'Some Really Stupid People': Our Catastrophically Clueless Congress

PJ Media ^ | 15 feb 2019 | Bruce Bawer

[Rummyfan]

Ever since Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared on the scene I’ve fantasized about interviewing her. I wouldn’t ask her about her big socialist ideas or how she’d pay for them; as far as I’m concerned, it’s already been amply demonstrated that she knows nothing about economics or the history of socialism. Instead, I would ask her to find, say, Kazakhstan on a map. I would ask her to name five chemical elements, four Canadian provinces, and three Shakespeare plays. I would ask her which king signed Magna Carta. I would ask her to name one Russian novelist, one French newspaper, the fourth president of the United States, and the third book of the Bible.

And so on. Basic stuff. It shouldn’t be too much to expect a member of the U.S. Congress to be able to answer questions of this sort. Indeed, it shouldn’t be too much to expect a high-school graduate to be able to answer every one. But I suspect Ocasio-Cortez would be stumped by most if not all of them.

And would her fans care? Probably not.

She’s far from the only person on Capitol Hill who’s factually challenged to what I would consider a crippling degree. The other day Cory Booker told an interviewer “I do not speak Swiss.” It seems fair to conclude from this that he actually thinks there is a language called Swiss. In fact Switzerland has four official languages – French, German, Italian, and Romansch. I knew this as a kid. I assumed it was common knowledge. I realize otherwise now.

[Rummyfan]

One of the pack leaders.....

[morphing libertarian]

why do people who mess up cities get promoted, Booker,, Harris, Newsom?

[Rummyfan]

The other day Cory Booker told an interviewer “I do not speak Swiss.”

Just like obozo who thinks they speak Austrian in Austria...

[carmen2017]

As Useless as tits on a Bull.

[Rummyfan]

But wait, we’re not through with Booker. In the very same interview cited above, Booker said: “Tú hablo español, sí?” Hablo there should, of course, be hablas. It’s as simple as Spanish can get. If he can mangle this, it seems a fair guess that he can’t put a sentence together in any language other than English. Which is fine for an ordinary citizen, I guess. But this is a man who graduated from Stanford, was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, and went to Yale Law School. How did Booker get through all those fancy schools without ever having to take at least an introductory foreign-language course? Hell, he was mayor of Newark, which is one-third Hispanic. How do you hold that job without being able to string together a few simple words of Spanish?

[litehaus]

“why do people who mess up cities get promoted, Booker,, Harris, Newsom?”

Aw. com’on U no they are all tribal members — DIMWITOCRATS !

[budj]

"...not through with Booker..."

booger, booger, booger - phony is as phony does.

[FlingWingFlyer]

The so called House of Representatives is the greatest threat to National Security.

[bkopto]

'Some Really Stupid People': Our Catastrophically Clueless Congress

Due to the catastrophically stupid voters.

Universal suffrage, for men and women, is a fatal mistake for the republic.

[Lockbox]

Best people we can get for the money! We should pay them 1 million dollars tax free with the stipulation that they stay home, never meet nor vote.

[Yogafist]

Just ask her to describe 3 of the first five amendments. I would bet a house payment she can’t.

[Chickensoup]

All of the ED Hirsch books plus his recommended books guide and the sequence guide should be at every thinking parents elbow. Ready to refer to, and used to provide their children the education that they will NOT get in this culture.

[Chickensoup]

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=core+knowledge+series

the Core Knowlege series can always be found Used on Alibris.com and others.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Being mean as a junkyard dog and dumb as post are two nearly universal characteristics shared by lifelong politicians.

[IronJack]

The correct grammar would have been “Hablas tu espanol?”

For Booker, the correct expression would be “Yo soy un pendejo.”

[CopperTop]

"..I would ask her to find, say, Kazakhstan on a map. I would ask her to name five chemical elements, four Canadian provinces, and three Shakespeare plays. I would ask her which king signed Magna Carta. I would ask her to name one Russian novelist, one French newspaper, the fourth president of the United States, and the third book of the Bible. And so on. Basic stuff..."

Soooo, if I don't know all of these "basic" things off the top of my head, in the writer's eyes, I'm stupid?
Well excuse the hell outta me, Frasier Crane. This pompous jaggov and his idea of "stupid" can go piss up a rope. Different folks know different things and get to where they are by various paths. It doesn't make one better than another.

.

That said. I'm somewhat sure AOC is an ignorant youngin' who's mouth is writing checks her ass can't cash and she's in above her head. I'm sure the dem machinery is currently trying to figure out how to effectively use her "energy" for their benefit. I'm suspicious that most of these, humans, are as much a distraction from the real play as anything else.
Lawdy knows we spend enough time on AOC and her ilk here lately. But they are walking, talking, gaffe machines. Sometimes almost intentionally "over the top" in a competitive "one-downsmanship". d;^)

[Rummyfan]

Soooo, if I don't know all of these "basic" things off the top of my head, in the writer's eyes, I'm stupid?

That is not the writer's point and you are not, I'm assuming, in Congress. The point is that people in such positions should have some broad general knowledge. It would better inform their policy decisions among many other things.

[jackibutterfly]

"Instead, I would ask her to find, say, Kazakhstan on a map. I would ask her to name five chemical elements, four Canadian provinces, and three Shakespeare plays. I would ask her which king signed Magna Carta. I would ask her to name one Russian novelist, one French newspaper, the fourth president of the United States, and the third book of the Bible."

Noooo.... I think I'd ask her some stuff that's a little deeper, something that takes a little thinking, like:

"Why does she think it's ok to take from one person and give to another? How would she have liked it if she was required to share her tips or be fired? Or to have her high grades in classes lowered and given to her other classmates? Or having to give half her paycheck to her neighbor who is perfectly capable of having a job but won't get one?

Why does she think abortion is ok? Has she ever seen one? Why not? Why won't she go see one? (Though that thought is detestable because in seeing one a baby has to be murdered.) Why does she think that the choice a woman has is after she has sex and not BEFORE? In other words, WHY does a woman have to have sex before she's ready to take care of a baby?

What does she have against personal freedom which is what driving & owning your own vehicle is? Also, owning your own home.

Does she NOT realize the products that come from oil/petroleum? Here's a small list of products that uses petroleum:

Plastics

Ink

Paint

Shoe Polish

Nylons

Roof shingles

Novelty Candy

Cosmetics

Candles

Vaseline

Bug Killer

Ammonia

Tires

Asphalt

Crayons

Paper cups

Wax paper

That's just for starters. I'm sure I can come up with more. Think she'd answer any of them?

[HotHunt]

I was listening to Rush on the radio last week.

He was talking about some DC political issue when he made a comment on how depressing it is to know that there are so many politicians who are not that bright. That a great country like ours, in many cases, is being led by a bunch of mental simpletons.

I don't think many of them could hold a regular job in the private sector for very long. Some couldn't even get hired.

[CopperTop]

You assume correctly Rummyfan! Hehehe. That would be a very brief, and raucous stint amongst the swamp-dwellers.

Concerning yer man Theo there, I get your point and don't disagree with either of you. His presentation just screams "Crane boys" to me for some reason.
Mebbe I'm just havin' one-of-those-days or somethin' like, tho'. d;^)
Nothin' meant t'wards you personally, Rummyfan..