The Oct. 2 letter, “The Palin millions,” one of many recent letters on this page extolling Sarah Palin, makes reference to Barack Obama’s media “and his band of cultural elitists.” The letter refers to “the Sarah Palin millions” of her fervent supporters. Just as right-wing conservatives made “liberal” a pejorative term, we now see a similar move to make “elitist” a smear word.

The fact that Obama is Harvard Law School-educated is often cited as evidence of his elitism. In this sense, “elitist” is used to refer to people who are educated, well-informed, and make sense when they talk. If the author of that letter were looking for a doctor to perform open-heart surgery, would she reject a surgeon who had been trained at Harvard and spoke to her in comprehensible English?

This is, after all, about electing the president and vice president of the United States. Could such men as George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, learned and articulate, stand a chance of being elected today?

MARCIA R. LIEBERMAN

Providence