How to Lose Political Friends and Alienate People

We all know that there are some incredibly bitter and petty Hillary Clinton supporters out there, not yet fully able to bring themselves to support her former primary opponent, Barack Obama, full-blast. I guess that this is understandable, at least to an extent, though I think that when push comes to shove, nearly all of Clinton's supporters will vote for Obama on November 4.

There are of course those former HRC boosters who break the mold. One such person is a Clinton friend and big-time money-person for the Senator, Lynn Forester de Rothschild. Rothschild, also a prominent member of the Democratic National Committee, has announced that she will be endorsing John McCain for President, and will actually campaign with him.

I have several reactions this news. The first one is:

What. A. Loser.

I find it funny that Ms. de Rothschild thinks that she is so important that her endorsement means something, and that more, she needs one of her press flacks to announce the big news. In case she doesn't already know: It doesn't. No one cares. No one. Sure, McCain is probably happy to have some more money, but other than that? Her announcement indicates that she will campaign for McCain to "help him through the election." Few people realized that her campaign help was needed, but I'm glad she set the record straight.

Democrats should actually welcome this news. Even though she can say she is a Democrat for McCain, no one cares about her. More importantly, having a de Rothschild on Team McCain actually helps Sen. Obama's arguments that the Republican Party is out of touch with the economy in the tank.

Here's my favorite part of this story, in the form of a quote from the former Clinton supporter describing Obama:

"I feel like he is an elitist. I feel like he has not given me reason to trust him."

I am not sure someone with the name Lynn Forester de Rothschild has any license to call someone else elitist, but she must hold herself to another standard. The article notes that Ms. de Rothschild is CEO of a "holding company" with influence around the world, she is married to an "international banker," and she "splits her time living in New York and London." What this all means in layman's terms:

--When your name has a "de" before your last name, you're really rich, or elitist, or more likely both.

--When your name is "Rothschild", you are really really rich.

--When you are married to an "international banker," you buy your groceries exclusively at Dean and Deluca, and you own houses in Vail, Jackson, Wyoming, and Maui, among other places.

--When you "split" living between New York and London, you live in Central Park West, fly first class so much, they the flight attendants know you by name, and you have one of those black American Express cards.

--A holding company is a fancy word for "business that caters only to the super rich."

So, to summarize, a really really really really really rich woman is endorsing John McCain because she finds Barack Obama to be an elitist. Ok. That means perfect sense to me.

In some seriousness, I guess a story like this reveals how bitter, and quite frankly, plainly stupid some people can be. I hope Ms. de Rothschild enjoys the company of McCain, because after this move, she won't be welcome in Democratic circles ever again. So, this story really is a great tale on how to lose friends and alienate people.

Then again, I doubt Ms. de Rothschild cares. When your name is de Rothschild, your life is never going to be tough.