Laura and Martha
I consider Condoleeza Rice the most romantic woman on the political scene since Jackie Kennedy. Jackie had style, of course, but Eleanor Roosevelt had substance. Eleanor was a crummy mother and a worse lover. But when Franklin fell to polio, she became his eyes and ears, and then he became the brains of the United States. As for George and Laura--apparently what they really had in common was alcohol. Did she kill someone while driving intoxicated? That's when she gave up the bottle. George and Laura were thoughtless Texas golden youth, and her intoxication was swept under the rug. Too bad George has no brains.
posted by Michael Andre at
1:51 AM
9 Comments:
According to the paper of record the New York Times in an article of about two years ago now, W. has an IQ of about 130 -- higher than Kerry by about ten points. This was based on Air Force tests he had taken as a youth. Kerry's scores were much lower. Kerry's passive constructions were cited as evidence of his comparative stupidity.
Gore was brighter than both. High 130s.
Kirby, why do you keep mentioning Kerry and Bush's IQ scores? I really laughed when I saw this. You're too funny.
Larry, I do it to drive Michael crazy.
If Kerry and Bush are both stupid (I don't think either one is stupid, but rather that they are lacking in wisdom in different ways) then the whole country ought to just give up on politics, because those are the only two choices that are going to get elected.
The left is lined up with John Kerry's from Massachusetts. There are a hundred thousand replicas of him.
The right has a million Bush replicas lined up and ready to go.
Of the two, Bush is slightly better, precisely because his IQ percentile is ten points higher. He grasps bigger issues. His administration is thus slightly more functional.
The left is all about identity now, and wants nothing at all to do with merit. Bush chooses good advisors according to their merits.
If I was Bush's dog, I would sit beside him, and be as loyal as a little pup could be.
After the election there were a lot of articles on the blue state/red state divide, and most people are familiar with that, and its implications. But, God bless the Times! they did a study on the IQ of voters. Apparently voters with an IQ under 100 voted for Bush, those with an IQ over 100 voted for Kerry. As a Canadian, I couldn't vote, and anyway I try to be objective. It's a stupid country.
Kirby, you're an intelligent guy and I always enjoy reading your posts, but how you can describe the Bush cabinet as *functional* is really beyond me. Number one...Bush is not a conservative by any definition of the word. He's plunging this nation into irreparable debt, he let Bin Laden escape when the man was cornered, appoints officials who are beyond incompetent (think Brownie), and has stated that he doesn't like to read. He's so deep into the pocket of Big Oil that I wonder how he sleeps at night...oh yeah, he gets free meds. This is a role model and leader of this nation? The United States of America...capable of greatness and also blunders? How people are still voicing positive opinions about this person who is obviously the absolute worst to ever hold that office is beyond mystery. I'll even cross the line and say that Nixon and Reagan were great leaders when compared with George W. Bush. Oh yeah, he's not even running things right now anyway...he's clearing brush in Crawford. And liberals don't all think of Marx as their big daddy. Ludicrous. No offense to you. Just beg to differ. The U.S. right now is the laughing stock of the planet. What happened to diplomacy? How difficult is it to sic the troops on 'em? That's leadership? Pointing out that Iran is a threat would be the job of anyone sitting in that chair. Bush is dumber than a doorknob and his daddy's connections greased the way to success...puuuhhleeease.
I suppose it's partially that I was glad after 9/11 to hear that one simple competent speech. And now I am mainly turning the other way -- I really don't pay a lot of attention.
He looks good in a suit.
You have to try to see the whole guy, his history, etc. I should read a few of the biographies pro and con. To judge him we'd have to go deep into his character. Everyone hated Reagan when he was in office but now they grudgingly admit he was ok. And Bush will get the same treatement in 20 years. He's really not so bad. He has a bit of a sense of humor, and he's tough, if reckless. He reminds me of Sonny in the Godfather series. He's tough as heck. He is perhaps too quick toward action, but sometimes when you're dealing with psychotic bullies like OBL that can be a good thing.
I guess I preferred W. to the Hamletian Kerry. It surprises me, too, because generally I prefer Democrats. I liked Gore much better than W. And I like some of the Democrats now. My favorite candidate of all time was Paul Simon of Illinois. A good Lutheran.
I would like to see a candidate with actual wisdom, but I haven't seen that since Senator Paul Simon.
I think that is no longer an attribute of this specific country.
As for W., I just don't think he is as bad as everybody says, and every day I am glad about that. Many pretend that he is Alfred E. Newman, or worse. I mean even Newman had a kind of brain though not a very good one (he was based on Alfred Smith of New York). W. does in fact have a brain. You can tell because he can feed himself. I've seen him actually put fork to face at state dinners. He can accomplish many things. He can put one foot in front of the other. This requires a brain. Michael says he has no brains, but sure, he does. He is in fact quite functional, just like his dad, just like his grandfather, just like his brother, Jeb.
The country is still alive. We have no massive conflagrations in our cities. People are at work. I think all this sky is falling, sky is falling business is kind of insane in regard to the Republicans, and it makes the Democrats into Chicken Littles.
It's what Oriana Fallaci calls the cicadas.
I'm just glad that there are still two parties in this country, and that it's still about 50-50.
Canada has now gone conservative. It is likely to continue in that direction.
I assume that Mexico will be next.
Conservatives can be good for business. That's not the whole tamale (business), but without it, it's really hard to have much of anything else. Business is the business of America. The Wall Street Journal is solidly behind Bush.
We need to switch to ethanol. W. has realized this, and instituted reforms that point in that direction.
He just really isn't as bad as the cicadas say. In fact his IQ is higher than most of the people who denounce him. I have the sense that he is a fairly quick read, and is quite clever and honest and kind and vigilant.
Kerry reminded me of Lurch on quaaludes.
Even more of an imbecile than Carter.
I woke up worrying that either Larry or Michael would think I had called them cicadas. Not at all! It's just hard to see the truth underneath all that chatter. I wouldn't write if I thought either Michael or Larry were cicadas (is that the correct plural?).
Bush has turned the country's resources over to the 18 oligarchs. If you've got assets of over a billion, you no longer pay taxes. Without taxes, a billion can turn into 10 billion quickly with no work. And then 100 billion. The people I know with billions inherited them. The boyfriend of a billionaire birder invests for me. I pay taxes but I make 40% on my investments. It's not what you do in America; it's who you know. It ain't I.Q.; it's family.
It's much worse other places.
Even millinaires can't entirely escape the law in this country. Look at OJ Simpson. Ok, he walked, but he had to go through the whole process.
And the leaders of ENRON will spend some years behind bars.
The higher ups in Aruba whose kids killed Natalie will never submit to the law.
Here we have checks and balances. It's not the New Jerusalem, but it's not the Rome of Tiberius either.
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