Bush Smarter than Kerry?
Find a Conversation
| 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.â€
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 ~~~

Pages
True, but unless they just wanted to wave hello to the terrorists, they would need an order from the President to fire.
<.
Cheney didn't give the order (which he can't do anyway) until after the Pentagon was hit. There was also confusion, but it was after the fact.
<>
Well, there WAS alot more information available than the two simple facts he was appraised of ("A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack.") Heck, I knew more about what was going on than the President. A leader would not wait to be "notified." A leader would have had a bunch of urgent questions about the situation. Did he know if there were any other planes hijacked? Did he know if planes had been scrambled? Has anyone claimed responsibility? Etc. etc. etc.
You wrote <,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.>>
Well, I never took that class, but it seems to me it doesn't take a half an hour to secure a path to the airport that's 10 minutes away. (That's how long it took them to actually leave for the airport - not 7 minutes.) And the larger point is that since the first plane hit before they arrived at the school, they should never have proceeded with the photo-op. How do you know so much about Secret Service proceedure?
<>
He could have started to evacuate the Capital building because the WTC was hit? That makes no sense. And yes, that would have been nice to call Senators Clinton and Schumer (whose daughter attended highschool blocks from the Trade Center) but it's hardly dereliction of duty that he didn't. I don't know what the phone situation was in DC but it was a mess here in NYC area. It was almost impossible to call anyone.
<>
You're reading way too much into a short statement. He was watching the news with other Democratic Senators...not drooling from the mouth.
http://ne.essortment.com/barbarajordanb_ruoj.htm
Barbara Jordan biography
A brief biography of Barbara Jordan, first African American woman to become Texas Congresswoman.
Barbara Jordan was born on February 21, 1936 in Houston, Texas. Her parents were Reverend Benjamin, a Baptist minister, and Arlyn Jordan. Barbara's mother was a great orator, but did not pursue a career, and instead devoted herself to being a wife and mother. Barbara recalled that her mother "was the most eloquent, articulate person I ever heard. If she had been a man, she would have been a preacher." Barbara inherited her great oratorical skills from her father and mother.
Barbara's grandfather, John Ed Patten, introduced her to literature, and philosophy and helped her improve her speaking skills. She attended Phillis Wheatley High School and participated in debates and public speaking engagements. She was the first place winner at the National Ushers Convention Oratorical Contest in Chicago, Illinois. She received the Girl of the Year Award and was became a well-known and respected public speaker throughout Texas.
In 1952, Barbara enrolled in Texas Southern University (TSU). Her tutor was Dr. Thomas Freeman, the University's debate coach. Barbara attributed much of her success as a speaker to him. She later recalled, "I thought I had superb diction and that no one would need to correct anything. Thomas Freeman found a flaw, and worked on it until it was corrected. I cannot overestimate the impact and influence Dr. Freeman had on my life." In 1956, Barbara Jordan graduated from TSU with honors.
After graduating from TSU, Jordan attended Boston University Law School and graduated in 1959. She passed both the Massachusetts and Texas bar examinations and set up a law practice in hr parents' kitchen. After saving enough money she moved her firm to the Fifth Ward, a black section of Houston.
In 1966, Jordan ran for the Texas Senate and won the Democratic Primary with over 60 percent of the votes. She became one of two blacks in the state legislature. About working with the Texas politicians in the senate, she commented, "I wanted them to see me first-hand and not just read about this great thing that had happened in Houston. I wanted them to know I was coming to be a senator, and I wasn't coming to lead any charge. I was not coming carrying the flag and singing 'We Shall Overcome.' I was coming to work and I wanted to get that message communicated personally." Jordan served in the Texas senate for six years, during which she authored many bills that improved the quality of life for minorities, the poor and women. She was the first African American to preside over the state senate and chair a major committee, and the first freshman senator named to the Texas Legislative Council. On June 10, 1972, she became "Governor for a Day."
In 1972, Barbara Jordan was elected to serve in the Ninety-third Congress, becoming the first African American woman elected to Congress from Texas and the first African American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the South. During her six-year term, Congresswoman Jordan introduced legislation that authorizes cities to receive direct Law Enforcement Assistance Administration grants, cosponsored legislation to extend the state ratification deadline for the Equal Rights Amendment, and campaigned for the inclusion of Native Americans, Hispanics, Alaskan Natives, and Asian American language minorities in the 1965 Voting Rights Act extension.
In 1976, Jordan was the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention at which she nominated President Jimmy Carter. She became the first African American to give a keynote speech at a major party's political convention. Her speech was dynamic and well received, in opening she said,
"One hundred and forty-four years ago, members of the Democratic Party met for the first time in convention to select their presidential candidate. Since that time, Democrats have continued to convene once every four years to draft a party platform and nominate a presidential candidate. Our meeting this week continues that tradition. But there is something different about tonight. There is something special about tonight. What is different? What is special? I, Barbara Jordan, am a keynote speaker."
In 1978, Jordan left Congress and returned to private life as a professor at the University of Texas Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs in Austin. She also continued to participate in public service activities. In 1990, the National Women's Hall of Fame voted her one of the most influential women of the twentieth century. In 1992, she was again the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention at which she nominated President Bill Clinton. In 1994, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Barbara Jordan died on January 17, 1996. She had earned a lasting reputation as a powerful force in American politics.
Actually someone that is accustomed to the action of legislation and creating law, uses words with more than one syllable and probably does give lengthy explanations for complicated problems.
And yes, the public and the media do not have tolerance for more than a 10sec sound bite, it was a problem for his campaign, and he needed to learn to shortened his responses. This does not make a person dumb.
