Chris Wallace. Luke Russert. Jonah Goldberg. Chelsea Clinton.

[No Joe]

As usual, Gleen Greenwald nails it:

http://www.salon.com/2011/11/14/americas_meritocratic_watchdog_news_media/singleton/

We had a revolution so that the elites would not be determined by the accident of a lucky birth. The linked article conserns itself with our Wonderful Free Press, but the same can be said of George W. Bush in the political realm, as well as Mitt Romney.

What the hell happened?

[MADem]

1. Well, hell, Maria Shriver, Anderson Cooper...this stuff isn't NEW.

Look at Hollywood--do you think if Will Smith was a Mister Goodwrench at Sal's Garage, that his kids would be making music videos and starring in films?

I'm sure John Quincy Adams benefitted from the fact that his daddy was John Adams. If he was the son of Farmer Elijah Jones down the road, he may not have had the same education, travel opportunities or connections.

It's the Golden Rule--them's that got the gold makes the rules!

And they can also con people into giving their kids "opportunities" that they might not get if they were nobodies.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

2. Matt Taibbi .... and I like his work.

[MADem]

4. Yep.

I suppose we all use connections to make our way in the world if we are to be honest. It's just that the rich have better ones, often as not!

I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I worked a connection with some very senior military leadership to get an assignment I wanted. I had to qualify for it, but I wouldn't have gotten any consideration at all had I not had a word put in on my behalf.

[girl gone mad]

5. He actually spent over a decade earning his credentials..

has written several books, and most people have never heard of his father. Not quite in the same league as the others.

I think Anderson Cooper's career was mostly built on his own self-determination, too, though coming from wealth certainly gave him many advantages.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

11. Glad to hear that perspective. I like the guy - a lot.

I just did a little reading on his history.

[No Joe]

15. Matt Taibbi's father

I've honestly never heard of him. But Greenwald's essential point is that we consider ourselves to be a meritocratic country when in fact we are not.

[Gormy Cuss]

19. Mike Taibbi was a news reporter in the Boston area for a very long time.

unlike the other spawn of news/commentary people on that list, Taibbi earned his stripes. He didn't start at the top.

[JVS]

6. Taibbi did his own thing in Russia for a good while before coming back here.

[pacalo]

3. What I dislike about nepotism is that we get the same ol' flavor again & again.

I'll bet there is a great number of extremely intelligent, charismatic people with innovative, forward-thinking ideas & personalities out there who would never, in their (& our) wildest imaginations, have a chance to get their foot in the door. This goes for entertainers, too. It always has been about who you know, regardless of the profession.

[MedleyMisty]

7. I wanted to be president when I was little

I read the Constitution and it said that all you needed was to be at least 35 and have been born in the US, so I figured I was good to go. Took every social studies class my high school offered, took International Relations my first summer at Duke's TIP program, etc.

When I told my driving instructor what I wanted to be, he laughed and said that a girl from Surry County would never be president. And eventually, I did learn that I had no chance because I was born to factory workers instead of into wealth.

[pacalo]

14. You could run for local office.

:toast:

[No Joe]

17. It's one of the Necessary Illusions

Anyone, no matter their background, can rise to the top in America. They have been cases where this has been true. Most of the time, however, it isn't.

[JI7]

8. Anderson Cooper has proved himself , he also did things like host "The Mole"

before he made it where he is at CNN. and even before CNN he was doing reporting in dangerous situations but without the attention he gets now.

luke russert is there just because of his dad. in fact if his dad was alive he probably wouldn't be working there. it's because his dad was loved by many there and i guess they want a part of him to still be there.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Rowdyboy]

10. Liz Cheney, Jenna Bush Hager and Mehgan McCain come to mind

Just off the top of my head. How many win the "Sperm Lottery"!

[TexasTowelie]

12. Hank Williams, Jr.

POS.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

13. Tucker Carlson, Bill Kristol

All these folks are, of course, hired for their infallible insight and the fact that they're the best for the job.

[JohnnyBoots]

16. Luke Russert is the one that annoys me the most. How many

recent college grads just get put in a job that takes decades to earn. The scions of wealth and privilege. It seems that there is still some aristocracy in our blood as a nation.

[HughBeaumont]

18. Steve Forbes.

The unblinking one's photo is next to the encyclopedia's entry "Born On Third Base, Thinks He Hit a Triple".