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Obama and the class question

RICHARD FLORIDA

From Saturday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 11:17 AM EDT 31/03/08

Both the Democratic primary and the upcoming general election turn on an even deeper economic and social force: class ...Read the full article

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  1. Richard Thomas from Costa Mesa, United States writes: Rezko received a $3.5 million loan from London-based IRAQI billionaire Nadhmi Auchi -- a loan that was later forgiven in exchange for shares in a prime slice of Chicago real estate. Rezko gave $700,000 of the money to his wife and used the rest to pay legal bills and funnel cash to various supporters." These Funds from Auchi's loan helped finance a complex series of transactions between Rezko and Democratic Presidential candidate Illinois Senator Barack Obama involving the 2005 purchase of Obama's Chicago mansion and Rezko's purchase of an adjoining landlocked parcel. Obama and Rezko engaged in this structured real estate transaction to coordinat the purchases of adjacent parcels of real estate. Rezko claims he paid “full market price” and Obama apparently received a “discount” of several hundred thousand dollars for his parcel. Rezko then improved his parcel to benefit Obama. Instead of handing cash to Obama, Rezko handed Obama a preferential price for property. This is the same form of “honest graft” and preferential treatment that sent former Illinois Governor Otto Kerner to jail over 30 years ago, see United States v. Isaacs, 493 F.2d 1124 (7th Cir. 1974). The Chicago Sun-Times recently reported that Mr. Rezko, around the same general period he was wheeling with Obama, also provided a preferential price for a property purchase by U. S. Representative Luis Gutierrez. Instead of transferring cash to buy influence, Rezko was engaging in structured property transactions and preferential treatment of public officials to confer significant financial benefits on them, far above the legal limits of any legitimate political contribution permitted by federal law. Mr. Tony Rezko is under indictment in Illinois for seeking to extort money from potential state vendors.
  2. Wes Truesdell from Glencoe, IL, United States writes: It is HILLiarious for the Clintons, veterans of all kinds of sleazy fundraising scandals from Norman Hsu to ChinaGate to Marc Rich, to make an issue of Obama's getting a special deal on his home purchase from some two-penny operator.

    The Rezko business is small potatoes compared to the fundraising practices of the couple who rented out the Lincoln bedroom and will not disclose the names of the large contributors to their presidential library.
  3. Joe Gopher from Canada writes: The Republicans will rip either Obamo or Billary to shreds in the election campaign.
    There is just way too much dirt on both of them to keep hidden no matter how hard the media tries.
    Ie, what kind of parent would take his children to see a hear a guy like Wright?
    A parent that preaches hope and change, or a parent that wallows in victimhood?
  4. Bill Smith from The wilds of the GTA, Canada writes: Funny both previous comments have nothing to do with the Richard Florida piece.

    I think it's a very interesting question to ponder and it not only touches on voting patterns but also where you want to put your resources in the economy going forward. What I term the Joe/Jane lunch box economy in heavy industry and manufacturing has been leaving the first world for about 20 years now. Do we really want to hold onto these jobs, if more people in the knowledge/creative sector are more numerous and higher paid? I wonder also how this paradigm would play out here?
  5. Joe Gopher from Canada writes: Let's not forget Bill Clinton's pardons for all his dirty buddies when he left office.
  6. Tim Rutkevich from Canada writes: Marx is dead, stop trying to resurrect his class warfare.
  7. Tim Rutkevich from Canada writes: Today I am reading: La guerra de Guerrillas, 1960, by Guevara de la Serna Ernesto «Che». Yes, that bereted (pun intended) comrade, that left leaning students wear on their T-shirts, has written an detailed manual how to conduct terrorist insurgency.
  8. Tim Rutkevich from Canada writes: CORRECTION: A DETAILED MANUAL.
  9. Dave Woodsman from Canada writes: It's about time we saw a knowledgeable, sophisticated commentary on the power and force of social class in the US election. For all their hopes and dreams, there is a definite, fixed limit to how much useful retraining a culture can give to their demographic majority who make up the base of a country's societal pyramid. Especially in a nation with such a huge population of refugees and illegal immigrants. On both sides of the balance sheet, you can take the person out of the trailer park, but you can't take the trailer park out of the person.
  10. Dave Woodsman from Canada writes: I enjoyed Coup d'Etat, by Edward N. Luttwak. Many sections were very droll.
  11. L D from Mexico writes: So the point of this is that the creative class tilts left? Read Obama's platform and look at his Senate track record. It's as liberal as it get. (I'm not saying liberal in a bad, just that's what he is.) This article says people opted for Obama based issues, which is counter to the general perception that people like the narrative of change and overcomming racial bitterness.
  12. Lost Traveler from Vancouver, Canada writes: Marx is dead, but I'm getting tired of me and my family working for a mere 10 $ an hour, while the CEO makes more than 1 Million a month, as me, they are few million people more... have a nice day.
  13. John Smith from Canada writes: This article is what is muddled pop culture fiction with no narrative and no climax.

