# Bush screws up again **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 25, 2001, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751 "2001-01-25T18:35:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2001, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/21 "2001-01-25T23:33:42Z")
Perhaps we can’t judge Shrub’s intellect and ability just yet, but we can make some guesses about the people who nearly elected him. I hope you enjoy this little interactive demonstration. [Take a look at this map](http://www.uselectionatlas.org/pol2000.html). Then click the “Counties” button. Now, go to the [National Atlas](http://nationalatlas.gov/natlas/natlasstart.asp). In the right window under “Agriculture”, check “Wheel Tractors of 100 Horsepower (PTO) Or More.” Scroll down to “Boundaries” and check “107th Congressional Districs.” Then click on the map to the left. Hmmmm. All hail the great [“Hictory!”](http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/print/sunday/washpostmagazine/A9533-2001Jan17.html) I’m sure they’ll be getting exactly what they deserve. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2001, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/22 "2001-01-25T23:52:13Z")
Shrub isn’t necessarily dumb, but intellectually lazy in that he doesn’t seem interested in learning the facts or studying. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/23 "2001-01-26T00:13:56Z")
_“Things are more like they are now than they have ever been before.”_ - Dwight D. Eisenhower ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/24 "2001-01-26T00:29:07Z")
Still looking at that blue and red map? Try this fun quiz. - Some claim that the most Ph.Ds per capita in the united states is in the Raliegh-Durham-Chapel Hill area of North Carolina. Can you find Research Triangle Park on your map? - Massachusetts and Connecticut rank #1 and #2 in patents issued per capita, according to their state websites. What color are those states? - Two of the larger American Indian reservations in North Dakota are Turtle Mountain in the north and Standing Rock in the south. Both have federally run K-12 schools that teach bilingually and biculturally. Higher education is strongly encouraged. Can you find those reservations? Fun, isn’t it? It’s going to be a fun 1456 more days. Enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/25 "2001-01-26T01:23:04Z")
I wouldn’t require a president to be Einstein, but once it reaches Dubya’s level, it gets pretty dangerous. What if he was trying to moderate the Middle East peace talks and he ‘accidentally’ announced, “There’s Yasir Arafat, major league a\*\*\*\*\*\* from the West Bank.” That wouldn’t be such a good situation now, would it? > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Milossarian \* > \*\* > He was smart enough to beat the Democrats for president, wasn’t he? \*\* Well, he was smart enough to lose by 500,000 votes. :rolleyes: Seriously, he didn’t write his own speeches (Gore, for the most part, did), plan his own commercials, or even plan his campaign appearances. What does that indicate about his intelligence? Nothing. It only indicates that he got good advice from various sources. “The California crunch really is the result of not enough power-generating plants and then not enough power to power the power of generating plants.”—Interview with the New York Times, Jan. 14, 2001 ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/26 "2001-01-26T03:08:17Z")
[The Complete Bush-isms](http://slate.msn.com/features/bushisms/bushisms.asp) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/27 "2001-01-26T03:21:38Z")
Damn, Milo, when you start get whomped on, you can turn downright nasty! _Mensa members!_ Didn’t want to go to the trouble of typing out _panty-waisted, effete, elitist, pedantic snobs_? It true that about 30% of the SDMB Post Toasties read Stephen Hawkings. But their lips are moving! Some 17% can correctly identify Wittgenstein, while 54% think he is brother to Franken and Phyllis. About 12% can give you a cogent explication of Hiesenberg, but aren’t _quite_ sure. (I (.001%) always thought it had something to do with a dueling scar.) Why do you think we got to a meathead like Cecil for answers? _'Cause we don’t know nothing_! Mensa membership on the SDMB is 87%. Tops. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/28 "2001-01-26T03:22:26Z")
If you think about it the term “misunderestimated” implies true genius. It implies: -Inventiveness (comes up with a new concept on the spot.) -Creativity (gives it a name) -Lateral thinking (ability to step outside linear concepts) -self-critical (examines and evaluates own actions) -insight (examines a concept to determine underlying truth) The irony of it is that making fun of him for this is another misunderestimation. After all, if your going to criticism him unfairly, you should at least do so for the right reasons, shouldn’t you? ---
**Author:** ![TexasSpur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a6a055/32.png) [@TexasSpur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TexasSpur)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/29 "2001-01-26T03:44:10Z")
Elucidator “There is surely a place for young George in the world, but I don’t think TU Law School is it.” Dean, TU Law Show a citation for this. You are obviously lying because there is no such thing as Texas University or TU. I would like to see where the dean of this mythical TU made that quote. You don’t think anyone has heard of Waco? You must be being sarcastic here. However, Waco is not exactly a good city to use to get a good sampling of average Texans. Why don’t you try Houston, Dallas, Austin, or any city that is not defined by a Tier 3 Baptist University and Dr. Pepper bottling Bush didn’t trade Sammy Sousa (Sosa for those with even the slightest sports iq) because he was the owner. He made no player decisions. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/30 "2001-01-26T03:56:52Z")
