Wealth can be a political burden

[alp227]

John F. Kennedy was an heir to a fortune worth hundreds of millions, yet his portrait adorned the living room walls of some of the nation’s poorest families. Nelson Rockefeller was the grandson of America’s richest oil magnate, but he won backslaps and hugs when, as governor, he showed up at New York’s ethnic eateries.

George H.W. Bush, in contrast, came from a fortune nowhere near as large, yet when Texas Gov. Ann Richards described the 1988 Republican presidential nominee as having been “born with a silver foot in his mouth,” the image stuck.

Mitt Romney, who grew up wealthy as the son of the chief executive of American Motors and who made his own fortune in the private-equity business, saw his Republican presidential campaign poll numbers tumble after former House speaker Newt Gingrich began portraying him as a detached millionaire who made his fortune by cutting jobs as much as by creating them.

Will that picture of the former Massachusetts governor stick? Why do Americans admire some wealthy politicians, but resent others?

One simple answer is that Americans love a self-made man and tend to be suspicious of those born with money.

full: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/wealth-can-be-a-political-burden/2012/01/29/gIQATmvFbQ_singlePage.html

[MrSlayer]

1. The difference is in their intentions.

FDR, JFK and others like that were looking out for little guy despite their wealth. Guys like Poppy Bush and Mitt Romney are looking out for themselves. People see that and they react to the difference.

[frazzled]

2. I don't think Americans are suspicious of politicians born with money

It wasn't true for the Roosevelts or Kennedys. I think they're suspicious of the wealthy politicians who subscribe to policies that mostly benefit the wealthy. The Roosevelts, Kennedys, and yes, even the Rockefellers to some extent cared about the general populace, and made an effort to understand and advocate for the average working person.

If we're talking about Romney here, an interesting tidbit from "Romney would rank among richest presidents ever":

Just how rich is Mitt Romney? Add up the wealth of the last eight presidents, from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama. Then double that number. Now you're in Romney territory.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-01-28/romney-richest-presidents/52838148/1

The issue with Romney isn't how rich he is (he's small potatoes compared to say Bill Gates or even Michael Bloomberg). It's the economic and tax policies he's endorsing, which mostly benefit the rich, and the complete cluelessness he displays for the middle and lower classes.