Obama can't be put in elitist category

I would like to respond to Ms. Valerie Benson (June 21 Fence Post) and her claims that Barack and Michelle Obama are somehow "elitist" and "American Royalty" because Mr. Obama attended Harvard University, his wife wore a $900 dress and that Mr. Obama has "never been poor."

Cindy Hensley McCain was born into the Hensley fortune (does Anheuser-Busch ring any bells?), without whose wealth and political contacts John McCain would not likely have gotten his foot in the door of Arizona politics and repaid his political loans. I don't think Mrs. McCain is shopping at Target for her designer duds!

Which political dynasty were the Obamas born into? It certainly wasn't the Bush Dynasty. He attended both Harvard and Yale and has certainly never been even remotely poor. Why the double standard? Barack Obama, on the other hand, grew up in a single-parent household. How many wealthy single parents do you know?

Barack Obama put law school and a lucrative corporate career on hold to work as a community organizer in some of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods. How elitist, helping the poor!

The fact that Mr. Obama has not become one of those

negative single-parent statistics, and achieved the American dream, defying so many of the odds, should speak volumes about his abilities. He had no rich daddy to pave his way into college (or pay for it), bail him out of botched business deals, or pave his political career. He has made it to this place in history through hard work, determination and a much truer understanding of what it is to be poor and middle class than any of the trust-fund babies of our current "American Royalty" ever could. If one desires a "non-royal" candidate, the choice is clear - vote for Obama.

Angela Riccio

Naperville