Elitism: it's not just for Barack Obama and his suporters anymore.

Let's say you are a Republican and find yourself on the defensive because you are backing a government intervention that has spent billions of dollars and probably made the problem you're trying to solve worse. How do you fight back? Call your critics Elitists. Here's Reuters yesterday:

Rep. John Duncan, a Tennessee Republican, said that it seems "rather elitist" that people with academic degrees in health think they know better than parents what type of sex education is appropriate. "I don't think it's something we should abandon," he said of abstinence-only funding.

The Know-Nothings live, in Tennessee! And apparently in Texas, too, where another group of parents knew better what type of sex education was appropriate for their children. In both cases, good people don't need academic degrees to know that telling children to wait before marriage always works, and that marriage at age 13 also is OK.

Seriously, though, it seems that we're likely to hear this line of argument rolled out in response to all manner of policy debates that occur on a national basis. Jay Cost of Real Clear Politics recently observed that, "The Obama campaign has learned several important lessons about "elitism." It has learned that Republicans are quite attracted to this idea." Like flies on an elephant patty. Are you in favor of equal pay for men and women? Elitist. In favor of national health insurance? Elitist. Oppose No Child Left Behind? Elitist. Want to end the Iraq War? Elitist. Think torture is immoral? Elitist.

Anyway, what Barack Obama declared to be political silly season is fully upon us. But while some of us carry on our serious policy debates with our experts considering different forms of evidence, it's worth keeping in mind one thing that suggests there is a short life for elitists themselves: Starbucks' profits are down!