In the middle of Bill Clinton’s 1992 run for the White House, his top adviser scrawled a big note on a blackboard for campaign staff to see: “It’s the economy, stupid!” In this campaign, someone should write “It’s the elitism, stupid!” There is so much evidence that millions of voters feel the country is run by elites who don’t care about them.

Here are examples of what they regard as elitism.

Small-business owners have railed against taxes and regulations for years. They want government to get out of their way. Politicians glad-hand them. They promise reform, but never deliver. By their actions, they say to the business owners “Tough it out. We hear you. But we know what is best for you.” This is elitism.

Small businesses depend upon small community banks. We suffered a banking crisis, so politicians voted in new regulations. They are too onerous for small banks. They have forced them to merge and sell out to bigger banks— thus harming small businesses.

They let big banks virtually write, and certainly approve, these regulations. These are rules that big banks could live with but small banks could not. By their actions, the pols said to small banks “We know better than you. We will let you go out of business.” Elitism writ large.

Majorities of Americans said no to Obamacare. They still do. Politicians said, “Take your medicine. We know what is best for you.” Elitism.

For years, majorities of Americans have begged for a simpler tax system. Politicians have promised to deliver one, but have failed. By their actions they say, “We hear you. But your complaints are not important to us. Here are another 100 pages for the tax code.” Elitism.

About 40 percent of Americans have identified themselves as conservative. Do they feel their percentages are represented in government programs? In academia, in the colleges their taxes pay for? In the mainstream media? In how the IRS treats their organizations? They do not. They feel that such are run by elites who despise their views.

Majorities of Americans want to do something about our open southern border. They want to stop the free flow of illegal (or undocumented as the elites call them) immigrants. They want us to have records of who enters this country. At the very least. For years, politicians have promised reforms. By their actions, they say, “Forget our promises. Bottom line is that your views are wrong. We know what is best.” Elitism.

The president has seen what millions of people don’t want. By virtue of their representatives in Congress. Obama has skirted their wishes by major executive orders. “I know better than you do,” is his message. Elitism.

Then there are the lies. The president lied. His secretary of state lied. His IRS commissioner lied. Innumerable top officials have flat-out lied to the public. Basically, they say or imply, “We can lie to you because we know what is best for you. You don’t.” Elitism.

Our bureaucrats have unleashed an endless stream of regulations and rules. Millions with common sense know these are ridiculous. “Tough,” the bureaucrats tell us by their persistence. “We know what is best for you.” Elitism.

Meanwhile, elites in various cities simply refuse to enforce our laws. “Yes, we have violent criminals living in our cities. Criminals who are illegal aliens. You worry that they may harm you? Tough. We know what is best. Ours is a sanctuary city.”

Every week, Americans are told, by elites, what words they can no longer use. For fear of offending sensitive souls. If folks express disagreement, they get branded and reviled. By elites who feel it is their right and duty to dictate the rules of political correctness.

There sure is a whole lot of elitism going ‘round.

From Tom…as in Morgan.

Tom Morgan writes about political, financial and other subjects from his home near Oneonta. Several upstate radio stations carry his daily commentary, Tom Morgan’s Money Talk. Contact him at tomasinmorgan@yahoo.com

I’ve been a Democrat all my life. But that doesn’t mean I favor a weak Republican Party. Indeed, just the opposite. Before my Democratic friends drum me out of the party, let me explain why.

Our nation is stronger and our representative democracy healthier when we have two strong parties. A single political party that’s able to dominate public policy-making undermines the give-and-take that’s crucial to effective policy and leaves us weaker as a country.

Why is this? For starters, none of us, and neither political party, has a monopoly on wisdom. Moreover, the legitimacy of the political system rests on its ability to give voice to the multitude of concerns and attitudes held by the American people. It’s important they all have a political party to turn to.

I don’t want to get into the split between backers of Donald Trump and the traditional Republican leadership — that’s for the GOP to sort out. But there is no doubt that the Republican Party has reached a crossroads.

If Trump wins the presidency, he’ll be the chief actor in determining the future of his party and what it stands for. If he loses, the GOP will more than likely move back toward its more traditional views.

I suppose I’m showing my biases here, but I believe that a robust Republican Party will strengthen its willingness to improve and broaden the policy debate and move it away from steps to impede it. This would be a GOP that advocates for limited government, wants to reform our unwieldy tax code, and is determined to remain fiscally responsible so that deficits don’t explode. It would tackle our health-care system by reforming it using market mechanisms. It would push to devolve power away from Washington, D.C. — giving states more control over such basic responsibilities as highways, welfare, and education.

Each of these issues has been at the center of the national agenda for many years, suggesting their difficulty. We need proposals from both sides that are realistic, coherent, and based on numbers that add up. We need parties that are at the top of their game, generating solutions to the issues we confront and prepared to negotiate to move us beyond our current gridlock.

This can best happen when a healthy Republican Party is competing with a healthy Democratic Party. At the moment, that’s not what we’re seeing.

Lee Hamilton is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at the IU School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years, representing a district in south central Indiana.