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RSS icon Comments on Cathy Allen: Oregon Is Elitist!

1

All I can figure is that "elitist" is pure Newspeak. It means exactly the opposite of what it means. Or it is meant to refer to the speaker themselves.

It's like when you say consumers are too helpless to get rid of their big trucks and drive small cars when gas gets too expensive, so the government has to coddle them with artificially cheap gas. And anybody who says no is "elitist."

Bizarro backasswards.

Posted by elenchos | May 7, 2008 9:49 AM
2

Elite hippies?

So confused.

Posted by violet_dagrinder | May 7, 2008 9:49 AM
3

I hate how Oregonians cling to farmers markets, atheism, and acceptance of people who aren't like them!

Posted by Nick | May 7, 2008 9:50 AM
4

Oh come on. Oregon IS elitist. So is Washington, for that matter.

Posted by Colonel Sanders | May 7, 2008 9:57 AM
5

#4 - Gee, how "elitist" of you to say so.

Posted by Sad Comment | May 7, 2008 10:01 AM
6

Man, stuff like that really makes me bitter.

Posted by Levislade | May 7, 2008 10:03 AM
7

I'd comment, but I'm too damn elite to use the internet.

Posted by Too Elite For You | May 7, 2008 10:05 AM
8

Oh come on! The word is being used as a subtle attack word to pin on people who actually give a shit about what's happening, instead of the 'non-elite' dip-shits who aren't willing or able to think past next morning.

People aren't 'elite' for understanding and acting upon well founded, well thought out information -- they're smart -- they're responsible -- they're the one's we should be looking to!

Posted by Dan | May 7, 2008 10:07 AM
9

Thing is, the population of Oregon state is about 3.4 million, and 2.3 million of those people live in the Portland metro area. As far as that goes, Portland has the same kind of schizophrenia that Seattle suffers from: a long working-class history that is in the process of being obliterated by conspicuous gentrification.

I think the Pearl redevelopment looks great and everything, but those new apartments -- in what used to be centrally located industrial brewing facilities where blue-collar workers earned living-wage paychecks -- are selling for up to $2.7 million apiece.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that the whole state is elitist but, given that most of the state lives in Portland and Portland is trying to reinvent itself as Manhattan, the idea isn't completely out of left field.

Posted by Judah | May 7, 2008 10:07 AM
10

You have to admit, Oregon gave us all those annoyingly perfect people like Tonya Harding, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, and Courtney Love. God, wouldn't you like to see the likes of them taken down a notch?

Posted by elenchos | May 7, 2008 10:09 AM
11

This is just getting sad.

Posted by w7ngman | May 7, 2008 10:15 AM
12

@10 "Rowdy" Roddy Piper is from Oregon? I thought he was Scottish! Then why the kilts? (Then again, why doesn't he have an accent?...)

Posted by gillsans | May 7, 2008 10:17 AM
13

"I hate how Oregonians cling to farmers markets, atheism, and acceptance of people who aren't like them!"

God, I know. We're such assholes.

Posted by Jo | May 7, 2008 10:18 AM
14

who says america doesn't want a class war?

Posted by max solomon | May 7, 2008 10:19 AM
15

Oh gosh, where to start...

This is classic Cathy Allen. I say that as someone who used to work for her. It's just her playing the campaign game for her candidate. Cathy is a die-hard Clinton supporter, but she's also a professional political consultant who will willingly take Obama campaign money to help him win Washington in November.

As for Oregon being elitist? If your experience in Oregon is limited to the ten blocks around Powell's books and maybe a camping trip to Crater Lake, I can see where you might reach that conclusion. But a state where some districts have cut their school year to seven months due to lack of funding and that was #1 in hunger a couple of years ago is elitist? Yeah, like Mississippi is elitist...

Posted by Smartypants | May 7, 2008 10:31 AM
16

Yah! And what about Elliot Smith?

Posted by l | May 7, 2008 10:35 AM
17

@12 - He used to own a transmission shop somewhere in SE, called Rowdy Roddy's. There was a big sign with a cartoon Roddy holding a wrench, if I recall correctly.

Posted by povertyrich | May 7, 2008 10:37 AM
18

@ 9 - Major cities in the Portland metro area in addition to Portland (population 570K) include Beaverton, Gresham, Hillsboro in Oregon, and Vancouver in Washington. The area also includes the smaller cities of Clackamas, Damascus, Gladstone, King City, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Oregon City, Sherwood, Tigard, Troutdale, Tualatin, West Linn, Wilsonville in Oregon, as well as Battle Ground, Camas, and Washougal in Washington.

It includes the unincorporated suburban communities in Oregon of Aloha, Beavercreek, Dunthorpe, Garden Home, Raleigh Hills, and West Slope.

Posted by OR elitistsm | May 7, 2008 10:38 AM
19

So silly of me, but I thought the word 'elite' meant "the best of the best". As in the Navy Seals are the elite branch of the military. I can't see why trying to elect the best possible candidate is a bad thing.

Posted by montex | May 7, 2008 10:40 AM
20

Bend, Or is totally elitist. Damn them and their bitterness while they shop for arugula at the Whole Foods!!

Posted by Cato | May 7, 2008 10:45 AM
21

@19 - Exactly. Being elite is fine, but unless you're ashamed of it, you're an elitist!

Posted by MK | May 7, 2008 10:45 AM
22

...and Cathy Allen is such a notable supporter of the populist wing of the Democratic Party.

(collapses in a heap laughing)

Posted by Mr. X | May 7, 2008 10:46 AM
23

Don't forget that 400,000 + of those in the Portland-Vancouver area are in Washington State. Including Salem and surrounding Marion County, Portland's Oregon population is about 2 million, still a large percentage of the Beaver State's population.

Posted by Deacon Seattle | May 7, 2008 10:56 AM
24

elliot smith was an elitist. he was too good for us. while his approach to problem solving may seem an attractive solution to some, i have a hard time seeing working-class america embrace it.

Posted by infrequent | May 7, 2008 11:08 AM
25

I like rich white woman calling people elitist. Especially given that they are just a cock away from the great power trifecta.

Posted by Giffy | May 7, 2008 11:17 AM
26

Sounds to me like HRC internal polling must be showing Obama's been registering lots of Oregon voters who aren't going to vote for her ...

Posted by Will in Seattle | May 7, 2008 12:04 PM
27

In this instance, "elitism" would seem to translate as referring to: "anyone who prefers Obama over Clinton".

Posted by COMTE | May 7, 2008 1:21 PM
28

hahahahaha!! Elitist? OREGON???

Holy shit, I'm going to turn that into a knock-knock joke.

Posted by catnextdoor | May 7, 2008 1:36 PM
29

Elitism is the new liberalism.

Posted by DJ Eternal Darkness | May 8, 2008 7:13 AM

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