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Brainy Candidates Need Not Apply: Is John Kerry too intelligent to be president of the U.S.?
The Los Angeles Times ^ | October 22, 2004 | Ariel Dorfman

Posted on 10/22/2004 12:20:26 PM PDT by quidnunc

It was what I felt instinctively the first and only time I met him, at a lunch at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in 1998. He was subtle, full of cultural and historical references, elaborating each fine argument at length, with perception and nuance. I commented to one of his aides afterward that I regrettably thought his brains could turn out to be the biggest impediment to a man like him ever occupying the White House.

All these years later, with most polls still showing George W. Bush ahead of his opponent after three debates in which Kerry proved himself more articulate and thoughtful and flexible and able to understand an increasingly dangerous world, I am afraid I may have been right. Yet it still seems inconceivable to me that someone as incompetent, incoherent and obtuse as Bush could possibly command almost half the votes of his fellow countrymen.

Is it that Americans actually like Bush's know-nothing effect? Or is it that Kerry strikes Americans as too highbrow? As pretentious? Do they see his complexity as excessive effeminate suppleness?

This anti-intellectualism has, unfortunately, a long history in the United States.

-snip-

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


TOPICS: Editorial; Extended News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: kerry
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To: landerwy
I respectfully beg to differ. THK as a good choice? Not for me!!!

You don't like gals with big, round balance sheets? And I bet you'd never come home and find your fridge w/o a bottle of ketchup ready to go!

81 posted on 10/22/2004 12:51:59 PM PDT by pikachu (The REAL script)
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To: quidnunc

"Some ideas are so preposterous only an intellectual could believe them."
- George Orwell


82 posted on 10/22/2004 12:53:19 PM PDT by ctdonath2
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To: lonestar
Bush is smarter and has more common sense; just doesn't need as many words to make a point.

Who needs words when you have a Tomahawk cruise missile?

What part of, "Prove the WMDs are gone or else," did the nuanced ones not understand?

Shalom.

83 posted on 10/22/2004 12:53:37 PM PDT by ArGee (After 517, the abolition of man is complete)
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To: quidnunc

Speaking as a fellow Yalie, John Kerry is the classic example of someone who wants to be thought of as smart and so he turns everything he thinks and says into some Byzantine torture.

He's a self impressed jerk. Remember what Walt Whitman said, "If I had more time I would have written a shorter letter."

True inspiration is succinct. Read the Bible. Any of the words attributed to God are straight forward, yet as you contemplate them they get deeper and deeper.

Start with "Thou Shalt Not Kill." Its pretty straight forward so I guess God is not near as smart as John Kerry, right?


84 posted on 10/22/2004 12:54:03 PM PDT by johnnycap
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To: quidnunc

Didn't Bush score higher on his SAT then Kerry? Didn't Kerry not make the cut at several Ivy League law schools and settled for BU?


85 posted on 10/22/2004 12:56:23 PM PDT by Right Wing Puppy (Bush is stronger than you think.)
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To: quidnunc
I commented to one of his aides afterward that I regrettably thought his brains could turn out to be the biggest impediment to a man like him ever occupying the White House.

"Kin I get me a huntin' license here?"

86 posted on 10/22/2004 12:56:25 PM PDT by JCEccles
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To: River_Wrangler
The history being that intellectualism is often misidentified as a lack of true knowledge spoken with a loud voice.

To the European style intellectuals, intellectualism is sitting at a table in a sidewalk cafe in Paris while the world comes tumbling down around your ears and discussing the quality of the display.

One man who knows how to use a hammer is worth 1000 men who know how to talk about one.

Shalom.

87 posted on 10/22/2004 12:57:00 PM PDT by ArGee (After 517, the abolition of man is complete)
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To: quidnunc

Forget his brains ;) just look into his guts!


88 posted on 10/22/2004 12:57:13 PM PDT by Sockdologer
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To: quidnunc
John Kerry's NASA Bunny Suit Photo

Yup, I'm convinced. He's much too smart to be President.

