Bill Press gets taken in by Lovenstein IQ hoax

billpresssshow.com ^ | July 18, 2006 | Bill Press

[lowbridge]

From the page of Bill Press' podcast website:

July 18, 2006 Parting Shot

Nate wrote this at 8:56 am:

In six years in the White House, George W. Bush has screwed up so many things, you have to wonder: Is he unlucky or incompetent?

Well, now we know.

Thanks to the Lovenstein Institute of Scranton, Pennsylvania, which just released a study of the IQ of twelve American presidents, over the last 50 years. And the results are – well, not surprising.

The average IQ of six Republican presidents – Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush 41, and Bush 43 – was 115.5. President Nixon topped the list, at 155.

The average IQ of six Democratic presidents – Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, and Clinton – was 156. With President Clinton leading the class at 182.

The smartest president of the last 50 years?

You guessed it: Bill Clinton, with his 182 IQ.

The least intelligent president of the last 50 years?

You guessed it again: George W. Bush, with his rock bottom IQ of 91: seven points lower than his Daddy.

So now we know. Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Social Security, Medicare, Stem Cells, FEMA, the deficit, immigration…

The reason George Bush has screwed up in so many areas the last six years.

He’s not just incompetent. He’s just plain dumb – the dumbest president in the last 50 years. And, probably, the dumbest president ever!

That’s my parting shot for today. I’m Bill Press.

*****************************

(Yes, his article also accepts readers comments)

Also archived on google

Be sure to get screen caps before he censors it! :-)

[lowbridge]

To contact Bill Press:

http://www.billpress.com/contact.html

Also:

info@billpressshow.com

[pissant]

It's no phonier than 90% of what the MSM barfs up each day.

[SmoothTalker]

I'm sure Bill Press will listen to you.

[DBrow]

Gosh, even Snopes got that one right.

Could Press be repeating this knowing it isn't true?

[Dog Gone]

The Lovenstein Institute IQ Report

In July 2001 an e-mail (see below) began to circulate around the internet claiming that the Lovenstein Institute, a think-tank based in Scranton, Pennsylvania, had conducted research into the IQ of all the Presidents of the past 50 years and concluded that George W. Bush ranked at the bottom, with an IQ of only 91.

This news quickly gained attention from the international media. The London Guardian broke the story on July 19, and on August 26 Garry Trudeau featured the report in his Doonesbury comic strip.

Unfortunately both Trudeau and the Guardian had fallen for a hoax.

The e-mail had originated as a joke on a website called linkydinky.com. In its original version, the joke was pretty obvious. For instance, Linkydinky.com cited the Pennsylvania Court Observer as its source for the news, noting that this newspaper only had a circlation of five readers. Furthermore, it described Dr. Lovenstein as "living in a mobile home in Scranton, Pennsylvania."

As the joke made its way through people's inboxes, these textual clues were stripped away, until in the final version of the email it sounded as if the Lovenstein Institute was an actual research organization.

Once they learned of their mistake, both Trudeau and the Guardian published retractions.

[coconutt2000]

Bill just proved that he's as gullible as every other pseudo intellectual that fell for the faked Lovenstein study on the basis that it seemed to use the right kind of language.

Just wait until he uses the defense, "It may be fake, but I believe it is 100% accurate."

[Echo Talon]

With President Clinton leading the class at 182.

BS! i'd be suprised if he could get 125

[lowbridge]

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/presiq.htm

[I got the rope]

About the authors : Cristina L. Borenstein and Lana Taamar are both recently off the campaign trail where they served as receptionists for the Pennsylvania chapter of Gore For President, Inc., and have co-written the eBook Gore Got Gored. Together they publish the The Pennsylvania Court Observer which has a circulation of 5.

Dr. Lovenstein lives in a mobile home in Scranton, Pennsylvania with his long time companion Patricia F. Dilliams. When the two are not publishing reports for their Lovenstein Institute, they run an internet business www.collegedegreesforsale.com.

[nuconvert]

And Bill Press's IQ is what??

[Names Ash Housewares]

Since when do liberals care about reality and facts?
They just invent their own.

[Edgerunner]

How far did baby bill make it through school? I would say the assessment that Dubya has a 91 IQ doesn't say much for the bozos in the demoncrat party he has defeated...Where did billy boy get this information. And can he prove it? I doubt it...

[RightWingAtheist]

Bwa-ha-ha-ha, first Garry Trudeau, now Bill Press...six friggin years after it was exposed as a hoax!

Hey Bill!

[Shimmer128]

I don't think he was mistaken, I think he did this on purpose. He knows it's a farce.
I just think he does.

[quesera]

for having only half of Clinton's IQ, Bush seems to be twice as smart.

Got away with bombing the WTC, starting an illegal war, and produced a hurricane.

Clinton couldn't even pull off an affair with his secretary.

And stealing two elections right under the dems nozes.

[TMD]

What a maroon! It usually takes about 15 secs to check these out.....it's only a matter of time before I receive this in e-mail from my Lexus-driving, country club-golfing, WalMart hating, Costco loving, Al Gore worshiping, NRDC donating, mother.....

