Chris Rock recently quipped about the potential for “a suffering contest” as America aims toward possibly electing the first female vs. the first African American as President of the United States. John Edwards also talks about “being the son of a millworker” and working his way up.
It is fine to talk about how you have worked your way up through disadvantage. But don’t awkwardly reach for stories like this just to make yourself sound disadvantaged. I would much rather hear candidates such as Clinton, Edwards, and Obama talk about their record on the issues rather than desperately reaching through family histories for stories of disadvantage to try to connect with voters or “outsuffer” another candidate.
