[Timber Loftis]

I posted the answer on Oasis, and I'll repeat it here for your convenience. Thanks for all your comments.
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THE ANSWER

Is the third choice.

Lower class folks tend to pick number one as the answer, it's all about money. This is true for them, because money is the most important thing to get them out of their immediate class....

.... because it can buy No. 2, which is education and experience. Lots of middle class professionals pick No. 2 as the key element. They know enough to know that there is more to it than money. They have met intelligent worldly middle class folks, and they may have been in an experience or two where they knew that the thing keeping them relegated to a lower class was education and knowledge, not money. Education and knowledge are also what those in the middle class can use to climb out of their class. The educated and professionals among us, of any class, are more likely to see the theatre, appreciate cultural events, visit a museum, etc.

But, those in the highest classes know that the real answer is all about culture, taste, style. The lower classes can't see it until they get there, but if you got 2 millionaire Yale graduates sitting next to each other, what separates them into respective classes? One takes in the theatre, reads philosophy, speaks eloquently, skis and windsurfs. Obviously, a higher class. And, he just pisses off the poor folk. The other one has a penache for drinking bourbon and beer (or used to), has a drawl, thinks theatre is a mispelling of the movie house, hacks up trees on his back 40, and has a 50% chance to mispronounciate any word of more than 3 syllables. The people think, "he's 'bout as dumb as me, he gets my vote!" (Note that this is a solely fictional scenario.)

Anyway, so that's the answer to the question that I originally posed, taken from the author of the book I am reading (or was, it's back on hold again). I think it's pretty true, but I certainly don't think anything you guys said lacks merit. I think the important point is that, while No. 3 may be the ultimate distinguishing feature you can always apply to determine someone's class, No. 1 is the main thing lower classes need to climb up, and No. 2 is the main thing middle classes need to climb up.

It's rare to see someone get culture and style without having money or education first, though exceptions certainly do exist. Paris Hilton is a fine example. Little education, and the money is really all daddy's. But, she's certainly got class and style, evidenced by the fact that she is a top model for both and actually her own trendsetter for both. It's actually funny to watch her, because she knows all too well what matters for her station and class. People make fun of her for being dumb, and she's like "whatever," because she knows that doesn't matter one bit, and therefore doesn't care. Disgusting, really, that she's allowed to continue breathing if you ask me, but there it is. Now, Daddy Hilton is a higher class than Paris, he's actually pretty much "Top Out of Sight" class.