    The construct of the "creative class" is weak. Within the parameters of what Richard Florida appears to define as a "class" are multiple levels of socio-economic success. Generally, Mr. Florida focuses on the higher end. In one article, he wrote about a hairstylyst who had left the manufacturing trade to ply a different trade - at an extremely high end salon. Ummm. the vast majority of hairstylists are employed at First Choice etc. There is no evidence of a consistent class, just a catchy phrase.

    The creative class is a wonderful fiction and Mr. Florida continues to waltz the pathetic elite of Toronto and Ontario. Good for Richard Florida, bad for Ontario.
  14. Paul Thompson from Canada writes: John Smith, I was wondering if I was the only one who found Richard Florida a tad egotistical and pretentious. Maybe it's just the name, and he said some things that made sense, but "the them against us meme"? Give me a break.
  15. John Smith from Canada writes: Actually, "Sir" Richard has beeen the recipient of much questioning by G & M readers. Perhaps the best was a letter to editor regarding the wonderful cleavage in his pictures versus the intellectual weight of his columns. One might call this a low blow, but one might also say it captures the essence of his appeal.
  16. John Smith from Canada writes: I love this one: "The traditional Republican platform of individualism, economic opportunity and fiscal responsibility appeals to them; but so, too, do the Democratic values of social liberalism, environmentalism and a progressive track record on gay and women's rights."

    Yeah, essentially Mr. Florida is saying they are messed up selfish twits. Is that really new? And Ontario government says we want more of these people?

    Why doesn't the G &M find an insightful writer like Thomas Frank. Oh right, not sure if he wears cleavage revealing black shirts with $200 hair styles. Intellectual priorities get stranger by the day in Canada.
  17. Paul Thompson from Canada writes: Oh, that's what you meant by "cleavage"...ugh.
  18. John Smith from Canada writes: Yes, for the G&M class cleavage is now reduced to what lays between three buttons undone. Ugh.
  19. Paul Thompson from Canada writes: Lol. Based on limited reading, Florida reminds me of Thomas Friedman, that guru of globalization whom I consider (for what it's worth) to be an overrated twit. True, he does know a lot about international business and the effects of IT, but he was also rah-rah-rah for the invasion of Iraq. Check out his introduction to his book The Lexus and The Olive Tree where he discusses trying to order some oranges through room service at a Tokyo hotel. He meant the incident as an example of the difficulties of cross-cultural communication, while I thought it just made him look like a spoiled egotistical jerk who just enjoyed ordering people around. (He ordered 4 fresh oranges but instead got 4 glasses of fresh-squeezed orange juice, and he made them take it back. It would have cost $20 in Tokyo probably). Maybe it's just me, but it just stuck in my craw.
  20. John S from Toronto, Canada writes: Creative Class is nothing more than an updated information economy based middle class.

    Based on Florida's article and the current trajectory of the North American economy (down and down) Clinton will win.

    Obama resonates with the educated and employed, but the blue collar are suffering far more, and will suffer more in the future.

    Clinton will win. The economy will slide farther in 2008.

    And McCain will beat her.

    And after that, the USA will be a second class world power.