Uncle Beer, buddy, you’re a moderator, a smart fellow, a fair person from what I can tell, and not someone I care to f–k with, but I’m gonna say this anyway: After _eight years_ of baseless allegations of murder, fraud, and financial misdealings, withheld appointees, barely disguised hate campaigns, political assassinations, and the most disgusting and embarassing use of two of our most sacred forms of justice–impeachment and the supreme court–I am not going to give this cleptocrat marionette an inch of leeway. From now until a new, fairly elected president is brought into office, I will attempt to point out every mistake, every slip-up, every vacillation and every untruth that this unworthy man commits. And I’m going to point out the good ones right the hell here where they should be debated. This board is supposed to be about fighting ignorance. My country’s president certainly appears to have it in spades. The debate began with “the stupid ass did coke.” Then “the stupid ass can’t speak.” Then it was “the stupid ass lied about his DWI.” Then it was “the stupid ass either lied to the American people or someone has since clued him in as to how to effectively ban RU-486.” It’s going to get worse–his hit squad of “well chosen advisors” has yet to begin checking off their agenda of favoritism and disenfranchisement. I’m going to document every decent screw-up, lie, and criminal act this guy commits. I’m going to make his supporters twist on the vine. I’m going to make them acknowledge who their fellow supporters actually are and what _they’re_ getting out of it while the ones who post here get nothing just like me. I’m going to make them _defend the actions of an incompetent man that they helped put into office._ Notice I did not say “elect.” I will do this just as all of them and their ilk have done to me and the president I supported over these peaceful, profitable past eight years. How long did we argue over cock sucking? This is debate. This is fair–as fair as it ever was. And at the end of four years I hope it’s not going to be “the stupid ass let his subordinates subvert the constitution and ruined us all.” Instead I hope it will just be a universal “(grumble) the stupid ass.” ---
**Author:** ![ScoobyTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@ScoobyTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScoobyTX)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/31 "2001-01-26T03:59:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Screwtape \* > **Connor, > I’m not sure, and I’m too lazy to go get cites, but aren’t there quite a few people who think that Carter was not only the smartest man ever to warm the Big Chair, (a Nuke officer in the Navy) but also one of the most ethical? Too bad about that idiot brother.** Yeah. The two smartest, most ethical, most honest, etc. people to hold the office in the 20th century were also (by just about any measure) the worst presidents: Jimmy F-ing Carter and Herbert F-ing Hoover. If the presidency was what it was intended to be, i.e. administrator & head of state{and that means lots of: Pres: Hello, King of (whatever the F-ing piddly country), welcome to America. Have a nice stay), those smart, honest, friendly guys would have done just fine. As far as intellectully lazy, Gore was the GENIUS of this race, but he was a 2x grad school drop-out. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/32 "2001-01-26T06:12:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TXLonghorn \* > As far as intellectully lazy, Gore was the GENIUS of this race, but he was a 2x grad school drop-out. Oh, come now. I agree with the rest of your post, but it’s intellectually dishonest in the extreme to conveniently leave out _why_ he dropped out of those grad schools. (Hint: It’s not because he was getting bad grades.) “If he’s—the inference is that somehow he thinks slavery is a—is a noble institution I would—I would strongly reject that assumption—that John Ashcroft is a open-minded, inclusive person.”—NBC Nightly News With Tom Brokaw, Jan. 14, 2001 Hee hee hee…since Bush says so, I might just reject the assumption that Ashcroft is an open-minded individual myself! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/33 "2001-01-26T14:19:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TexasSpur \* > > “There is surely a place for young George in the world, but I don’t think TU Law School is it.” Dean, TU Law > > Show a citation for this. You are obviously lying… I’ll take the time to find it, if you like. Not right away, got some other business to take care of. When I do, you will of course apologise for that remark. Hell, if a couple peckerwoods like us can’t be gracious, what hope is there for the rest of them? As a recovering Texan, I haven’t heard a good Aggie joke in ages. Got any? > [@](#): > > You don’t think anyone has heard of Waco? You must be being sarcastic here. Good catch, partner! That class in Remedial Irony must be taking hold! > [@](#): > > However, Waco is not exactly a good city to use to get a good sampling of average Texans. Why don’t you try Houston, Dallas, Austin, or any city that is not defined by a Tier 3 Baptist University and Dr. Pepper bottling Average Texans! WTF is an average Texan? Waco, as Molly Ivins points out, is “the Vatican of the Baptists”. Also home to the much feared and dreaded Baylor Bears! Cameron Park, of course, and the Dr. Pepper Museum. Steve Martin was also born there, but he has the good taste not to exploit that for personal gain. Some other stuff has happened there too. > [@](#): > > Bush didn’t trade Sammy Sousa (Sosa for those with even the slightest sports iq) because he was the owner. He made no player decisions. Got me there. Real low on “sports iq”. Throw like a girl. So what? I’m still right, you’re still wrong. So the owners don’t make serious decisions? Must be kind of like being Governor of Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/34 "2001-01-26T14:50:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Screwtape \* > **Connor,** > I’m not sure, and I’m too lazy to go get cites, but aren’t there quite a few people who think that Carter was not only the smartest man ever to warm the Big Chair, (a Nuke officer in the Navy) but also one of the most ethical? Too bad about that idiot brother. Smart and ethical are both two real nice qualities to have. However, I never said anything contrary to that. My mom is smart and ethical, but she’d be a crappy president. Carter is a great man. One of the best ex-presidents we’ve had. I know a lot of people who’ve helped build a house with him. However, I don’t see his presidency as an example of a party putting their best man forward. Dubya is just another example. ---
**Author:** ![tourbot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@tourbot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tourbot)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/35 "2001-01-26T16:34:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by UncleBeer \* > \*\*So, some of you contend that the flaws in the English and grammar of a man, whose every word is recorded and scrutinized, show stupidity? Do you feel the same about every poster here that occasionally stumbles over a word or phrase? Are they stupid, too? I should certainly hope you don’t feel this way. And the fact is, that when you have time to consider and rephrase your words before issuing them, as you do here, well, that should be a _far_ easier task than public speaking. > > Now, do you guys want me to begin digging up all your misspellings and grammar errors posted on this board? Should I then call you stupid? This whole “argument” is ridiculous. And old. \*\* The more I think about this, the more I like the idea. Even better. Let’s count up total errors for each doper, and put them into three categories: those from the pro-Bush, those from the anti-Bush, and errors of those who are neutral. I’d be interested to see how well it correlates with results like the ones Sofa King has posted links to. No need to attach names, and no anecdotal evidence, please, this needs to be done as a scientific study to mean anything. (P.S.- I am not making any predictions about the results of such a study.) ---
**Author:** ![dal\_timgar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@dal\_timgar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dal_timgar)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/36 "2001-01-26T17:48:17Z")
i would just like to see him play chess with Dan Quale. assuming they both know how to move the pieces. Dal Timgar ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/37 "2001-01-26T17:58:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dal\_timgar \* > i would just like to see him play chess with Dan Quale. > > assuming they both know how to move the pieces. > > Dal Timgar And I’d like to see you put some thought into spelling a Vice President’s name. Assuming you know how to capitalize… ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/38 "2001-01-26T18:40:30Z")
All right, although, as I implied in my previous post, silly errors of spelling and grammar mean nothing, I’ll play. First up is, **clayton\_e** , since he’s the topic starter (and apparently hit-and-run perpetrator), I suggest he’s the most deserving of this treatment. In Great Debates, we have a thread titled “Egyptian marajuana.” Theres one error already. And, **clayton\_e** posted this exact question in QG just two weeks ago. Error number two. Here’s the GD OP in its entirety: > [@](#): > > What is the explenation for the fact that there has been traces of marajuana found in Egyptian toumbs and chambers dating to a time when it is believed that Marajuana existed only in South America? Does this mean that there was a few small contacts between civilized mediteranian empires and South American Empires? Also, is there a link between the pyramids of Egypt and those of the Americas? And finally, what is with the fact that gold became so valuable in Europe, Africa and Asia at the same time that it became so valuable in the Americas (also the fact that the concept of coins existed in both civilizations). What happened? Fuck, I’m not sure I can count all of that goddamned high, but I’ll give it a shot and ignore repeated errors. Ready? [list=1] [li]explenation (spelling error)[/li][li]there has been traces (subject-verb error)[/li][li]toumbs (spelling error)[/li][li]Marajuana (capitalization error)[/li][li]there was a few small contacts (subject-verb error)[/li][li]mediteranian (spelling error)[/li][li]mediteranian (capitalization error)[/li][li]Empires (capitalization error)[/li][/list=1] I’m not even going to address the issue of style, but there’s **ten** already. I give up. I don’t have the time for this. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/39 "2001-01-26T18:43:17Z")
See? I’ve even fucked up my own post. This is totally meaningless. ---
**Author:** ![Screwtape](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Screwtape](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Screwtape)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751/40 "2001-01-26T19:05:22Z")
Okay…so a while ago I asked Bush supporters to verify the position that Dubie is actually not an unbright lad. Milo responded with an abbreviated _curriculum vitae_ which was pretty soundly slapped down. By the way, Milo, according to those tests in the 60’s, I _am_ a genius.🙂 Okay. Since the only attempt (there will probably me more) to prove that Dubie is actually a smart man has not carried, I invite his supporters to disprove my correlary assertion: he is only the front man for a group of _very_ smart men, standing just behind the chair. My problem with these is that they are not appointed, not elected, and with Howdy Doodie in the big chair, they are effectively running the country. _ **"Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?"** _ —Florence, S.C., Jan. 11, 2000 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-screws-up-again/51751.md?page=3)