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/presiq.htm

[Rummyfan]

If Carter and Clinton were 'smart, I'll take a 'dumb' President Bush any day!

[GSlob]

Judging from the fact that both GWB and his mother have a well developed and attested spontaneous sense of humor [as opposed to somebody parroting the jokes prepared and/or written by others], it necessarily follows that their IQs are above average. This much could be said without any actual testing. Therefore Bill Press better switch to a new laxative lest he bursts, he's so full of it.

[Dilbert56]

Savor the irony of someone insulting another's intelligence while being taken in by a hoax.

[TNCMAXQ]

I was just going to say.... Didnt we first hear about this sham like 5 years ago? And wasn't it debunked as a hoax almost immediately? So who is the dumbbell, GWB or dopes like Press who are suckered in by this stuff, even after it has been proven to be false?!

[Freee-dame]

With President Clinton leading the class at 182.

I remember when Chelsea was in about 8th grade. Ex42 said that he could no longer help her with her math because he had not had room in his schedule for "higher math" when he had been in school. I interpreted that to mean that he had not gone beyond Geometry...at the most. His transcripts have never been revealed. He is a genius at politics and self-promotion. That's the extent of his thinking skills.

[Andy from Beaverton]

2 post in one week to an article he writes. We're going to give him more hits in a day than he gets in a year!

[TexasCajun]

Bill Press was overheard talking to Dan Rather.

"The report may be fake, but it is totally accurate to me, so I'm reporting it as news"

[Echo Talon]

sour grapes?

welcome to FR.. :\

[rlmorel]

THAT is a GREAT screen name, by the way!!!!

[rlmorel]

Ahhhh....it tastes so good!

Too bad Bill Press will never have any idea what it tastes like...completely lost on him!

[Skooz]

Press is such a loathsome, odious repulsoid.

[hunter112]

BS! i'd be suprised if he could get 125

Well, when you add the brains in both heads...

[rlmorel]

I think he was taking the Lib viewpoint for humor...I didn't think he felt that way, but...I could be mistaken!

[Reactionary]

"i'd be suprised if he could get 125."

An IQ of 125 is nearly two full standard deviations above the average Caucasian IQ of 100.

Anyone with any understanding of IQ distribution knew this "study" was a raving idiocy at the time it was published.

[edzo4]

maybe he heard the new york times was going to replace jason blair

[The_Media_never_lie]

Why is there no mention of Harry Truman? Lyndon Johnson? Although I certainly believe they were not of below average intelligence, they were not acclaimed intellectuals.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

With President Clinton leading the class at 182. BS! i'd be suprised if he could get 125.

More like 80.

"Stupid is as stupid does."

[lowbridge]

Savor the irony of someone insulting another's intelligence while being taken in by a hoax.

I'm savoring :-)

[Jeff Chandler]

Only someone with a low IQ would believe that President Clinton has an IQ of 182. My impression of those presidents is that none of them were geniuses, but all of them except Ford were gifted.

[Dilbert56]

I posted the "savor the irony" sentiment on Bill Press' site as well under the name Paul.

[lafroste]

How many people do you really know with an IQ of 92? I had a buddy who was a very nice guy, but absolutely dumber than a box of rocks. I could have a conversation with him, and it would really be two completely seperate conversations, me with my understanding (and also understanding his level), and he with his completely different, much simpler understanding (and oblivious to my level). I actually estimated his IQ at about 85, but there is no way President Bush could even hope to function as President at 92.

[ColdSpringGirl]

This is the first time I have heard of the Bill Press Show. Is it radio, TV or a funny name for a blog?

[dawn53]

Exactly...my email to Press:

Hey Bill,

Wonder what the IQ is of someone that doesn't even know that you should check Snopes before publishing urban legends?

[Wings-n-Wind]

Zapped....

[SE Mom]

book mark for later humor break.

[nuconvert]

Lol

[RayStacy]

Dude!!!! Read Post number five -- it is a hoax and a joke and Bill scum suck piece of filth, treasonous monkey vomit fell for it.

[siunevada]

The average IQ of six Democratic presidents – was 156.

Oh, that is rich!

[GATOR NAVY]

LOL-my kids were sitting here and they really liked that one!

[Reactionary]

Well. An IQ of 182 is nearly *six* full standard deviations above the mean Caucasian IQ of 100. To get an idea of the idiocy of this "study," one need only remind oneself that the two most intelligent ethnic groups on the planet - the Ashkenazi Jews and the Hmong - are lucky to manage two full standard deviations.

What outright stupidity.

[siunevada]

The smartest president of the last 50 years?

Perhaps talking on the phone and being, uh, otherwise engaged at the same time appears to be the epitome of intelligence to Mr. Press.

[skr]

A savory point indeed.

[ASA Vet]

President Bush could even hope to function as President at 92.

Would you believe the USAF would have an Officer flying around in jet fighters
who didn't score well on that battery of tests all military folks had to take?