the debate rages on....bush: stupid, or not stupid

[mopaul]

i am of the opinion that w is one of the most stupidest persons i have ever known. in fact, when i think about it, i haven't met anyone that dumb in real life. yet, when this is pointed out, a few people chime in otherwise, with offerings like, 'he's not stupid, it's an act to diffuse attacks', 'he's really brilliant, especially as a diplomat, a people person, charming, amiable', 'he's not astute or articulate, but he's really sharp'. which is it, stupidest president we've ever had, a marionette, dumber than reagan, a zombie controlled by evil overlords? or an evil conniving, manipulative, evil genius?

i just never get it when someone does not see him as stupid. when reporters ask him a question, he looks like a baboon staring at a wrist watch.

[KCDem]

1. I'm with you.

I think he's dumb as a brick. I still picture him waking up each day, jumping out of bed, and yelling "yippie! I'm President!" like a 5-y-old would do.

But, he's got some savvy advisors. Without them, he'd be catatonic.

[Jack The Tab]

2. Bush is cunning and manipulative, but his intellect is low..

He's a mean-spirited, dry drunk. He's a sociopath. He's a bully who has never had to prove himself in any situation.

He's not dumb, but his education is poor (not that the education he was offered was poor, mind you)

[PretzelWarrior]

5. wow. I cannot believe how your post tracked almost

exactly with mine below. It's like we're on an exact wavelength. Cool. Means I'm not totally out there.

[Jack The Tab]

8. That's wild stuff - have you read "Bush Dyslexicon"?

That really opened my eyes as to his character.

[wellstone_democrat]

21. Wow, exactly what I intended to write

I would also say that he is lucky that he has never been forced to prove himself as he would fail miserably. I also believe he hates all of us---we are the great nagging unwashed who populate HIS country and our questions deprive him of a truly *excellent* time as president.

I also absolutely positively believe he is the most miserable person on earth to live with---imagine driving through the back of a garage (wall) in a rage because your wife responds that no, she didn't particularly care for your speech. And, his family told it as a humorous story and the press found it to be a charming anecdote during the campaign. Sure, he could have killed them both and displayed a frightening temper but...isn't it *hilarious*? What a guy!

He's fucking nuts, he's mean, and he has the cunning of a cornered animal all the damn time.

[opihimoimoi]

3. What Reason can there possibly be that this baffoon iz the Prez?

How could this possibly happen?

He cannot talk, reason, think, plan, see, nor hear.

Babbling incoheriently does not count/

[PretzelWarrior]

4. he is not stupid....but he is not smart

I categorize him as CUNNING. He is a sociopath who has no conscience and will say and do anything to fit what are his ends. He sees others who oppose him as obstacles to be removed or ignored. He is not a clueless dimwit, but he is also not a deep intellectual person who can look at the subtle nuances of difficult affairs domestically and internationally.

He is not verbally facile. He is very slow to process information. Once he does fully internalize it he tends to just regurgitate the same things over and over again.

WHat I think we need to see is that he is an evildoer and ROve & company will sometimes hide him behind forgiveable gaffs to humanize him.

We need to focus on how evil he and his policies are rather than focus on how low his intelligence is (I say it's slightly below average but he had opportunity with best education opportunities to improve it--he just didn't care).

[sandnsea]

23. Not an intellectual, nor is he stupid

I agree with you completely. And the stupid things that we poke at end up being played out as "fogiveable gaffs to humanize him." It's why I get all riled up about laughing him off as stupid. He's much more dangerous than that.

[Mandate My Ass]

6. Dumb as dirt

but cunning. He reminds me of my dumb dog. She doesn't have a thought in her head. She barks at insects, she walks into walls. But if you turn your back on her for five minutes, she's either dumping trash out of the can or peeing on the floor or pulling the stuffing out of a pillow. She only knows enough to know what pisses us off and knows to do it when we're not looking. She's not smart enough not to get caught either.

