I’ve run across lots of people who mistakenly believe the “anti-elite” opinion among the TEA Party somehow means animosity to those who are intelligent, academic, or who are achievers. In reality, it’s the phony “elite”, the self-styled “betters” whose only claim to being elite is their claim that they’re elite, that are the subject of scorn.
Take a look at idiots like Josh Barro and Matt Yglesias, who seem to think that the fact they went to school at Harvard means they’re an instant expert on every subject imaginable. That’s the kind of “elite” we rail against. Not actual experts.
Similarly, the act of being elected to Congress doesn’t magically make you capable of (or deserving of) managing other people’s lives and decision-making.