Paltry idea-hustler Mark Penn's column today actually contains a single legitimately interesting fact(!). It also affords an easy joke opportunity at Mark Penn's expense! He is an Elite.

Here in America you can scientifically divide people into two groups: "Elites," defined as "The 260 people who went to the Aspen Ideas Festival with Mark Penn and filled out a survey for him," and "Mainstream America," defined as "People who eat Funyuns while playing XBox more than three times per week." The differences are not just a matter of "Wealthy white men who are invited to things like the Aspen Ideas Festival vs. Poors"; it's an issue of lifestyle.

Elites like to work out and read books. Mainstreams like—as we mentioned—Funyuns and XBox. But! Did you know that the Elites are actually the biggest suckers of all?!?

Lower-income people tend to research their buying choices pragmatically. Elites therefore are actually more swayed by brands, both in politics and the marketplace. They are more likely to say that a presidential candidate's character or personality is of greater importance than his or her stand on the issues. They are less likely to seek out consumer information, satisfied instead to go with brand names they think stand for quality... it is intriguing, from a marketing perspective, that the people with the most education are the ones who can be most easily "spun."

The proof: it is the Elites who pay Mark Penn's salary. QED.

[WSJ. EASY JOKE: Mark Penn likes reading and Funyuns, he is some sort of hybrid creature?!]