I think Krugman is partly right in how people perceive the democrats but it's not actually that "they look down their nose at people" but rather that they come off as patronizing, clumsy, and too often missing the point. This is, not by itself, altogether bad because it points to a desire to help others. What constantly amazes me is that the republicans are able to hijack this perception of the democrats and rewrite as something sinister and elitest. I'm not surprised that an opposition party would do this, but I am surprised that GOP is allowed to get away with it, especially since their party economic positions seem to be predicated on the idea that if you don't make over $100k, you're a burden on the state, their social policies are condescendingly patriarchial and authoritarian with a dash of religious hysteria thrown in, and their national security policies consist of shouting 'sieg Heil!' whenever bush bends congress over the table and casually announces that the executive office will be "adjusting" the constitution with some white out and a flamethrower. So, yeah, I guess I am surprised that the GOP has the balls to so casually insult the intelligence of the voters until I remember everything they've done in the past eight years.