[QUOTE=xtisme]
It only makes you stupid in the derogatory sense for the waste of an opportunity. I’d say it is an indication of how limited, unimaginative and lazy Bush is that he never took advantage of his families wealth to explore the world a bit.
[/QUOTE]
A pretty good description of an idiot. But what the hey! He’s your idiot.
Keep the excuses coming.
[QUOTE=xtisme]
It only makes you stupid in the derogatory sense for the waste of an opportunity. I’d say it is an indication of how limited, unimaginative and lazy Bush is that he never took advantage of his families wealth to explore the world a bit.
[/QUOTE]
Again, what’s the difference between that and being an idiot? Since that’s basically what idiots do – waste opportunities due to lack of understanding of same.
Just the qualities you’d want in a POTUS – particularly if you’re Cheney or a PNAC member with strong ties to power.
Took you 3 posts (quoting the same thing from me all 3 times, though in various ways of course) to say that Red? Interesting…
-XT
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp]
Oh hell yes. I would hate for my intelligence to be judged according to my poise and articulation behind a podium. :eek:
[/QUOTE]
Unless that is what you do for a living.
The rich take care of themselves. Stories of gentlemen’s c 's and passing those who are privileged have been around for many years. Bush could go to any school he wanted. and would have been graduated.
[QUOTE=Richard Parker]
So to be clear here, this is your theory: Even though his SAT score was clearly irrelevant to his Yale acceptance, his family somehow bribed or cajoled the proctor of the test and/or ETS to give Dubya a mediocre SAT score because too high a score would have made “them” suspicious. Yes?
[/QUOTE]
Uh, how would it look to the public if they found out he got a low score, period, on a test like that, regardless of school involvement? If mid-range college football teams can do it for a right linebacker, it couldn’t be done for GB’s son? Bribing a proctor- they could easily be best buds for all we know, there are doznes of possibilities for this.
And GB wasn’t a grocery clerk, he was pretty important.
And can anyone named a person most would consider smart who talks like Dubya?
[QUOTE=RedFury]
A pretty good description of an idiot. But what the hey! He’s your idiot.
Keep the excuses coming.
[/QUOTE]
Eh, I don’t think I’m providing excuses. Just that the contention that Bush is of below average intelligence–meaning that more than 50% of Americans are smarter than him–seems unsustainable. The evidence provided by his SAT scores–that 25% of Americans are smarter than him–is damning enough.
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn]
Uh, how would it look to the public if they found out he got a low score, period, on a test like that, regardless of school involvement? If mid-range college football teams can do it for a right linebacker, it couldn’t be done for GB’s son? Bribing a proctor- they could easily be best buds for all we know, there are doznes of possibilities for this.
[/QUOTE]
Sure, its possible. Its also possible that space aliens took the tests for him, or that he actually has an evil (or maybe in his case a good) twin who was killed off to assure GW the throne.
Thing is…do you have any proof? Or is this just idle speculation? Because it SOUNDS like a load of horseshit to me. One could speculate on all manner of things (see above)…but without proof you are just waving your hands and making up bullshit.
-XT
To follow up on my own post…
These kinds of threads were one thing back when Bush was running for president and just after he was installed in the Oval Office.
It seems a far different argument after we’ve had more than six years to observe him. I think it’s safe to say that even if he somehow had an IQ of 180, he is functionally not a bright person. That is to say, his decision making, leadership, interpersonal functioning, public speaking, and so on are manifestly poor.
In other words, the things he does are stupid.
How he managed to pull off modestly decent indicators of intellectual functioning earlier in his life is kind of irrelevant now, isn’t it?
[QUOTE=xtisme]
Took you 3 posts (quoting the same thing from me all 3 times, though in various ways of course) to say that Red? Interesting…
[/QUOTE]
I’m not as gifted as George. IOW, I’m a pet rock.
[QUOTE=Hentor the Barbarian]
How he managed to pull off modestly decent indicators of intellectual functioning earlier in his life are kind of irrelevant now, aren’t they?
[/QUOTE]
Pretty much. He’s not intellectually challenged…but he certainly does stupid things. Its equally stupid to try and continually ‘prove’ that the man is has a sub-standard intellect. Its MUCH easier to prove that he simply does stupid ass things and leave it at that.
-XT
[QUOTE=xtisme]
Sure, its possible. Its also possible that space aliens took the tests for him, or that he actually has an evil (or maybe in his case a good) twin who was killed off to assure GW the throne.
-XT
[/QUOTE]
Youre equating with space aliens an event (taking an SAT for someone) that has definitely taken place in the world of college football?
How did a guy with his record and aptitude and background get an elite pilot job?
With “help”, right? That “help” that exists in the military world couldn’t possibly exist in the world of standardized testing?
Yeah I know, I don’t have a signed confession, so its therefore an invalid argument.
I’m not going to be convinced that he’s even doing stupid things until it is demonstrated that the things that he personally cares about are negatively impacted by his actions. Have his finances been hit? His retirement? How are his friends in the various industries doing? Sure, his popularity ratings are in the crapper now, but how are we to know that he cares what we common people think of him? And he wasn’t going to get reelected anyway, regardless. Is it likely he’ll ever go to jail or endure any sort of punishment for his presidential actions?
[QUOTE=John Mace]
I presume the OP is asking if Bush is “stupid”, since we know he is able to speak, even if not very well. Probably the best objective measure available is his SAT scores: 566 Verbal, 640 Math. Not bad. That’s 1206 total, putting him in the top 25th percentile of those taking the test. n.b. That percentile data is based on 2006 data, so it might be slightly different for the time period when Bush took the test.
[/QUOTE]
I can’t find it now, but when the revamped the test ten or so years ago I read that the scores were expected to be on average 150 points higher. Making his 1206 equivalent to a 1356 today.
Ok, hell, he took the SAT and “proved” in 1964 he was smart, then college and flying with the Red Baron. Has he done anything to prove it since?
There’s a general consensus that he ranks among our top fifty presidents.
Hmmm…long-term drug use can lower IQ.
[QUOTE=magellan01]
I can’t find it now, but when the revamped the test ten or so years ago I read that the scores were expected to be on average 150 points higher. Making his 1206 equivalent to a 1356 today.
[/QUOTE]
According to the Cecil article cited on the first page, its the equivalent of 1280 today.
If your suggesting that that is the reason for the difference between his speaking ability during his time as gov and when he became Prez, that doesn’t make much sense. He went directly from one office to the other, unless he went on a hell of a bender after his inagural ball, I can’t imagine he would’ve had time to fry his brain that much.
That video pretty much speaks for itself- presenile dementia- too funny!
But maybe its opposite with the drugs- he was on them then, but not on them now 
I don’t think dumb, or stupid, is the right word. Shallow? Insular? Frivolous? I think all of those fit. Word is that he doesn’t read. He seems to not have traveled widely and doesn’t seem interested in other places. And I think the outcry, “Bring it on.” qualifies as a frivolous approach to a deadly serious matter.