by Ronnie Reese

Created on: October 22, 2009   Last Updated: November 01, 2009

Unfortunately, the old adage, "It isn't what you know; it's who you know is all too true in U.S. Politics. And unfortunately it's how much money does 'who you know' have. All too often it seems as if our political offices are up for sale to the highest bidder.

According to Edward Pessen, Log Cabin Myths: The Social Backgrounds of the Presidents, 82% of US presidents were born into families of privileged upper-middle class status or better. Lincoln, Eisenhower, and Reagan were born in middle class homes. Filmore, Garfield, and Nixon came from lower-middle class families. Only Andrew Johnson was born into a lower class family and it was more of an upper-lower class family.

Contrary to what Horatio Alger and James Bryce taught, most of the presidents being self-made men from humble origins, that is not the case. For all the rest were raised in upper middle-class families or even wealthier.


It seems odd that 82% of the U.S. Presidents were born into upper-middle class status or better when statistics show that only 37.9% of the U.S. Populace is born into that same class status. (William Thompson, Joseph Hickey, 2005). And that was in the year 2005. Over the 200+ years our country has been in existence our country's percentage of people classified in the upper-middle class has been far less than 37.9% most of that time. And yet those wealthier seem to be the ones chosen to lead our great nation.


One must ask, "Is this fair?" Are we fairly represented as a nation in our capitol building and the White house? Doesn't it seem like political offices are up for sale? Doesn't it seem like they go to the highest bidder? Could it be that we are not a people for the people, but rather a people ruled by whoever has the biggest wad of cash, a people ruled by money?


The 2008 campaign was the costliest in U.S. History. It cost $5.3 billion. That was up 27% from the 2004 campaign cost. The cost for the presidential race alone was over $1 billion. This was the first time the two contenders went over the billion dollar mark in our history.


$763 million was spent on John Mccain's campaign alone, and he didn't even win! The winner of course was Barack Obama whose campaign cost $793 million. Now that's a huge chunk when the president's salary is only $400,000 per year!


So what's the point?

My point is this: Is it fair that the person representing the country be from the upper-middle class or higher? Well, it's fair, but is it fair that happens over 82% of the time?


It's Time for a Change

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