Recently, at the RNC Convention in St.Paul, Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga, was
conversing with reporters and said:
"Just from what little I've seen of her and Mr. Obama, Senator Obama, they're a member of an elitist-class individual that thinks they're uppity."
When asked to clarify that he actually used the word "uppity", Westmoreland confirmed it. "Uppity, yeah," the newspaper The Hill reported.
Uppity. Means "self-important, arrogant". Originates from a late 19th century reformation of the word "up". As in, trying to move up from your current class because you think you're more important than you are.
Yeah, uppity has been associated with class wars for a long time. The fact that Westmoreland has used that term in association with the term "elitist" (which, btw, comes from French and Latin "to elect") means that the Republicans want the term elitist to be associated not with someone who is part of the electorate, but someone who is trying to move outside their class without permission.
An angry black man who is not in his place.