Why are American ambassadors to rich countries so elitist?

Question

Although most ambassadors are career diplomats it seems the American ambassadors to rich countries are all from elitist backgrounds (the Andover/Yale/Skull and Bones/HBS-type). Are these the only types of ppl who donate money for the higher ambassadorships or is there some other factor in play?

Answer 1

Have you ever known a poor diplomat ? . "Elete" used to mean..The pick of society...The best...The choice part....Today it often seems to mean..."Rich reward for the 'Yes Man' of a political party"...... but not always...

Answer 2

Of course, that is how our government works. You don't seriously think an ordinary person can ever become President either?  Money is the factor in ambassadorships.

Answer 3

I think it's important to dispatch ambassadors to other countries. As a nation's token, we should take it seriously. Not all the men can be ambassador. I met many CEO at millionairematch com, while i seldom found ambassadors.

Answer 4

Because they are usually rich people who gave money to the winning presidential campaign.

Answer 5

In reality, the expense of being a US ambassador in a rich country is very prohibitive. Of course, both political parties like to reward major contributors, and it's hard to go too far wrong if you're an ambassador in a country with close ties to the US. Some years ago, there was a political appointee who went to Botswana. That was because he liked to hunt big game, so not everyone wants to go to Western Europe. But, some posts pretty much have to go to rich folks. The US ambassador in London, for example, has so many events at his residence, that he usually spends more money on liquor than he actually earns for a salary. Ambassadors without deep pockets can find themselves at a distinct disadvantage in some places. Some countries want someone with close ties to the President who can reach out and talk to the President directly when important issues come up.  That's quite true in Saudi Arabia, where the liquor bill at least is presumably quite low.