Friday Reflection: Rothschilds, Rednecks and John McCain

Form The Sleuth, by Mary Ann Akers, Wash.Post
Posted at 1:28 PM ET, 09/19/2008

Our favorite political story of the week by far was news of John McCain's highly touted endorsement from one Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, a "Hillraiser" who chose to support the GOP presidential nominee over Barack Obama, the man who defeated her dear friend Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary.

De Rothschild didn't stop making news with her endorsement. Later in the week, the famously wealthy London socialite went on to call those working-class Americans who Obama insulted during the primary "rednecks."

"Barack Obama went and called the people who have guns and cling to their religion bitter," de Rothschild told CNN's Campbell Brown. "The people out - who are the rednecks or whatever - are bitter."

Click here to watch a YouTube clip of milady's redneck riff. When, do you suppose, was the last time Lady de Rothschild knocked back a few Pabst Blue Ribbons with a redneck, perhaps over NASCAR or wrestling?

The GOP presidential campaign made much ado this week over the New Jersey-born Baroness for Hillary crossing over to become an Aristocrat for McCain - in the midst, of course, of the nation's worst financial meltdown since the Great Depression, and as both McCain and Obama are desperately trying to woo middle-class voters hit hardest by the ongoing credit crisis. But hey, far be it from the Sleuth to judge when a presidential candidate should roll out the red carpet for a baroness embracing him with open arms and purse.

Lady de Rothschild's decision to back McCain may have had less to do with loyalty to Hillary than it did in joining the rest of the aristocratic clan she married into.

The Rothschilds lent their name and historic property for a fundraiser held for McCain back in March at the storied Spencer House, which is owned by the famous banking family of England. (Mrs. de Rothschild's husband, Sir Evelyn Rothschild, recently sold his stake in the family banking empire, for a reported $600 million.)

Lady de Rothschild - "the flashiest hostess in London," as Portfolio magazine calls her - says she'll be spending much of her time between now and Election Day campaigning for McCain.

But something tells us we probably won't be seeing as much of milady as she thinks we will. Would she really be the most appealing of McCain surrogates to all those "rednecks" clinging to their 401k plans?