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.