Bush Smarter than Kerry?

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-17-2004
Bush Smarter than Kerry?
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Fri, 08-06-2004 - 8:57pm

'THE KERRY BRAIN


http://dbsoxblog.blogspot.com/#109162538493538368


Something’s been bothering me about John Kerry. I just don’t think he’s that smart.

One of the axiomatic dynamics of this presidential race has been that Bush is a dolt while Kerry is highly intelligent. But if Kerry is so bright, where has he been hiding his allegedly fearsome intellect? Does “I voted for the $87 billion before I voted against it” sound like the workings of a brilliant mind? And yet the Adam Nagourneys of the world continue to insist that Kerry is remarkably “complex” with an uncanny sense for nuance. But I’ve come to a conclusion: He’s not particularly smart.

Let’s take a look at his academic record for illustration. As a control for our study, let’s use another party who for the purposes of this analysis we’ll call George W. Bush. As we all know, Ivy League admission back in the 60’s and 70’s was highly political. If you had the right connections, your ticket was all but punched. Thus, Kerry and Bush had no trouble gaining admission to Yale. Both hailed from the same prestigious prep school and had a surfeit of family “pull.”

At Yale, Bush was a famously indifferent student. Once out of Yale, Bush was an even more famously indifferent national guardsman. And yet a few years after emerging from New Haven, Bush gained admission to Harvard Business School, no doubt thanks to family connections and an academic performance that though quite unimpressive suggested that he would be able to handle the work at HBS.

Now the allegedly big-brained Kerry graduated Yale a couple of years before Bush. Kerry, unlike the President, is not a famously dunderheaded student; he was supposed to be blessed with his preternatural sense for nuance in the crib. After graduating Yale, Kerry burnished his resume by being a war hero first and a media star second. So after this impressive performance, where did he go to law school? Boston College.

(None of what follows is intended as a slight towards Boston College or its law school. B.C. is a wonderful institution that has produced many wonderful graduates including Michael Adams and Doug Flutie.)

If you’re not from Boston, you might be unaware of the following truth: No one here, in spite of Boston College’s undeniable strengths, would eschew an invitation to attend Harvard Law School to attend B.C. It’s simply not done. Thus we can reasonably infer that Kerry did not get in to Harvard Law.

And that’s remarkable. Given his family connections and his post graduate work both in the war and later protesting it, his admission should have been a given. The only thing that would explain Kerry not getting into Harvard would be that he performed dreadfully at Yale. Indeed, he would have had to perform at a level that would have raised the prospect that he couldn’t handle the work at Harvard. His efforts were probably so weak, they could even be described as sub-Bushian.

The reason this matters is because a key subtext for the Kerry campaign is that he’s smarter than the incumbent. The Senator, with his ear for subtlety and his eye for complexity would have seen through intelligence errors that fooled the rest of the world. Or so his campaign would have you believe.

I’ve scrutinized Kerry’s record searching for evidence of his purportedly giant intellect. I’ve found none. His academic biography includes no Latin words like “laude” or “magna.” Who knows? Maybe Kerry’s just being modest and doesn’t want to boast about decades old accomplishments. But I doubt it.

Of course, the Kerry campaign could prove me wrong by releasing transcripts of his time at Yale and Boston College. What about it, Kerry campaign – care to weigh in on this?


(Correction: Bush and Kerry did not go to the same prep school. One went to St. Paul, the other to Andover. I can't keep straight who went to which - sorry.)'

Renee ~~~

Renee ~~~

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-24-2004
Sat, 08-07-2004 - 8:44am
Thank you for your information. Honestly comparing the leader of a nation to a senator is like comparing apples and oranges. The leader is required to think on all scenarios, what is a senator to do go running out evacuating everyone when they did not even know what was going on. From what I understand, Bush was relying on the news for his information.

But I will tell you this, I am glad it was not me. Still thinking about that day gets me so upset, and I remember feeling one thing---dumbstruck. Even now I still cant grasp exactly what happened, thank heavens I was not in charge!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2003
Sat, 08-07-2004 - 10:41am
Rebutting, a) There was and is a procedure for the FAA and air traffic controllers to follow in the event a jet is off course or fails to respond. Numerous times before 9/11 jet interceptors were dispatched to investigate jets off course. It does not require a presidential order to launch interceptors. The military launched interceptors within 6 minutes of being notified by the FAA. Unfortunately at the time the jets were going up, the 2nd plane was crashing into the WTC. There is nothing Bush could have done, for the WTC. With regards to the Pentagon, there was confusion about what orders were given with Cheney believing orders to shoot down were given and pilots not understanding receipt of such orders. It seems likely that this confusion may have existed with or without Bush in the loop, communications were reported as chaotic by the 9/11 commission.

