What is a Washingtonian?

It never fails. Every election you are almost always guaranteed to hear the same claims and the same protestations. Many politicians, regardless of their party affiliation or lack thereof, will often talk about 'those people in Washington' or 'the Washington Elite' or some variation on that same message. This is meant to imply that people in the Washington are actually a population that exists year-round and is responsible for the rise and fall of our nation. For people who have never been to the city I guess it's almost akin to a mythical place where laws are made (and sometimes broken) and the American way of life is upheld or brought down.

And these same politicians, when hoping to get elected, will talk about how they will bring change to Washington and how they are not part of the established order and how they will bring new ideas and new values to the city. As if to imply that the 'Washingtonian' people are themselves an elite bunch that need to be brought back to the realities of society. As if to imply that the 'Washingtonians' are so insulated from the rest of the nation that they have no idea what's going on in their home states. As if to imply that by becoming a member of the government, 'Washingtonians' no longer care one lick for what happens anywhere else in the country. Well I hate to shatter that arguement but all of the people who are assumed to be part of that 'Washington elite' aren't even from Washington!

Oh sure, when Congress or government agencies are in session, a lot of them will reside in the city. They'll have multi-million dollar mansions and residences that make actual Washingtonian residents appear small in comparison. They'll live and work in the city as long as there is work to be done and then they'll return to their home states and live out the rest of the year there. I mean after all, you can't live in Washington and be the representative from California if you don't actually hail from California. Besides that, Washington isn't even represented in Congress other than the representation in the House. Why do you think they choose to cry "No Taxation without Representation", a call which harkens back to the Revolutionary War? It's because people live and work in Washington but don't pay their taxes there.

Washington's actual population is relatively small; smaller even than some major cities in far-flung corners of our country. If you haven't been to Washington before then you probably don't realize that when Congress is not in session, that area of the city is a veritable ghost town. All those multi-million dollar homes in Georgetown are closed down until Congress returns. And where do they go when they rear their heads? No... not just to Alaska but to whatever state they represent. So then are these 'Washingtonians' really Washingtonians or are they the products of their home states? When a Congressional leader is chosen, they are chosen by the people of the state which they represent. They are chosen to represent the interests and ideals of the state they are from. So are Washingtonians really elite? No, not really. They are just extensions of the same people who supposedly inhabit main streets across the country. So then don't bad mouth the real Washingtonians, they aren't bad at all.

They have their own diverse culture as well. Washington already has Joe Six-Packs and Hockey Moms in addition to Soccer Moms and Football Moms. They have their main streets and they have the culture that is just as normal as any town in the country. They can 'spin' statements any way they like but what polticians all have to realize is that the government is representative of the people themselves and by labeling someone as a 'Washington elite' they are clearly making a mockery of their own understanding of the term. Sure Washington has it's elite, but it doesn't all have to do with politics. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised; what with anything and everything being brought to the forefront as political fodder for the news it isn't surprised that badmouthing innocent residents of this fine city in an attempt to show separation from an established order which these politicians are themselves parts of is nothing more than business as usual.