    Richard Florida should be thankful he got out of the USA when he did.
  21. Alias No Name from Vanuatu writes: Sorry,I am on a wrong bloc,I thought you are discussing Obama Hussein in the context of Saddam Hussain nd/or Mula Omar or Osama Bin-Laden...
  22. lotusland maritimer from Sault Ste Marie, Canada writes: The trouble is that under capitalism you make ten bucks an hour and your CEO makes a million but under communism comrade director makes ten million while you make squat ie less than a dollar. As far as this class business goes the theory of the iron law of oligarchy or if you like meritocracy is old hat nothing new or original about it even if rephrased. Marx didnt invent the class struggle Romans and Greeks were organising their polity to neutralise its divisive aspects. They had aristocrats senatorial class equites or knights and the hoi polloi plebs carefully balancing political and economic power. All citizens had political power through their tribunes. They were called SPQR for good reason senatus populusque romanum senate and the ROMAN PEOPLE. Nothing new here except than a virtuous slave owner patrician would blush at what try 100 million dollar incomes that CEOs have to struggle with. The classless society seems to recede further and further and there is only so much you can forget imbibing beer and watching garbage sports on TV. Just like gladiators you know panem et circenses bread and circuses. The West has been collapsing for a few hundred years now and the USA is working hard at being a good student of Spengler. So long folks.
  23. True Grit from Calgary, Canada writes: Tim Rutkevich, it has always been about class and will continue to be about class. As long as onbridled capitalism continues to marginalise a greater number of people, Marx will never die. Unless capitalism changes,it will indeed "eat itself".
  24. pran manga from ottawa, Canada writes: Prof. Florida should write an op-ed article for the New York Times elaborating on these insights. It is a good and thoughtful piece on an overlooked issue.
  25. True Grit from Calgary, Canada writes: pran manga, I think that the Times already did a piece on this topic. The article had me chuckling, as it refered to Hillary supporters in blue-collar industrial states as "downmarket whites."
  26. NWT Knifer from Yellowknife, Canada writes: The US election is all over McCain won it all. he now acing like a President, he pays a visit to Paris and the next day the french are sending troops to Afganistan. What have hillary and Obhama done. Oh yea Obama sits in his local Mosque listening to Anti American rants and backs the guy because he his role model. That is who the world wants as a president. I sure he got a membership to the clan too!
  27. rozz jones from Phil, United States writes: OBAMA IS UNELECTABLE IN GENERAL ELECTION. Obama's Pastor Slurs Italians in Latest Magazine (CNSNews.com) Wright continues his Obama supported attacks on non-blacks now slurring Italians in issue of Trumpet Newsmag. Wright states, Jesus enemies had their opinion, Italians looked down their garlic noses at the Galileans, and Jesus death on a cross was a public lynching Italian style! This government runs everything from the White House to the schoolhouse, from the Capitol to the KKKlan of white supremacy who is clearly in charge. Every issue published Wright's rant against white people in which he covers a world that is controlled by white supremacy, a country that’s on its way to hell in a hand basket because of lying politicians, in a culture that still thinks 'white is right! He said young African-American Christians are more concerned about 'bling bling' than about freeing their minds and still Obama says I could no more disown him than I could disown the black community. According to his federal income tax return for 2006, Obama gave the Trinity United church $22,500 in contributions. Trumpet Newsmagazine started 80s, Wright is CEO and Wright's daughter, Jeri Wright, is the publisher. Requests for comments Obama camp of course not answered. Trumpet Nov/Dec edition, featured Louis Farrakhan, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement "Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. Trumpeter" award. Farrakhan has called Judaism a "gutter religion" and said Jews are "bloodsuckers. Many of the biased cable news pundits try to make viewers believe Obama's speech limited damage of Wright controversy, but the general election will show voters strongly disagree, especially non-black voters. Obama refuses to explain to the public why he would have someone as such a close spiritual advisor and mentor and why he would expose two young daughters to such hatefulness against fellow Americans.
  28. Mike Quinlan from Gatineau QC, Canada writes: Dear Roz, somehow I dont think you understood what Obama said in his speech. The Rev Wright is not the first to engage in carricature to advance a particular point of view, moreover its just a little too simplistic to react from a feeling of offence. Yes there is the odd exception, but it still remains an apt description of the people who hold and control the levers of power in any of the US, Canada or Europe, that these are by and large wealthy and white.
  29. Don Micheals from Canada writes: I think linking the musings of Barack Obama and Richard Florida is just too precious!
    Both of them rely on highly creative arguments that, at best, attempt to describe fleeting moments in time. Neither of them offer any great truths that are constant and reliable across the human variables of race, culture and class. Thus, since they offer nothing that is instructive or predictive, they are a dangerous disraction from the serious debates and hard work North Americans need to focus on to reverse the distructive changes of recent decades.
  30. a neumann from Chicago, Illinois, United States writes: It is also hard to square Mr. Obama's rhetoric of hope and change with his support for local Democratic politicians whose practices and policies have been very undemocratic.
  31. marta fekete from vancouver, Canada writes: I See the "American Sarkozy "emerging and we will see the same effect . Promises what cannot be delivered .
    the public is Duped again .