I don't think there has ever been any suggestion that Kerry was Einstein, so i don't know how this topic came up, but if it is an issue...it is an issue only and solely bc Bush is a complete idiot in his press conferences and he comes across stupid and even if you love Bush you know he is a little short on the thinking thing. Its embarrassing, I mean he can even talk correctly, or address the public with stuttering and looking lost and then when he cant come up with anything reasonable or rational to say....he plays the God card, or the macho
Rachel
Lets try to elevate this thread to things of substance instead of gossip. Attacking someone for a choice of college is a stretch.
Rachel
and did Kerry have SS men serving him? OH yeah, one MORE thing, WHO was president of the United states of America at the time, oh yeah, Bush...
When there is Tornado or fire evacuation at my work, I am the one responsible for what goes on, I do not even think for a second that the other counselors should be giving orders to each other. I am on it right away, if I am not, it is my butt. On days when the director is in, it is her job, and I follow her orders.
The PRESIDENT is the one who has to act. all others are to follow. It is quite possible theat Kerry waited to hear what he was supposed to be doing, and what do you expect he could do??? your argument is just silly. usually you do a bit better than that.
Harvard is not the best school in the country by any means. the only people who think that are from Harvard.
Personally I'd go to MIT if I could go anywhere.
Also Teresa Heinz Kerry had this to say:
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/9346516.htm
Honey, you said what?
Although her husband is criticizing President Bush for hesitating to leave a classroom after being told of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Teresa Heinz Kerry had a different take in an interview conducted before the Democratic convention.
“I think the president behaved correctly in terms of being quiet amidst stunning news like that in a classroom of kids,” she said. “You know, what can you do?”
Early in the AM of 9/11 it is reported (and contested) that arab men came to the hotel Bush was staying at in Sarasota and claimed to have a poolside interview scheduled. The secret service ordered them turned around at the gate, they were not permitted access. Two days earlier a target in Afganastan was killed using such a rouse. We do NOT know what the secret service take is on this, it's secret.
An example of the problem with a mobile evacuation when the President may be targeted is exemplified by the following story....
"When the British Military attaché Stephen Saunders leaves his apartment on June 9th, 2000 shortly after seven o'clock, he doesn't suspect what fate awaits him. He gets into his cream-colored Rover 820 for his daily trip to the British embassy. The traffic jam on the multi lane main street is nothing special. But on this day a motorcycle follows him. The two men on the bike wind through the dense traffic. Shortly before 7.30 o'clock the two-wheeled vehicle stops at the side of Saunders cars. The Militärattaché is hit in the upper part of the body fatally four times. He succumbs his injuries three hours later."
Secret service studies such events as above, it is very likely that the secret service were double checking routes and alternatives in the event of an unexpected blockage.
Further Air Force One may need time to fully be fueled, and to be prepared for an emergency lift off... loading the President onto a plane being fueled would be stupidity at it's finest. While generally Air Force One may be expected to takeoff quickly, an emergency vertical liftoff likely requires time to set up... also provisions may have been necessary... further the fuel status of the plane likely needed to be verified.
The President was reachable in the event it was necessary by the VP, by Condi Rice, and by the terrorist Czar. If it was necessary they would have interrupted the President, this did NOT happen.
The "he's outa here" line is incomplete, it was more like "how soon can you have everybody ready, he's outa here" which leads one to think everyone was NOT ready until they departed.
A backup for Air Force One was set at Tampa Airport 60 miles away.
By the time Bush was off in the air, civilian traffic nationwide was already landing, this due to planning in advance by many departments. A Canadian Major General was running Norad (this dropped on him near the end of a 14 hour shift)... people train for stuff like this... when it happens much is already set up, Bush doesn't need to micromanage.
For a description of the authority of the secret service to act on it's own initiative, note even where and when the President sleeps can be decided exclusively by the Secret Service... they owe Bush no apology for the following event... it demonstrates however the ability and power of the secret service to act as necessary...
"Air Force One, flanked throughout the 1,200-mile-long flight by F16s, landed at Andrews Air Force base just after 6.30pm, and 25 minutes later Mr Bush re-entered the White House to applause from the skeleton staff who had been permitted to remain. He was taken down to the PEOPS where Laura was waiting together with Mr Cheney and his wife Lynne. "I just gave her a big hug," he said later.
Minutes later Colin Powell arrived, having been helicoptered to the White House from the airport after flying back from Peru. He and Mr Bush embraced.
The Secret Service wanted the Bushes to spend the night in the bunker. An elderly sofa bed was duly produced. Mr Bush gave an entertaining account of what happened next to Newsweek magazine. "I said: 'We're not sleeping there. I'm really tired. I've had a heck of a day and I'm going to sleep in my own bed'."
The agents reluctantly backed down, but warned that, "if we have any threats, Mr President, we'll come and get you".
"And sure enough," said Mr Bush. "We are in bed at about 11.30, and I can hear a guy breathing quite heavily. 'Mr President, Mr President! There's an unidentified aircraft heading towards the White House!'
"So we get out of bed. I'm actually in my running shorts with a T-shirt, old shoes. Grab Barney, grab Spot . Laura has no contact lenses so she's holding on to my arm. We get into the elevator, and straight down into PEOPS.
"The orderly starts making up the bed - the bed I refused to sleep in. And I'm thinking, you know: 'Where's the phone? What the heck is going on? Attacked again.'
"Then an enlisted fellow walks into the briefing room, and goes: 'Good news Mr President. It's one of ours'.""
Pages