Do ya' gotta have some 'smarts' to be president?

Houston Chronicle ^ | August 30, 2004 | HOWLELL RAINES

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Elites just can't stand being left in the dust by "cowboys."

[Joe Brower]

All that the ubiquity of these bumper stickers prove is the brainwashing power of the propaganda-spewing leftmedia.

Nothing more.

[Socratic]

Intelligence is NOT a virtue. I prefer a virtuous President over a devious con-man any day.

[linear]

The elites constantly mistake conviction for stupidity and vaccillation for insight.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Indeed, if an unscientific survey of bumper stickers, graffiti and letters to the editor in this conservative mountain region is an indicator, doubts are spreading.

The number of Bush-bashing books isn't an indication of what Bush is about, it's just proof that LIBERALS think they're funny and smart. But I find they're neither. Conservative I know don't put signs in their yard or sport bumper stickers on their cars because LIBERALS react violently when they see pro Bush sentiments.

[wideawake]

Intelligence is NOT a virtue. I prefer a virtuous President over a devious con-man any day.

Well said, Socratic. Worthy of your namesake.

Intellect is a faculty, it is not a virtue in and of itself.

[sionnsar]

Big news organizations are captives of our own rules of fairness.

And we know all about the rules of "fairness" employed by big news organizations.

[Pete]

From Donna Brazille's piece in Newsweek

It’s hard to travel across the country these days without seeing an old familiar bumper sticker: “Somewhere in Texas, a village is missing its idiot.” Perhaps the slogan rang true for many progressive voters in this highly partisan, highly charged and highly polarized electorate. But, if the bumper-sticker crowd believes it refers to George W. Bush, they are sorely mistaken.

Sen. John Kerry can win this election by understanding that he is running against a shrewd, clever and an extremely intelligent opponent who was trained in political combat by the late GOP strategist Lee Atwater.

After I read Ms. Brazille's Newsweek article this morning, I was worried that the Dems finally realized that Bush wasn't stupid. Mr. Raines has put my mind at ease.

[Cincinatus]

Do ya' gotta have some 'smarts' to be president?

This was my question in 2000 when the Democrats nominated Al Gore. The answer then was "no"; has it changed?

[Egon]

Big news organizations are captives of our own rules of fairness.

Really?

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Why doesn't McCain want to ban crap like this?

[twigs]

Intelligence is NOT a virtue. I prefer a virtuous President over a devious con-man any day.

Fortunately, we have both intelligence and virtue in our president.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Let's put only conservatives in charge of picking and edition letters to the editor and see if we can spot a difference.

[annyokie]

Howell Raines couldn't figure out Jayson Blair was faking his stories.

Who's dumber here?

[twigs]

ACtually, Donna Brazille has one of the sharper minds in the democratic party today.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Big news organizations are captives of our own rules of fairness. Really?

No, not really. Just in the "I'm a legend" section of his own mind.

[MEG33]

"The elites constantly mistake conviction for stupidity and vaccillation for insight."

Well said!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

From left, Richard Gephardt, Dennis Kucinich, John Kerry, NPR's Neal Conan, Joe Lieberman, Carol Moseley Braun and Howard Dean pose for pictures at the NPR debate in Des Moines, Iowa. Photo: John Keator, NPR News

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Like he really cared.

[RipSawyer]

"Intellect is a faculty, it is not a virtue in and of itself."


Wisdom is the quality needed and it is one thing certain not to be found on the Democratic side of the aisle in this election cycle. Wisdom is as likely to be found among the uneducated as among the so-called intelligentsia.