    Hillary may win the general election if we trust her but Got save us from Obama..
  32. Rocky Balboa from United States writes: The US Federal tax rebates announced a few weeks ago sent a message to the "creative class". Many of them were excluded even though they weren't especially rich and could barely afford a market rate apartment in a high cost creative class city like San Francisco. Both Dems keep talking about raising taxes on the rich. Sooner or later, the creative class will figure out they they will be getting the shaft in 2009 when the Dems start tinkering with the tax code. Even a retired creative class member such as myself has changed his mind on the Dems. I'm not interested in seeing my taxes go up next year, as they would if the Bush tax cuts were repealed. True the cuts provided more benefits to the super rich. But I was happy that the taxes on my dividends were cut. Both Dem candidates have been ignoring gay issues as best they can (almost always) and many gay "creative class" types will probably stay home on election day. Neither House Speaker Pelosi nor Senate Leader Reid have given any indication they will support cutting off funding for the war in Iraq. Quite frankly, I would be satisfied with McCain in the White House and the two houses of Congress in the hands of the Dems. In 1984, Walter Mondale promised the electorate that he would raise their taxes. He was soundly defeated.
  33. Ed Long from white Rock, Canada writes: I agree with Richard Florida's description of a "creative class" that is post partisan and politically independent. I would argue that this "class" was responsible for the elections of Pierre Trudeau, and on that thesis Canada is socially and politically further ahead than the U.S.

    However, Trudeau was elected at a time when Canada's creative energy and self-confidence was at an all time high post Expo 67. Furthermore, Trudeau had indicated his policy directions learned the ropes of federal leadership while serving as Justice Minister.

    The United States is not full of creative energy and self-confidence at this time, and I refer you to Jeffrey Simpson's opinion piece immediately following this article. Furthermore, Obama is unproven. His is a candidate for leadership that has not been close to the Presidential circle of influence. He is an orator without real power experience at a time when the U.S. is questioning its foreign policy and grappling with multi-layered economic and trade issues.

    Obama uses phrasology and evangelical tone to incite feelings of past glories and a way of life that has never existed in the U.S. He is an intelligent idealogue very similar to our Michael Ignatieff.

    Trudeau was also an idealogue but his time as Justice Minister bloodied his nose and taught him the hard ball lessons of power and scale of issues. It taught him reality.

    Obama is speaking to a tired nation and his message, for all the Castro worthy length of oratory, is basically dumbing down.
  34. m gillis from halifax, Canada writes: the idea of the creative class is a very vague concept that I don't think should be discounted in the up coming US election, like Obama, the idea of being part of the creative class gives us something to aspire to. And it is a new way to think of the political left, which needs to get over divisions with in it's own party ( and l don't mean between Clinton supporters and Obama supporters, but the more damaging ones of division between labour unions, environmentalist, immigrants, black advocates, womens advocates and so on) and realize the pressing need to think outside the status quo box. It wont matter who wins the election if the practices ingrained into the western/power politics machine continue to dominate how politics in the US is shaped.
    Since Reagen in the US, the left has been bashed for not being realist but idealist. But if all of us had to be a realist about the world we live in then we could realistically say people will always be starving people, there will always be war and there will always problems in the world, and yeah that might be so. But being human I needed to believe there is something more, and being part of a creative class then maybe the new class can create policies that work towards changing the reality of our messed up world. I don't know about everybody else but I'm tired of real, and I think we all needed to be a little more creative.
  35. Alias No Name from Vanuatu writes: Free market economy and social democracy is the successful model that will beat the "commies" for good....

