At what point did 'elite' become a bad word?

When I'm sick, I'd like an ELITE doctor.

When I'm watching the Red Sox, I'm hoping they put an ELITE pitcher on the mound.

When it comes to diagnosing PC problems and certain areas of programming and database work, I consider myself to be one of the ELITE, thanks to 30 years professional experience.

Our troops - are they not considered ELITE?