of power. Always. History proves it.

[louis c]

4. That may be how it once was perceived

but now, the right wing republicans label any one with political knowledge as "elite", including the press.

If the press is indeed "elite", and you consider that a negative, maybe you should rethink your definition.