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Obama's Problem as 'The Smartest Person in the Room'
The American Thinker ^ | December 21, 2010 | Larrey Anderson

Posted on 12/21/2010 3:07:28 AM PST by Scanian

Since Obama first stepped on the national stage, pundits have fallen all over each other in a race to declare that Obama is special type of genius. Tom Shales of the WaPo recently called Obama "the smartest kid in the class." Billionaire Julian Robertson claimed, "Obama, from all I read, thinks that on every occasion that he is the smartest person in the room. And I think he often probably is. ..."

Robertson may be half-right. Obama apparently does consider himself the smartest person in every room. According to Peter Baker of the NYT, "One prominent Democratic lawmaker told me Obama's problem is that he is not insecure -- he always believes he is the smartest person in any room and never feels the sense of panic. ... [Emphasis added.]"

How do Shales, Robertson, and even Obama know that the president is the smartest kid in the class or the smartest guy in the room? There is an interesting and little-discussed quandary (in logic it is called an aporia) in the assertion that person X, whoever that might be, is the smartest person in the room.

Before we examine this problem, let's set down some parameters. What do these people mean by "smartest"? Since the discussion is about politics, it is fairly safe to assume that "smartest" does not refer to some standard test for intelligence.

Thinking it through, Obama's admirers cannot be referring to his IQ. In terms of IQ, Obama is clearly not the smartest person in any room he enters. The fact of the matter is that Obama's IQ scores have not been made public. Guesses by enthusiasts of his IQ range from 140 to 170 [i]. Obama's detractors calculate a much lower IQ.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: genius; humility; intelligence; machiavellian
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To: Voter#537

I question anyone who classifies this clown as intelligent to prove he is in fact the smartest person they ever met.

I ask them aften to give me concrete proof he is even intelligent.

Why would anyone seal their records from public view? Easy to understad when you see Obama, the man, I use that term loosely, is barely able yo think beyond his latest telepromter sentence.


21 posted on 12/21/2010 4:03:13 AM PST by Lessthantolerant (The State is diametrically opposed to our search for a better living.)
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To: allmost

Barry’s main problem is he’s never had to deal with anyone with brains larger than a pea. It’s easy to organize people using large orated words they’ve never heard before AND coming from a “black” man. Disgusting BS. He couldn’t sell dollars for 50 cents to the rest of us! (I wish dollars were worth 50 Cents!)


22 posted on 12/21/2010 4:10:42 AM PST by poobear ("The greatest tyrannies are always perpetrated in the name of the noblest causes." -- Thomas Paine)
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To: Scanian

I’m not sure he’d be the smartest one on the room if he were alone with Trig Palin.


23 posted on 12/21/2010 4:11:55 AM PST by RichInOC (Palin 2012: BOOM. Taste My Cluebat!)
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To: Scanian

If there was Obama and his dog Bo in the same room, Guess what the dog is even smarter than Obama, because the dog would leave the room at the earliest possible moment. Just think of it, the dog is so smart that Obama has to pick up after him. So much for the smartest man in the world, as he is dumberer than a Dog.


24 posted on 12/21/2010 4:13:13 AM PST by hondact200 (Candor dat viribos alas (sincerity gives wings to strength) and Nil desperandum (never despair))
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To: RichInOC

I kinda thought that one reason 0 bailed on that presser two weeks ago was that he knew damn well that Clinton was much quicker on his feet and would show him up if he stuck around.


25 posted on 12/21/2010 4:14:38 AM PST by Scanian
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To: Scanian
Didn't aging has-been Sharon Stone continually remind us she was a genius? She at least had to memorize her lines. Obama: Not As Smart As Sharon Stone.
26 posted on 12/21/2010 4:21:09 AM PST by Oratam
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To: poobear

I would disagree on the : that his input was force fed.


27 posted on 12/21/2010 4:28:08 AM PST by allmost
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To: Scanian
Let's have a look at his school records to see how smart he is...oh, right.


Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

28 posted on 12/21/2010 4:41:26 AM PST by The Comedian (Government: Saving people from freedom since time immemorial.)
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To: Cowboy Bob
"Every bill coming out of Congress next year should include a provision requiring Obama to release his academic records. I'd like to see Obama giving the justification for vetoing the bills containing this requirement."

Or better yet, just quietly slip the provision into a major bill. Obama won't read it in there (do you really think he actually reads these bills before he signs them?) Then he can find out AFTER he signs.

Bwaaaa - Ha Ha (evil laugh)

29 posted on 12/21/2010 4:43:27 AM PST by Apple Pan Dowdy (... as American as Apple Pie mmm mmm mmm)
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To: Scanian

If he’s talking to the press, he’s probably right.


30 posted on 12/21/2010 4:44:07 AM PST by Daveinyork
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To: Scanian
When you are as dumb as a box of hammers and billed as the smartest man in the room... it does not take long for the lie to become obvious... even to a nation of hammers.

LLS

31 posted on 12/21/2010 4:50:16 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (WOLVERINES!)
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To: Scanian
It is very easy to be the smartest kid in the room when you exclude everyone who might disagree with you.

When I was in school we called a person who acted in this manner a “bully”.

Smart kids knew that they were smart because they were constantly tested against others.

I have yet to see this smartest kid in the room under go any kind of test much less an honest one (no automatic disqualification based on being a racist).

32 posted on 12/21/2010 4:52:25 AM PST by Nip (TANSTAAFL)
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To: Scanian
the boy's problem is that he THINKS he's the smartest in the room... he's not
33 posted on 12/21/2010 4:57:02 AM PST by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: Daveinyork
If he’s talking to the press, he’s probably right.

According to Obama, that would be the press corpse.

34 posted on 12/21/2010 4:58:39 AM PST by Right Brother
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To: Scanian

He is not even the smartest one if he was locked alone in a closet. There may be some bacteria or dust mite.


35 posted on 12/21/2010 5:01:03 AM PST by st.eqed
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To: Scanian

Here is something obama does not know, believe and will never say..

“Today in the town of Bethlehem a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”


36 posted on 12/21/2010 5:06:42 AM PST by bushpilot1
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To: Scanian

To quote Rush Limbaugh,Barack Obama is the least intelligent person in any room he walks into.


37 posted on 12/21/2010 5:07:12 AM PST by puppypusher (The World is going to the dogs.)
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To: bushpilot1

No, you’d probably have to substitute “Mombassa” for “Bethlehem.”


38 posted on 12/21/2010 5:08:56 AM PST by Scanian
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To: allmost

smartest only if he’s the only one in the room or it’s the morgue!


39 posted on 12/21/2010 5:13:34 AM PST by dalereed
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To: Lessthantolerant

Here’s the explanation of why all leftists continually spout how intelligent BO is:

every one of them has this juvenile desire to be or feel superior to others,
by vehemently proclaiming that the guy they support is a genius (and you’ll see this with EVERY leftist running for office), they promote themselves to that level of being “in with the smart people”.

It goes right along with the whole reason that most of them even are leftists - in order to feel good about themselves when they have no other supporting factors.


40 posted on 12/21/2010 5:21:04 AM PST by MrB (The difference between a (de)humanist and a Satanist is that the latter knows who he's working for.)
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