While I agree to an extent, I wouldn't go challenging the financial status of "anonymous internet characters" you have to remember, there are plenty O rich liberals. They are usually the ones who enjoy the rest of us paying more of our money to provide for the ones riding in the wagon. In the end, one can argue policy, statistics, whatever all you want but I will always side with those who reward hard work and dedication over those who just give out free stuff and attempt to punish and stifle initiative and making your own way. Always.
Life offers few guarantees on anything. But one can always stack the deck in his favor. Smart money managers do much better than indifferent ones, no matter how hard they work. I'm not talking about intelligence. One can be a very bright individual and still be a not-so-smart manager of his money. Well, what do you call great wealth? Billionaires? Those either inherited money or had a business windfall somewhere, for the most part. Wealth, as I measure it for the working man, is the ability to live the life you choose, do the things you need to do, retire comfortably, and leave assets and no debts to your progeny. In my experience, this country is slap full of smart, hard-working people who have done just that. Anyone who has worked hard for 40 years and doesn't have respectable savings has either had an economic catastrophe (fairly common, unfortunately) or has not been really smart about money management.
Well, who actually does this? Nobody. Like you point out there are plenty of liberals and moderates who are wealthy from the same hard work and smart savings as conservatives. They just aren't so selfish about their wealth and understand that taxes are necessary to have good infrastructure, security, economic stability, and justice. And nobody ever got rich from paying fewer taxes or cutting welfare for the poor and disabled or slashing social security for retirees.
Does it happen? Yes. I don't think anyone will deny the occasional feel-good story of how some pauper became wealthy. If it because they worked hard and were smart? LOL. No. Timing played a large part, if not greater. Your scenario happens at about the same rate as winning the lottery. I don't "begrudge" wealthy people. I celebrate them. They can be inspiring. Evidence however doesn't support that just anyone can and will strike it rich. The overwhelming evidence is that people who are uber-wealthy were born that way, no matter how much kicking and screaming to the contrary you want to do. That doesn't mean that I'm going to vote outside of my interests of buy the bullshit the politicians sell poor people because I might win the lottery one day...
There are plenty of pigs on all sides of the political spectrum. In this country it is still possible for a smart poor person to achieve financial security or even great wealth. What you put into it is what you get out of it. Simply sitting back and blaming the Republicans or the Democrats for your failures in life is a whining give up attitude. Just a few weeks ago some guy wrote some kind of app and Facebook paid him $19 Billion Dollars for it. Do you ever watch Shark Tank? Its my favorite show. Every week four new potential millionaires pitch their inventions or business to the Sharks. Last week and 11 year old black kid from Memphis was on. He had a bow tie business that he started when he was 8 and last year he made a $90,000 profit.
You do realize you cited 2 instances and this country has millions of people right? Sure some yahoo can come along and strike it rich. But it doesn't happen nearly as much as used to. Now you are more likely to get struck by lightning as you hang out with a Native American Indian who rides a sabertooth tiger than you are to strike it rich.
