How Long Can You Rely On Your Upbringing?
 

I heard this point on one of the radio shows, and I just wanted to get people's feelings on it. They were talking about one of the candidates (Biden, I think), and his referring to his lower-middle class upbringing. One of the hosts said (and, I'm paraphrasing) that, because he was so much older, and because he has been so successful in his life, he really couldn't bring up his upbringing anymore. The argument, I guess, is that he was so removed from that time in his life that he couldn't rely on it to say that he understands middle-class Americans, or that he understands the struggles.

My question then, to Greekchat Nation, is this: can you always trumpet your upbringing as part of your political platform, even if you've earned wealth in your adult life?

I would say yes; as I've noted on this board a few times, I didn't grow up with a lot of money. If I were at some point to run for office (not likely), I would definitely stress my background, no matter my wealth/financial status at the time of my campaign.

I would say yes as well. I think it's pretty well established and widely understood that your early years are your most formative years and have a huge part to play in establishing who you are.

For Biden, he hasn't seemed to migrate far from middle class, IMO. But of course you "can" trumpet it, whether or not it means anything will reflect in your other statements.

For example the whole "house" thing. Yes I know McCain answered the way he did likely out of not wishing to get the answer wrong, his wife's rich, they own a lot of property, but that disconnects you from people who hardly hang on to a house because of financial crises. Obama's recently earned is way into wealth via his book sales, but still talks about his childhood as a formative experience.

I don't think you can "rely" on it, but as long as you're not trying to downplay your childhood (silver spoon?) you probably get more milage from talking about it, even if everyone doesn't buy it.

i believe that you can use your background. in many respects politics and elections focus alot on who is most popular. people need to feel like they can relate to those who are in governent. at some point politicians must talk about the here and now and what they can do for their constituents.

What's the saying - no matter where you go, there you are?

I think that no matter what a person achieves in life, their childhood or upbringing is always with them. Have you ever known someone who grew up in the Depression, for example? That's been 70 years, but it is still a big part of who they are.

For good or ill, the things we experience as children come back to us again and again, consciously and unconsciously. I think it is completely fair for any politician to reference their upbringing. Just as it's fair for the public to decide what kind of an impression that upbringing seemed to have made based upon the person's life as an adult.

i think so. it shows a tremendous amount of determination and willpower, and helps you see eye to eye with the public.

as a middle class black female i have always found it hard to believe an upper class white male could really see what my concerns are lol! not that some of them dont know what it is like to live middle class, or be a single parent, but i just feel that the people affecting my laws, should be like me. and if the only thing we have in common is upbringing, well that is a step in the right direction.

I think you can work your background as long as your current behavior is in keeping with the values you were supposed to have learned/ experience you are assumed to have had.

Once there's a serious breakdown between your current behavior and your past, you shouldn't be able to just trot out your roots as a way of mitigating your present policies. Think Cheney. Do you care that his background wasn't wealthy?

If you're running for public office, you stress anything you think which might reasonably win you more votes than it loses you.

I agree with this. I wouldn't like a candidate who "trumpets" his lower-middle class background, yet his life up to that point was about shunning that life.

I believe that your upbringing can and does strongly impact who you become later in life. My upbringing certainly shaped who I am and it makes me grateful for everything I have today.

I agree with UGAalum that as long as your current behavior is in line with how you were raised, there is nothing wrong with using that to relate to everyone else. Now, if someone born in wealth & raised in wealth kept trying to identify with me, I'd roll my eyes and walk away b/c they don't have the background knowledge & experience to attempt to identify with someone who was raised in poverty.