b) If there was information for Bush, he would have been notified. The secret service was involved in clearing the escape path for Bush. The President was considered safest in the location which was previously prepared for him, until verification of a clear escape path to airforce 1 could be performed. This would be secret service 101. Don't put a high profile target into a more dangerous situation, verify any intended emergency movement isn't obstructed prior to implementing the move.

c) Yes, he's outa here.... as soon as a safe path can be verified. We were under attack, and it makes sense to assume the President is a target... it makes sense to verify the escape route and alternates are sufficiently clear to effect an emergency migration of the President to airforce 1. This takes time, by the looks of things, about 7 minutes.

d) As to what could Kerry have done. He could have started to evacuate, he could have called Senators from NY to see if they were Ok, he could have released his staff in the event they had relatives or felt themselves in danger. Instead he goes into a thoughtless coma for 40 minutes... yup... great job Senator Kerry! What leadership under fire!

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2003
Sat, 08-07-2004 - 10:51am
"Okay...a) John Kerry is not the President of the United States (yet) and so there was nothing pressing waiting for him to do, like say give the order to shoot down the planes BEFORE all the planes had already crashed."

Metrochick, did you say this? I can't believe what I am reading. you think that it would have been appropriate for Bush to shoot down every all planes in the sky at that time? You do know that planes all landed as soon as they could when it was realized that this wasn't a mistake and someone was intentially flying those planes into buildings. Imagine the horror of our military, if they even could have done it, shooting down planes with no terrorists on board? That would be a reason not to vote for George Bush. I used to work in with critical patients, the worst thing to do was to rush to judgement in a crisis and act before having the information you needed from assessing the situation. And that is what bush and his administration did that day. They didn't ignore what was going on, but they did have to assess it and make some hard decisions. There were no easy answers here. I am just amazed that people can so easily criticize this one. It was a tragic day in our history, one that no one in his right mind would have wanted to be the person that the country was looking to for immediate answers.

b) there was not a roomfull of people either right next to him or in Washington waiting to answer all of his questions in detail about the attack that was unfolding. Bush should have been just itching for information, but instead he seemed to linger in the classroom, even after the reading event was over."

What could have possibly been done in those 7 minutes? Is it possible that what ever they told Bush was enough, at the time they were doing everything possible? Like identifying what planes in the air were being opporated by terrortists and which ones could safely land? I honestly don't know how many planes we are talking about here, but having lived by O'Hare field, I know that I can look up and see 8-12 planes depending on the day. Maybe, Bush simply decided that he could remain with the children and not rush out in a scene while information was being gathered to give to him and others. Seven minutes is not an eternity.

Monday morning quarterbacking is all this is, and the saddest part, it is all being done in an attempt to discredit the president. It's not being done for any honest reason.

I particularly like the one article quoted where the writer says that in the classroom tha president couldn't be reached. Hmm, seems to me they reached him to tell him what was happening.

"and Bush could not be reached in the classroom. "

I can understand peoples disdain for the president if they are anti-war at heart and they see the strike on Iraq as going against that, similar to pro-lifers views of abortion as murdering an innocent child that has no say in the continuation of it's life.

But I cannot understand the nitpicking and what-if's of the Presidents intial time-line and his decision not to be bunkered away immediately. Some might call it compassionate on the part of the children, not wanting to frighten them. Some might call it strong leadership to not want to be sealed off quickly. Others are calling it stupid, insinuating that our President was too dumb to realize the enormity of what was going on and the inability to make a decision. John Kerry said himself that the group he was with couldn't think for 30 minutes, he had to luxury, like the rest of was to just stare in disbelief, and ask "What is going on?" There is no doubt that with the crash of the first jet, everyone seemed to think that it was nothing more than a terrible accident. It was only in hind site, seeing the homemade videos that came out that we can see the intentional direction for the tower. I digress.