    They don't have answer for that....
  36. Ed Long from white Rock, Canada writes: M. Gillis ... the lesson Canadians learned from social democracy is that the idealism must be backed up with real world policy and courage.

    Example: Medicare came out of a poor province where families had to pay their doctors up front for treatment or be turned away. It had to survive threats from medical colleges, insurance companies and apoliticized populace, doctors' strike, marches, and physical threats to the first administration.

    It doesn't just happen with nice thoughts and bromides.

    Your comment "I'm tired of real ..." is exactly the problem. Living in the most blessed country on earth, it is very easy to hide behind vague idealism.

    However, our history has been defined by people very grounded in reality, who had a vision, and incredible strength to follow their program.

    If you make art, you will know that the finished product is about 10% creativity and the rest is hard work and discipline.

    I'm not hearing even the 10% from Obama.
  37. boz dobbs from toronto, Canada writes: I can,t wait until farmland becomes more valuable then big city real estate,then the "creative class"will reduced to dining out on their own vomit.Pretentious farts will always have too be suffered,I,m afraid.Don,t forget that Rome was reduced to a mere population of 10,000,after it,s heyday.
  38. Winston Churchill from London, Canada writes: Bob, I agree. This creative class has been called, at other times (by its detractors) the leisure class & the affluent society. Even its friends, who called its members 'workers of the mind' didn't think that it didn't need the support of 'workers of the hand'. I really wonder about a common sense which projects lots of people thinking beautiful thoughts and passing around lots of money . . . which isn't worth a hell of a lot since nobody is actually making anything any more. Just occurred to me that H.G. Wells had the Morlocks and the Elohim, divided functionally as here, locked in a perpetual state of class conflict, and forgetting that they were both descendents of the same undifferentiated people. Science Fiction, right? Do you know what's back science fiction? Thinking that this sort of division would work at all if the division were 'all the Morlocks in this country' and all the Elohim in this one. Why wouldn't the Morlock untemensch just starve the Elohim herrenvolk?

    For anybody with a stomach for it, the lampoon was written in the 17th Century. See Swifts Gulliver's Travel's book III, specifically the bits where Gulliver visits Laputa, and Balnibarbi. In Laputa, the creative class lives on a cloud, and drops rocks on rebellious, subjegated surface cities. In extreme cases they park the cloud overtop until the surfaces settlement submits. In Balnibarbi, the natives are so busy thinking about Math and Music that the place is an utter chyt-pit, relieved only by the ruins of their less progressive ancestors.
  39. Paul Thompson from Canada writes: So, Rocky Balboa, you would be ok with warhawk McCain as president provided your taxes don't go up. You seem to be unhappy with the Dem House and Senate leaders for not promising to cut off funding for the Iraq war, but with McCain in there you know what taxes you do pay will continue to be poured down that rathole. Your logic is puzzling to me to say the least. Give Obama a bit of credit, he had the good judgement to oppose this fiasco from the start, which suggests there is more to him than mere rhetoric.
  40. Rachael .... commenting from .. Hollywood North, Canada writes: John Smith from Canada writes: This article is what is muddled pop culture fiction with no narrative and no climax. .....
    The creative class is a wonderful fiction and Mr. Florida continues to waltz the pathetic elite of Toronto and Ontario. Good for Richard Florida, bad for Ontario.

    ================

    Good comment. Creation of so called "classes" is just not a classy act.

    Follow-up thought, wonder what "class" do most G&M editor/reporters belong to ?
  41. Alex MacLean from Toronto, Canada writes: Florida says, "It will be difficult for Ms. Clinton to win wholehearted endorsement of the creative class, as committed as she is to specific programs."

    Yes, it will indeed be difficult because an academic conceit - a contrived refashioned dusted off concept of 80s "yuppiedom" - cannot endorse anything. It's an abstraction. A buzzword to sell books.

