When you hear "Elitist", you know you are "Uppity"

[omahas]

Recently, at the RNC Convention in St.Paul, Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga, was conversing with reporters and said:

"Just from what little I've seen of her and Mr. Obama, Senator Obama, they're a member of an elitist-class individual that thinks they're uppity."

When asked to clarify that he actually used the word "uppity", Westmoreland confirmed it. "Uppity, yeah," the newspaper The Hill reported.

Uppity. Means "self-important, arrogant". Originates from a late 19th century reformation of the word "up". As in, trying to move up from your current class because you think you're more important than you are.

Yeah, uppity has been associated with class wars for a long time. The fact that Westmoreland has used that term in association with the term "elitist" (which, btw, comes from French and Latin "to elect") means that the Republicans want the term elitist to be associated not with someone who is part of the electorate, but someone who is trying to move outside their class without permission.

An angry black man who is not in his place.

Comments

[srmalloy.livejournal.com]

So am I the only one cringing at the horribly-crossed construction "they're a member of an elitist-class individual"? Plural, then singular, then a phrase implying being a component of a singular object... And then the last phrase, which as I read it declares that the 'elitist-class individual' (of which Senator and Mrs. Obama are collectively 'a member') thinks that Senator and Mrs. Obama are 'uppity'. Does Rep. Westmoreland have some personal acquaintance of this 'individual'?