Still with stupid?

The effect of that trap has been on a continuous loop in recent days, following Barack Obama's ill-chosen remarks about bitter rural Americans clinging to guns and religion. The takeaway, of course, is that this sentiment proves once and for all that Obama is an elitist fatally out of touch with the average American. But in deference to my onetime dinner companion, let me ask this: Is he vulnerable to the out-of-touch charge because he is an elitist, or because he is usually (even if not in this case) comfortable with and in command of nuanced ideas? Is he bashable because he's a snob or because he's an intellectual?

Given that "intellectual" is now far too open to interpretation to mean much (William F. Buckley was considered an intellectual, but these days so is anyone who wears those hipster-nerd glasses), I'm tempted to leave that question to the old master, Woody Allen (though, let's be honest, he traded intellectuals for boring rich people a while ago). But even if Obama is not an intellectual in the classic sense, there's no doubt that he's absorbed the trappings of erudite rhetoric. He offers up ideas that don't lend themselves to sound bites but require some sustained attention. And according to the media and the political spin machine, that's proof he's snobby and out of touch.

U.S. candidates for president can't seem to get elected unless they convince voters how ordinary they are (George W. Bush's oratory struggles actually endear him to some people). But as long as we're wringing our hands over how "just folks" these folks are, let's look at what really separates them from the rest of us: money.

The Obamas' tax returns, released this week, showed a 2006 income (they filed an extension for 2007) of more than $4.2 million, most of which came from book royalties. Bill and Hillary Clinton showed a combined income of more than $20 million last year. John McCain's 2007 tax return reflected an income of only around $400,000, but not to worry, his wife is worth about $100 million. As for Bush, the figure is about $20 million.

Yes, Obama's richer than most ordinary people, but in that pantheon, he's the guy most likely to know how much a can of tuna costs. As for his branding as an elite or an intellectual, why the jeers? Shouldn't they all fit that bill? "The Daily Show's" Jon Stewart summed it up best: "Not only do I want an elite president," he said this week, "I want someone who is embarrassingly superior to me."

As someone who still hasn't read Goethe amid all those celebrity makeover stories, I couldn't agree more.

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mdaum@latimescolumnists.com