Elitist Liberal - and proud
 

I have been referred to by some on this forum as an "elitist liberal". Personally I am glad to be in such company. How about our Founding Fathers? George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, Patrick Henry and others definitely were liberals. They all wanted freedom from England. They also were highly educated - unlike most of the colonists. You really could not get much more elite than Ben Franklin. He spoke several languages and was welcome in European (especially France) royal halls.

However, they held onto ideas like slavery (Washington and Jefferson were both slave owners) and not incorporating women into full citizenship (voting). Hard to believe that the Equal Rights Amendment did not gather enough states approval to become part of the Constitution. Well, ask Phylis Schafly about that - that 86 year old artifact still pubished in the Happy Times Gazette.

The Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were both very liberal documents.

If you were a conservative at that time in history in the US, you were a Tory.

It sounds as though liberalism is very patriotic. Being a conservative is a throwback to an earlier time? Just an observation.

Thank you for your post!

Tbugs, I believe that there are liberals and conservatives that love their country, but not as much as this moderate. I am conservative on lots of things, and liberal on some things and considered on all things, or try to be. I don't pick my friends on the basis of party.

As a result, nobody likes me.

Must agree with you. I am very conservative and I have close friends on both sides of the isle. Hell I've never met TBUGS but I'm sure he and I would get along.

Myself I prefer those who claim to be Americans and want
 

to and will do what ever it takes to make/keep America great.
I have no use for such meaningless qualifiers like "African"-American, conservative, liberal, elitist liberal, and especially minority (not race) special interest groups destined to further their specific cause.

When one stops to help a stranded motorist do we ask who or what they are before helping?
When someone is injured or laying on the sidewalk do we ask what or who they are before helping?
How much does the labeling of Americans affect who you meet with socially?

The sooner we get back to the spirit that we are one nation under God, the better off this country will be/become.

The labeling buys absolutely nothing!! An American is an American or they are NOT.

btk

You assumption that everyone defines "liberal elite" the same way is, in itself a clear message to me.

My definition is a person who speaks on behalf of all the social issues to benefit the needy and are themselves in pretty good shape financially (ie, one of the most notorious of liberal elite to me is the professors in University..shrouded in protection of tenure and good pay and speaking out as if a real working person).

In addition, I define a liberal elitist as the person who has all the answers and anyone who does not agree is...and here you can fill in whatever name calling is to be done on that particular day.

As I said, it is interesting that YOU have decided what others mean by liberal elite !

It seems that The Villages is awash with convervatism, both through the developer's media stranglehold and the majority of the people who live here. That a predominantly white, middle to upper class group is conservative does not surprise me, in fact it is to be expected. The intolerance I have felt here being a liberal is just overwhelming at times, to the point you wonder about your choice to move here. And then there is the "love it or leave it" crowd, using both America and The Villages as the point or embarkation.

So, like any minority, I am going to take pride in my liberal viewpoints, celebrate them and maybe make my own day of the year to party with the like-minded here (it will be a small but fun group!). Please, conversatives, quit thinking I am one of your club when we meet golfing and you can spout your love of Sarah and Fox news, while decrying Obama and his birthplace - not everyone here shares your view of the world.

Alrighty then.

As a long time resident of The Villages, I would really like you to give an example of the "intolerance I have felt here being a liberal is just overwhelming at times, to the point you wonder about your choice to move here."

And I ask you in the nicest way possible to explain how and where you feel this "intolerance"...seems you would welcome this opportunity and I feel that it is owed since you made such a strong accusation !

If it is your choice of friends, that would not be something that would make one wonder about moving here, but certainly would create other questions for sure about your choice of friends and your tolerance level ! I have friends that for years joined the media circus in blaming our last President for every ill that existed in the world but maybe my tolerance level and definition of friends is different than yours.

I will surely await your reponse eagerly

Well, I have never felt uncomfortable in The Villages with my political views. I have close friends on both spectrums - from quite liberal to quite conservative.

This is a wonderful community with wonderful people in it. In our everyday actions, politics never even come up. I belong to some clubs and politics do not come up there, either.

Bucco, your definition of liberal elite is not quite the same as mine. However, we are both entitled to our own viewpoints. Yes, liberals do speak out on social issues and of helping the needy. I really do not thnk that elite means having money. It means, to me, having education to think for yourself.

I do not agree with your statement of a liberal elitist as one who thinks they have all the answers and everyone else is ...

