Obama says he grew up less privileged than rivals | U.S. | Reuters

I just don't get how Senator Obama's rivals, both of which are worth $100 million apiece, can refer to him as being an out-of-touch elitist. He just got through paying off his student loans three years ago. He knows what we're going through.

He may have been less privaledged than some, but I guarantee he had it better than Bill Clinton. Son of a single mother and a deadbeat daddy in the little small rural town of Hope, Arkansas. Who's the "elitiest" here?

"...but was it always like that?" What do you mean? Obama was born into poverty. Members of his family still live in mud and grass huts, while others still work to pay their bills. And, there is nothing wrong with that. All those people are wonderful people, and mean the world to somemone, even if that someone is just Senator Obama. It's not as if we can get into a time machine and revise the Senator's past to include shades of affluence. The man grew up knowing about welfare and food stamps. He went to college on student loans where scholarship didn't cover his expenses. It was always like that and will always be his story. I'm sure in there somewhere were a couple great and memorable days. But, still, those good and memorable days are aggregate to his overall struggle as a man of mixed ethnicity in a nation and a world where the occidental western ways and culture are honored above all else in life. He was born into poverty - PERIOD.

Being poor and not having the latest and the so-called greatest of everything when we can't have absolutely everything is just about a crime in America. We treat poverty, poeple who don't have money, people who don't have education, people who are not wielding power and control like they are criminals to be exterminated in this horrible place. We minimize who we are trying to be something Madison Avenue NYC and Holyweird California say we have to be to meet their socially crippling criteria to qualify to exceed their ridiculous and fleeting aesthetic expectations. Life is not a destination at which we must arrive on time, nor a goal we are obligated to meet to appease others, but a journey we need to encourage each other to enjoy and appreciate moment by moment.

The American Dream is an illusive ruse that not every American strives to attain. There are more important things in life than money and the silly bullcrap advertised on television.

All that's been investigated ad naseum. We know all about Bill and nothing has stuck to him yet. They never got him and they never will. The man was impeached and his approval rating went UP. Sad to see the party turn it's back on the best thing to happen to it since JFK. And why, so somebody can cure their "white guilt" and prove to the world they're not a racist, while giving the keys to the White House back to the Republicans in the process. I'm not thrilled with Hillary either, I wanted Edwards, but my God, look at the other choice, the black Mike Dukakis. How embarrassing. Perception is reality, if people think Obama is an elitiest, he's and elitiest.

"We know all about Bill and nothing has stuck to him yet." Yes, what a lucky elitist he, that Bill! Let's see how well he and Hillary fare in court in November against the FEC when their franchise has suffered the collateral damage of an Obama Presidential victory. That's when all that teflon coating his jaded carcass starts flaking off in a court of law. Just keep in mind that there is no statute of limitations for capitol murder, even for accomplices.

The damage of an Obama Presidential victory? I don't think anyone has to worry about that. What capital murder, oh you must mean the 10 year old "Clinton death list" that's already been debunked about 5 million times, yes I'm sure they're shaking in their boots over that.

this whole painting Obama as an elitist by two elistist, screams of the situation the kerry went thro last election.

people were somehow conviced by the "swift boat veterans" that bush was a war hero and kerry was a coward. wow, one skipped out on national guard and the other faught in nam....

politics are so gross because people continue to fall for the same tricks.
yikes.