LIBERAL ELITES….Ramesh Ponnuru is bemoaning the apparent victory of elite liberal culture:
In 1997, Republicans lost a special election in the 22nd House district of California. I talked to a well-known Republican strategist afterward, and he blamed, in part, social-conservative activists who had run ads on abortion during the campaign. The strategist said that this was a stupid move “in a wine-and-brie coastal California district.” It was a nice line at the time. But my impression is that the proportion of our population that consumes either wine or brie, or both together, has gone up since then.
….Hasn’t the insult lost its bite? I thought of this when I read a crack against elites that mentioned bottled water. It sure seems as though drinking bottled water has ceased to be an elite activity. Back in 1997, conservatives could mock latte towns ? but you can find latte in any town you’re in nowadays. Conclusion: We need some new put-downs.
Of course, Ponnuru gives the game away when he admits that he himself drinks bottled water but hastily adds that it’s because of “the high lead content in D.C. water rather than a preference on my part.” Sounds like a job for an elite liberal lead abatement program.
In any case, let’s help him out. Other Cornerites suggest hybrid cars and disdain for NASCAR as reliable markers, but surely we can do better. What’s the elite liberal marker of choice these days?
