The XX Factor: What women really think.

Those Darn Elites

Noreen, I'll back you up a bit. If I had $150,000 to spend, I think I'd run right out to Escada. Or Prada. Or any other -ada where you could get such gorgeous garments. But—and this goes for any Democrats espousing the same message (Nancy and her Armani, etc.)—I'm not the one shouting an "I'm just regular folk, not elite" message. And if I had that $150,000 to spend on clothes—whether through a national political committee or my own wealth—I don't think I could rightly claim status as just a regular Jane anymore. Once you start paying $5,000 for your makeup, you join the ranks of some elite, whether it's media or not, don't you? I'm not saying, as Ellen astutely pointed out, that she doesn't need clothes that look good for this job interview—she does (though I think there's probably some suits out there that could be beautifully tailored for some savings and still make her look like a million bucks). I'm just saying it doesn't fit well with the us-against-those-darn-elites message that's been the centerpiece of her campaign.