89 posted on 10/22/2004 12:58:41 PM PDT by Bloodclot
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To: quidnunc
Why John KERRY CANNOT BE PRESIDENT

CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES

AMENDEMENT X IV ( RATIFIED JULY 9, 1868 ) SECTION 3. NO PERSON SHALL BE A SENATOR…IN CONGRESS, OR ELECTOR OF PRESIDENT…OR HOLD ANY OFFICE, CIVIL OR MILITARY, UNDER THE UNITED STATES, OR UNDER ANY STATE, WHO HAVING PREVIOUSLY TAKEN AN OATH…AS AN OFFICER OF THE UNITED STATES…TO SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, SHALL HAVE…GIVEN AID OR COMFORT TO ENIMIES THEREOF. BUT CONGRESS MAY BY A VOTE OF TWO THIRDS OF EACH HOUSE, REMOVE SUCH DISABILITY.

JOHN KERRY’S PHOTO HANGS ON A WALL OF THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNIST WAR REMNANTS MUSEUM, ALSO KNOWN AS THE WAR CRIMES MUSEUM, IN HO CHI MINH CITY ( FORMERLY SAIGON) IN A ROOM TITLED “ THE WORLD SUPPORTS VIETNAM IN IT’S RESISTANCE”.

GENERAL VO NYUYEN GIAP, HIGHEST RANKING OFFICER OF THE NORTH VIETNAMESE ARMY DURING THE WAR WROTE IN 1985 THAT JOHN KERRY AND THE ANTI -WAR MOVEMENT IN AMERICA WAS PIVOTAL IN WINNING THE WAR FAR THE COMMUNISTS.


90 posted on 10/22/2004 1:02:19 PM PDT by jetson (throne)
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To: ckrigtzegar
i have the same feeling that Kerry is very intelligent but Bush has egoistically and densely created enough enemies for the US...

Son, I don't know if you've ever been to ground zero, but I have.

Bush didn't create enemies - they showed themselves when they killed 3,000 of our fellow countrymen. Everyone looking down the barrel of a marine rifle deserves what he is getting.

Now go pick up your Legos before your mamma gets on your case and leave the political discussions to the adults.

Shalom.

91 posted on 10/22/2004 1:03:09 PM PDT by ArGee (After 517, the abolition of man is complete)
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To: quidnunc


Ariel Dorfman is an intelligent imbecile.
92 posted on 10/22/2004 1:03:29 PM PDT by John Lenin (Abortion is advocated only by persons who have themselves been born)
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To: quidnunc
The LA Times writer is confused.

John Kerry is an intellectual.

An intellectual is a person who has been educated beyond their intelligence.
93 posted on 10/22/2004 1:04:48 PM PDT by atomicweeder
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To: spokeshave

Kerry in Mensa?

Possibly. He's exactly the sort of twit I discovered in Mensa as a callow youth 40 years ago.

There were some sexy secretaries and librarians of a certain age, though. ;^)


94 posted on 10/22/2004 1:04:54 PM PDT by headsonpikes (Spirit of '76 bttt!)
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To: Right Wing Professor
What were his combined SAT scores? 1190?

I wonder what kind of connections one would have needed to get into Yale with that kind of score? While there are lots universities that would very quickly admit just about anyone applying with that score, most of the people I have know who went to Ivy League schools had combined SAT scores over 1400.

95 posted on 10/22/2004 1:05:31 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative (Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Dan Rather's got to go!)
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To: All

John Kerry's Stalinist Campaign Slogan: And this traitor is running for POTUS.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=14416 (this is itelligence?)


96 posted on 10/22/2004 1:06:29 PM PDT by Gucho
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To: AbramsGunnerE5

John Kerry has $h&t for brains!


97 posted on 10/22/2004 1:06:48 PM PDT by DarthVader (Defeating John Kerry is just as important as destroying Al-Qaeda!!!!)
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To: quidnunc
Change the title. Intellectually Challenged Reporter Panders to Kerry.
98 posted on 10/22/2004 1:07:35 PM PDT by armymarinemom (Children and kids don't wear wings or blood stripes.)
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To: quidnunc

Dorfman?

99 posted on 10/22/2004 1:07:55 PM PDT by Troublemaker
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To: quidnunc
Do they see his complexity as excessive effeminate suppleness?

Or is it that they see his excessive effeminate suppleness as an indication of his complexity?

100 posted on 10/22/2004 1:08:05 PM PDT by Nonstatist
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