You know, I don't think that what the Vietnam Vets against Kerry have to say, at this point infulence me either way, it seems that it's more recollection and opinion regarding Kerry's military abilities. But Kerry is the one using it, and using them, claiming he can make swift decisions, I suddenly see why, they are playing on the continual slam on Bush by those in the Dem party. Maybe they do need to be listened to. I'm sure they can play Monday Night Quaterback as well as the anti-Bush crowd.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 06-17-2004
Sat, 08-07-2004 - 10:54am
Try to pull another one. No one as status concious and as entitled as JFK thinks himself

Renee ~~~

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sat, 08-07-2004 - 11:07am

And you never misspoke? Wow! Amazing! :-) I know I do it all the time. Sometimes dropping 1 little word can change the meaning, true. But honestly, it amazes me how nit picky everyone is. God forgive he be human. Kerry sure as hell is! He's allowed to change his mind! Has anyone ever done that before?


Really though, this is ridiculous. To every aspect.


Bush declares an emergency in New York--oh how awful for him to scare everyone, the jerk! It's all political.


Bush doesn't declare it and something happens--the bastard, how could he have missed that.


This election is getting really annoying, on both ends. Somethings you just need to let be, for both parties. My g-d, they are only human.


As for the issues, they are really lacking on both sides. At this point I'm voting for who has the best behaved dog.


Debbie


I'm usually not this cynical, it is just getting very annoying on both ends.

------------------------------------


~ ~ Follow your passion!:&n

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Sat, 08-07-2004 - 11:25am
<>

He phrased it in a truthful manner. Any way you slice it, the American people (and future generations) ARE paying for this war. If people can't see that they are blind. I thought this proposal of Kerry's made perfect sense. He wasn't even proposing to do away with the massive $690 billion tax cut. Only to reduce it by $90 B to cover the cost of this expensive war (that due to poor planning was costing much more than first expected - and will continue to be a major drain on US tax payers for years to come).

So on top of disliking a politician being flexible enough to adapt as a situation changes, I suppose you'd also prefer that a politician NOT be entirely truthful because to do so would make them a blockhead. It's much better to pull the wool over the American people's eyes. Hmmm. this explains a lot.

;o)

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2003
Sat, 08-07-2004 - 11:29am
I'm with you Debbie.
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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Sat, 08-07-2004 - 11:34am
I think you've misunderstood me. Of course I wasn't saying they should have started indescriminately shooting down airplanes with no terrorists on board. I'm talking about the fact that if they had any chance of stopping the terrorists from crashing those planes into the Pentagon, the White House or the Capital building, only the President could have given that order, and he should have done it sooner rather than later.

You wrote: "you think that it would have been appropriate for Bush to shoot down every all planes in the sky at that time?" No, I'm just talking about the ones that were hijacked.

You wrote: " I used to work in with critical patients, the worst thing to do was to rush to judgement in a crisis and act before having the information you needed from assessing the situation."

Yes. The President should have gotten some information so he could start assessing it immediately.



You wrote: "There were no easy answers here. I am just amazed that people can so easily criticize this one."

I used to defend President Bush on this point, saying that the attack was a total surprise and that many couldn't beleive what was happening even when they saw it with their own eyes. But in the years since then, I've learned that President Bush should NOT have been surprised. He had much more information, including the August 6th PDB warning of a domestic Al-Qaeda hijacking. He knew that the first plane hit BEFORE he went into the classroom, but he assumed it was pilot error?!? Given all the CIA intelligence he was briefed on every day, he should never have sat down in that classroom to begin with. I know there's not a whole lot he could have done, but I think it just shows how out of order his priorities are.

You wrote: "Monday morning quarterbacking is all this is, and the saddest part, it is all being done in an attempt to discredit the president."

No. That moment in the classroom was a test of character,and I think the President failed. If you're the President of the United States, and your aide leans in and whispers to you "America is under attack" (present tense, mind you...we're being attacked RIGHT NOW) you don't sit there and read to children. You get up and find out what the heck is happening. Unless think that other people are handling the situation, and then you don't deserve to be President.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Sat, 08-07-2004 - 11:40am
So if he chooses snooty school, he's a snob. And if he chooses a not so snooty school, he's a snob who couldn't get into Harvard? You've got an answer for everything.

Did Kerry even apply to Harvard Law or is this all wild speculation on your part?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-24-2004
Sat, 08-07-2004 - 12:03pm


I agree!! I posted something like this in another thread, and I will say it again, I will never forgive the president for doing nothing when he should have done something. I just don't get it and I don't want to. I do not want to understand how anyone can sit there calmly for 7 minutes and do absolutely nothing. I do not want to understand that reading to schoolchildren was more important than saving a nation. I do not want to understand that this was just not important to him for 7 minutes. This is probably one of a few subjects that I just can't talk about, without getting this upset. I actually start hyperventilating it upsets me so much. I just would like to know why he thought he did the right thing by doing nothing.......

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