But, this is a forum to express opinions and this was a good healthy expression of both of our opinions.

Elitist Liberal
 

billethkid comes closest to expressing my view here. I have never cared much about labels because they are too limiting in defining individuals and the manner they respond to different stimuli. I may be conservative in one area and liberal in another. Secondly people have different definitions for the same labels. My view of an elitist liberal is one who is totally intolerate of anyone with a differing point of view and hence the defensive response of political correctness. That view initself may be right for same liberal but perhaps not all liberals. In his day Harry S Truman was viewed as a yokel, by his own party yet he read the classics in five different languages.

The elitist liberals here view Sarah Palin in low regard yet British historian Paul Johnson was quoted as saying "And that lady __Sarah Palin. She's great. I like the cut of her jib.".....the former governor of Alaska is in the good tradition of america, which this awful political correctness business goes against. Plus: She's got courage. that's very imortant in politics.".....
("Why america Will Stay On top" WSJ Sat /Sun #/5-6 page A13).

Having said all of that it does take competing points of view for us to stay on top. so Tbug be proud to be an elitist liberal

Having an endorsement by British historian Paul Johnson certainly is no advantage to anyone. According to Internet sources, Paul Johnson expressed admiration for General Franco of Spain and said that Pinochet was one of his heroes. (to quote Chevy Chase, "Francisco Franco is still dead." ) I would hope that Palin does not rely on an endorsement from someone who expressed admiration for dictators.
Well, Rubicon, it seems as though you and I do not have the same viewpoint of what a elitist liberal really is. Your viewpoint of what an elitist liberal is just happens to be my viewpoint of a "far right conservative". The far right conservatives are very intolerant of anyone with a view different from theirs.

Yes, I am proud to be an elitist liberal. That means educated so I can make up my own mind. It does mean that I do believe in social causes. It does not mean I am intolerant of anyone with a different view than mine. I am not intolerant of you or anyone else on this forum.

"Yes, I am proud to be an elitist liberal. That means educated "
So...............if I dont have the education you do, does that mean I am looked down on by the left?? MMMmmmmmm another words I need liberals to look out for me and do my thinking because I am not as smart as you say you are? So I need higher taxes and for you to be the food police, energy police, smoke police, global warming police and tell me how to run my little life, because I am stupid and dont know any better.

elitist Liberal
 

Tbug I am not so sure we don't or we do have similar views. If you will recall I began by stating that labels are too narrow in defining individuals. Perhaps it would be better to drop the label and speak separately to political/social issues. Also you reference Thomas Jefferson, et al but the term elitist liberal label has evolved since that time. As I explained in my last post the elitist intellectuals of the Democratic party viewed Harry Truman in very low esteem and yet he was an intellectual. Paul Johnson British historian would label him a goodie and explain that Truman cared more about people than he did about ideas. Elitist liberals place ideas before people . Please refer to all of the decision made by Obama and recall in every situation he placed ideas before people. Heck he placed ideas ahead of America. Elitist liberals believe that they are so intelligent that they underestimate anyone who has a differing point of view. It is the intellectual equivalent of the emperor has no clothes. These intellectual liberals are actual clueless. The little that I know about you leads me to believe you are not that way. finally it would seem that conservatives have a better approach in "the live and let live" view than do liberals. As I read in this post by another liberals really believe that we should drive, eat, breathe and produce green breast milk. They over do fairness by believing that everyone should win. That is what they are attempting to do on Wall Street but the reality is that if some wins on Wall Street it because some took a loss. Its called risk Liberals believe they can eliminate risk in every aspect of our lives -- good luck with that.
I personally would like elitisit liberals to eliminate the risk of hurricanes so that my insurance rates go down. heck if you really get good at it we may remove the need for all forms of insurance. Does any of that sound like you? I doubt it your more down to earth than that.

Am still anxiously awaiting NITAKK to explain the "intolerance" he/she has experienced here in The Villages ....excuse me the "OVERWHELMING intolerance"
that he/she has experienced !

I am waiting because I have been here for a little over 10 years...and have never ever heard ANY intolerance here, let aLone "OVERWHELMING" and that includes anytime there has been a political discussion which usually does not occur unless someone is complaing about the incumbent administration which is pretty much predictable...and by incumbent, I mean WHOEVER is in power in the WH or congress. THAT happens to all of us but I never accused anyone of intolerance, let alone "INTOLERABLE" intolerance.