# Does POTUS Biden believe that he's the smartest in the room? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 25, 2022, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330 "2022-01-25T00:21:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/21 "2022-01-25T03:14:04Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > Gotta cite or just casting doubt? I thought it was common knowledge. I hope you’ll accept Mother Jones as a cite: > **[That time Joe Biden lied about his academic credentials](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/05/that-time-joe-biden-lied-about-his-academic-credentials/)** > > The presidential candidate bragged about graduating in the top half of his class at law school. He was 76th in a class of 85. If you don’t want to watch the linked video, here’s what he said: > [@](#): > > **Questioner** : What Law School did you go to, and where did you place in that class? > > **Biden** : I think I have a much higher IQ than you do, I suspect. I went to law school on a full academic scholarship, the only one in my class who had a full academic scholarship, The first year in law school, I decided I didn’t want to be in law school and ended up in the bottom two-thirds of my class. And then decided I wanted to stay, went back to law school and, in fact, ended up in the top half of my class. > > I won the international moot court competition. I was the outstanding student in the political science department. I graduated with three degrees from undergraduate school. I would be delighted to compare IQs with you. Every single one of those claims was a lie. He claimed he graduated in the top half of the class. He actually graduated 76th out of 85 students, right near the bottom. He claimed he graduated with three degrees. He did not. He has one. He claimed he won the international moot court competition. He did not. He made a big deal of being the only person in his class to receive a full ride academic scholarship, He did not. He received a partial financial need scholarship that had nothing to do with academics. He claims he was the outstanding student in the political science department. That would be tough to do, since he didn’t study political science. I guess that was one of his two imaginary degrees. This is not an isolated case. He has a black mark on his academic transcript for cheating. He plagairized a speech by Neil Kinnock almost word for word, including bafflingly claiming Kinnock’s childhood experiences as his own. In 2007 he claimed he was shot at in Iraq. He wasn’t. He claimed that when a U.S. delegation visited South Africa, he snuck away from the geoup and attempted to see Nelson Mandela in prison, whereupon he was arrested. What actually happened is that he got lost for a minute at the airport, and an airport guard showed him back to his group. He never tried to see Mandela, and was never arrested. He claimed that 'literally hindreds of thousands of people showed up to hear my speech when as a 29 year old I was elected to Congress." Never happened. In the last election he claimed that his house burned to the ground years ago, and his wife barely got out alive. What actually happened was a minor kitchen fire. Worst of all, he continues to claim occasiinally that a drunk driver killed his wife. It’s not true - the other driver was sober and I don’t even think fault was assigned. The driver’s family has pleaded with Biden to stop slandering the guy. Joe Biden is a serial liar and plagiarist, and he’s never stopped. What’s more, he’s a _stupid_ liar, who lies about things that are easily checked. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/22 "2022-01-25T03:22:46Z")
I hope I don’t offend anyone’s delicate sensibilities here, but it’s important to remember that EVERY POLITICIAN THINKS THEY’RE THE SMARTEST PERSON IN THE ROOM. The only real difference is whether, when a politician climbs the ladder, they start thinking that they’re getting even smarter than the rest of the room, or simply more successful. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/23 "2022-01-25T03:29:11Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > . . . and was never arrested. Wait, you’re saying something _good_ about him? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/24 "2022-01-25T04:28:14Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > That would be tough to do, since he didn’t study political science. That’s not what your link says. He has a single degree in “History and Political Science”. Biden corrected the “three degrees” down to two, which Mother Jones still seems to dispute–but it seems like nitpicking to claim that a combined major doesn’t count as two majors even if it only shows up as a single B.A. in the records. Other institutions seem to consider it equivalent to double-majoring. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/25 "2022-01-25T04:37:52Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > I want my President to act with patience and be open to challenge. Stooping to lowest recent denominator isn’t Presidential. Close your eyes and you can pretend your president is anyone you want. But in the real world, most of us would rather our president is a sane Democrat than a right wing nutjob. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/26 "2022-01-25T06:26:21Z")
Right. The question was “Do you think inflation will be a political liability ahead of the midterms?” It’s a legitimate question to ask, is it not? If not, why not? ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/27 "2022-01-25T06:31:15Z")
> [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](#): > > In fact, inflation is a very minor issue right now, given the situation of the economy in these pandemic years. Tell that to your average family buying groceries. Or gasoline to get to work. Not everyone has reliable public transportation, a Tesla, or the luxury to work 100% from home. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/28 "2022-01-25T07:31:47Z")
