I would go as far as to say that it is downright unAmerican. "Pretentious" is what the European aristocrats do to distract themselves from their own irrelevance.
It wouldn't bother me nearly as much if there was some obvious explanation as to how he was clearly superior. Yeah, crap like that is one of the few things that really trips my trigger, almost as bad as people who assert that I've done well for myself because everything was handed to me on a silver platter. A true American is what they are, built from the ground up by their own efforts and courage, and little else. We lose as a country and as a culture when we view it any other way, and I'm not going to stand by and let socialist golems redefine what it means to be an American.
I'm also fairly certain that among 140 people in the room (is that the semi-accurate number?), there were probably a few to several people that made over $200k present. This is assuming that these were average folk randomly picked and on-the-fence voters as they said. (However, after the debates did you notice all the Bush and Kerry fans flocking around their candidates getting autographs and pictures taken? hehe)
However, someone said that Kerry's comments were a slap in the face to everyone in the room. Yes, in reality it was, but if you asked the opinions of many in the room, I think most wouldn't consider Kerry's comment insulting. The reason is that many in America, and in the world, have a job/employee/broke/lack mentality versus an owner/entrepenaur/abundance or wealth (even in a job) mentality. There were many people in that room - dare I say most? - that do not believe they will ever make over $200k a year. So yes the comment was a slap-in-the-face to everyone, but it didn't even register on most people's mental radars as to being insulting.
Case in point, someone here mentioned about there "surely being a rich widow in the room" or something on that order. I'm not being mean to the poster, but that goes to show the type of limited thinking about wealth. There are a myriad and mutlitude of ways to make over $200k, which I'm sure the poster realizes. I'm also not trying to define how this poster thinks, but that comment was tell-tale sign of lack vs. abundance thinking. I'm sure the comment just slipped out by mistake :)
But for the minority who were insulted during the debate, these people are a) either making 200k, b) aspiring to make $200k, or c) bothered that they won't ever make 200k (c is a false belief, but their choice). Of course there is d) those who have a different calling in life other than to accomplish an income of 200k a year, but they probably weren't bothered by the comment as were a, b & c.
Kerry's comment was a big mistake and it revealed the 'elitist' in him for the public to see.
One of the things that Bush left out when talking about businesses making over $200k a year, was what Cheney stated the other night. When it comes to Job Creation, 7 out of 10 jobs are created by small businesses; 3 out of 10 jobs are created by everything else (including when the Democrats hire voters... I MEAN! federal workers). So when Kerry talks about repealing tax cuts and further taxing those making $200k a year, its not just people's personal incomes, but businesses, and these small businesses are the #1 creators of jobs. So if you hurt these small businesses, you hurt jobs. (Am I preaching to the choir yet?) What did Abraham Lincoln say? You cannot build up the wage earner while tearing down the wage provider. Close?
I guarantee that when Kerry had to swear to the camera that he will never raise taxes for those making under $200k a year, that he will regret that either as President (God forbid it, yet not my will Lord, but Yours) or as a Senator again. That was an excellant cornering question with no way out compliments of that fine young lad in the crowd. Kerry will regret it, because obviously he votes against tax cuts and for tax hikes almost all the time.
On a personal note, I don't make $200k a year.. yet. In fact I'm not even close, but I can't stand heavy taxes on wealthy people, but that's a whole other book I'll write for you later :) (Cool! I won the "Loose lips sink ships" award in my preview!)
***I don't know what the cut-off is from small to large businesses, but I know businesses are still considered small when grossing in the millions - let alone 200k. Big business is hundreds of millions and billions.