[meatloaf]

7. There's stupid and there's ignorant.

I'm of the opinion that * is ignorant.

There's an old saying that ignorance can be cured, stupid is forever.

* has demonstrated an ability to learn, eg. his debate performances so I belive he is ignorant.

That said, I believe a certain level of ignorance can come across as stupid and voila, *.

[mopaul]

9. willfully ignorant

and i also feel that his brain has been severely damaged from drink and drugs for decades. and now he's all medicated on some other things too. i just can't see him making any real important decisions himself anyway, to me, he's just a figurehead. but man o man, couldn't they have found ANYONE but him?

[quilp]

10. Bush isn't stupid. He is empty.

When I was younger I used believe that people who got to the "top" have something extra. Now I am comming to the conclusion that most of them have something missing.

[Sick of Bullshit]

20. Connections... and money

That's how stupid people get to the top, Forrest Gump notwithstanding. This is the route the whole damn GOP leadership has taken.

[Skittles]

11. He is both stupid AND evil

a lethal combination

[DisgustipatedinCA]

12. He's both stupid AND not stupid. Here's how:

I think it's all a trick of the limbic system. My understanding is that the limbic system is the most primitive part of the brain. It's the part of the brain that's instinctive, controls fight-or-flight reactions, cunning, that sort of thing.

The other parts of the brain that deal with higher functions came later, in evolutionary terms.

So I think Bush is just fine with the primitive limbic system. He's cunning, like an animal.

By the same token, I think the rest of his brain is about as well-developed as a bowl of oatmeal.

Dangerous dumbass. How's that?

[SpiralHawk]

14. Limbic system = Our reptile brain

Formed first, and still active. Profoundly impacted by scents.

Bush as reptile brain? OK, I can buy the part of the theory that says he is well developed there, and underdeveloped elsewhere. But I cannot go the "shape-shifting Alien RepTillian" route that some writers have suggested (who is that guy?).

The evil Alien Reptile theory is too out there for this Metaphysical Cowpoke. I need at least some shreds of plausible evidence.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

15. I've not heard of the 'evil alien reptile' theory

Could you fill me in on that one?

My post was in no way meant to elevate Bush. I'd be interested in hearing the shape-shifting theory though.

[fshrink]

19. Clinically speaking,

He has difficulties with executive functions (!!!), with abstraction and with inhibitions which suggests a deficit in the frontal lobes. That's why low IQ individuals are concrete, impulsive and poor planners. Just what you need in a commander in chief! The limbic system is involved in the interpretation/mediation of perceptions and emotions. Parts of it are also involved, naturally one would almost think, with memory. It's not really the reptilian brain, which is located under that and ensures basic survival needs. This said, everything is massively inter-connected and the whole ensemble is extremely plastic and adaptive.

[wellstone_democrat]

22. how about a dose of narcissistic or sociopathic

disorders of some type. There is just something about him that screams: "I'm real (or important) and the rest of you just inhabit my world!" I think it goes beyond social privilege...but, my professional degree isn't in psychology by any means so I'm just slapping a label on something that just bothers me about this guy. And has from day one.

[catmandu57]

13. You don't mean old shit fer brains?

who got his good looks from his poppy and was edjumacated by his mammy?.

[MA_firebrand]

16. And the verdict is....... hes dumb

i have heard but one statement in my career as a student that rivals the president's bushisms. On a class project on world religions the kid said that an important islamic ritual was "Little islams run around in circles" Bush is nearly that dumb

[newyawker99]

17. Hi MA_firebrand!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[imax2268]

18. he's about as smart

as a bag of rocks...

a bag of hammers...

a pool of mud...

[salmonhorse]

24. Neither, it's worse than that...

Animal Cunning ~



They've said the "baboon staring at a wrist watch" gig is a hold over from the alcohol...

:shrug:

ps; genius ~ no, not in my opinion; nothing that can't be bought with a $200,000,000 campaign contribution, of course...