What role do you believe the president plays in the rate of inflation? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/29 "2022-01-25T10:06:42Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > What role do you believe the president plays in the rate of inflation? - Scapegoat. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/30 "2022-01-25T11:35:21Z")
I love that the [official transcript left it completely unedited](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/01/24/remarks-by-president-biden-before-meeting-with-the-white-house-competition-council/). > Q Will you take questions on inflation then? Do you think inflation is a political liability ahead of the midterms? > > THE PRESIDENT: No, it’s a great asset. More inflation. What a stupid son of a bitch. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/31 "2022-01-25T13:04:23Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > It’s a legitimate question to ask, is it not? If not, why not? No it is not a legitimate question because everyone already knows the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/32 "2022-01-25T13:18:56Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > He plagairized a speech by Neil Kinnock almost word for word, including bafflingly claiming Kinnock’s childhood experiences as his own. This is an extremely inaccurate summary. Biden frequently quoted, and credited, a Neil Kinnock speech on the campaign trail in 1987. One time, during a debate, not while speaking from prepared remarks, he quoted, but did not credit Kinnock. He issued an apology the next day. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/33 "2022-01-25T13:25:37Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > Biden frequently quoted, and credited, a Neil Kinnock speech on the campaign trail in 1987. One time, during a debate, not while speaking from prepared remarks, he quoted, but did not credit Kinnock. He issued an apology the next day. Yes, this is correct (and has been every time it’s been pointed out for the past 35 years). But don’t expect right-wingers to retire this talking point, because it’s their biggest lifeboat when they want to make Biden a liar. The fact is that politicians are frequent public speakers, and as such they are going to bobble their words and misspeak. The measure of their character is how they hold themselves accountable for it. Biden has usually issued corrections and apologies. Contrast with Republicans who invariably double down and try to argue that night is day, and bad is actually good. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/34 "2022-01-25T13:52:05Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Worst of all, he continues to claim occasiinally that a drunk driver killed his wife. It’s not true - the other driver was sober and I don’t even think fault was assigned. The driver’s family has pleaded with Biden to stop slandering the guy. This is not remotely accurate. He doesn’t continue to claim this and he made peace with the driver’s family in 2009. He did, however, genuinely believe that a drunk driver caused the accident. It was a prevalent belief in the local community and among fire rescue workers in the area as well. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/35 "2022-01-25T14:06:47Z")
Hey, look everyone! **Sam Stone** is once again trying that same tactic of simply declaring something to be true and irrefutable! ---
**Author:** ![Retzbu\_Tox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/retzbu_tox/32/11829_2.png) [@Retzbu\_Tox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Retzbu_Tox)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/36 "2022-01-25T14:20:28Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > I want my President to act with patience and be open to challenge. Stooping to lowest recent denominator isn’t Presidential. I hear you. Obama’s tact and class were traits I admired. It is possible to display annoyance, counter ignorance, or call out trollishness without resorting to name-calling or crude language. Part of the challenge of being a reconciler/uniter is being able to address behavior that widens the divide without yourself driving those wedges further in. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/37 "2022-01-25T16:33:40Z")
Most of these (uncited) claims are either completely or partially inaccurate. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/38 "2022-01-25T16:51:55Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Realistically, if Biden were to go around yelling that everyone on the right was a moron If Biden took the time to call out every moron on the right, he wouldn’t have time to do anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/39 "2022-01-25T16:54:23Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > If Biden took the time to call out every moron on the right, he wouldn’t have time to do anything else. Fortunately, we’ve already got a thread or two here for that. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2022, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330/40 "2022-01-25T16:56:52Z")
> [@DMC](#): > > Q Will you take questions on inflation then? Do you think inflation is a political liability ahead of the midterms? > > THE PRESIDENT: **No, it’s a great asset. More inflation.** What a stupid son of a bitch. > [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Right. The question was “Do you think inflation will be a political liability ahead of the midterms?” > > It’s a legitimate question to ask, is it not? If not, why not? It’s not a legitmate question because of the highlighted sarcastic part that is being overshadowed by the stupid son of a bitch part. Anyone with any brains already knows the answer to this question. Every politician in the history of the world has had to deal with people blaming them for inflation. Hell, there’s a case to be made that inflation was the biggest reason Carter lost the 1980 election. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-potus-biden-believe-that-hes-the-smartest-in-the-room/958330.md?page=3)