    And funny how the topic of post-Bush America, which is so critical that most of my friends watch every up and down and round and about with great interest, is about confirming Florida's brand of socio-lite.
    Please Globe and Mail - no more of this. Whatever we've done, we're sorry, we won't do it again. Just make this noise go away.
  42. Barrie Ward from Weldon Saskatchewan, Canada writes: Poppycock ...

    There is NO "Creative Class" ..... I repeat there is NO "Creative Class" ....

    There are only those who excuse by the obtuseness of such media meditations the viciousness and savage human predation by the "Exploitive Class" .... Nuff Said!
  43. Elmo Watson from Canada writes: Hey John Smith, might you be an academic toiling away in obscurity, jealous of Richard Florida's book deals and speaking engagements?
  44. Maria Loi from vancouver, Canada writes: The Americans are really funny people, the suppose to be literate people think they should be politically correct with whatever the utter. Even our Independent Asian Newspaper published an article last week stating that Obama had attended two primary schools in Indonesia in his childhood days. You could find the article by checking into the papers in Vancouver.
    Obama had told a NY Times reporter that he found the call for prayers by the Muslim mosque very peaceful. I don't think it is wise to elect a muslim at heart to be the next President. These days being black is no longer a problem in the States or here but being a radical Muslim
    and holding the highest office in USA will be a laughing stock for America, particularly in the world. Maybe it is a good idea to try it before we make an assumption I presume!
  45. Maria Loi from vancouver, Canada writes: sorry, typing error should be they not the
  46. Maria Loi from vancouver, Canada writes: Here at home, we have to worry about corruptions at all levels of our government including the non elected mandarins
    I could never forget then, being a Singaporean till 1972, then Mr. Lee said that "Corruption is the cancer of the civil service." I hope they will look into "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." In fact, the old British saying still applies today with all governments and their administrative mandarins. It is a real shame that the world had not change much in politics!
    I will live to see not much changes in the next 30 years, nonetheless, the world is heading in the right directions in terms of colors, meaning all colors will live in harmony after all we have the same DNA and none of us is colorless.
    It is a shame that radical Muslims are increasing the power with the weak and vulnerable, luckily, we do not live in such environment!
    I love being a full fledged Canadian and I hope we should vote accordnig to issues with holistics preview of things!
  47. John Smith from Canada writes: Heh, heh no just a regular job Elmo Watson with a deep interest in knowledge and learning. It improves my performance as a citizen in a democratic society. Hence my disdain for superficial pop culture being passed off as something credible and, worse, something we should be using to establish public policy. Good spin generally makes for bad policy.

    Check out most recent work by U of T's Centre for Urban and Community Studies (including today's piece on immigration settlement patterns). The G&M should spend greater effort finding more "academics toiling away in obscurity" and bringing quality, meaningful work to the surface rather than pandering to spin masters.
  48. John Smith from Canada writes: Elmo Watson, check out

    http://www.urbancentre.utoronto.ca/pdfs/researchbulletins/CUCSRB41HulchanskiThreeCitiesToronto.pdf

    Some great analysis of a problematic trend over time. If one favours socially segregated cities and all the problems that come with it (as is the mode of Mr. Florida's homeland) then by all means swallow his tripe with a smile. If you prefer successful societies, look elsewhere and make some of those academics less obscure.
  49. Rob Aubery from Calgary, Canada writes: Having recently been in a Muslim country, it seems the only people as obsessed with American politics and Barack Obama are Canadians. For Muslims I can understand the 'possibilities,' as for English speaking Canadians it's simply a case of not having a life. Listen, if you've got no national identity Canada, then throw in the towel and join the US. If not, get a life and broaden your horizons. The future is in Africa, Asia and Europe not the moribund USA and cadavers like McCain, Clinton and Obama.
  50. bob london from Canada writes: Seems to be that Florida has irritated professors like John above. John is likely a stunned babyboomer wondering how people are not obeying his every word and how this Florida could have come up with a simple idea by paying attention to people around were Johns own idea is sounding like bureaucratic exhaust benefiting no one.

    Thankyou for the article Florida. Barack will win as we see those supporting the campaign having created "stupid" ideas like facebook.

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