# Sarah Palin's Intelligence Level **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 10, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667 "2010-04-10T20:41:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/81 "2010-04-12T00:26:25Z")
While in labor with a high risk pregnancy she gave a speech then got on a plane back to Alaska, risking her own life and the life of her baby, then passed up a hospital with a NICU to give birth at a community hospital with no facilities to handle a high risk birth. Assuming this wasn’t a last ditch attempt at a fundamentalist abortion, it was pretty fucking stupid. She continues to insist that abstinence only sex education works in spite of the existence of her own grandchild, possibly conceived in her own house, as she allowed overnight sleepovers between her daughter and her boyfriend. If she never anticipated what might happen under those circumstances I’d say that would be _prima facie_ evidence of stupidity. She apparently really thought that using a Yahoo email address to conduct state business would shield her from having to disclose said emails, and apparently isn’t aware that Yahoo accounts aren’t exactly safe from hacking. Granted, this could just be techno-tardery but then again–it was pretty fucking stupid. Likewise using her office to pursue a personal vendetta against a state trooper–pretty fucking stupid. Her continuing lack of discernible cognitive dissonance between what she says and verifiable, empirical truth and facts indicates either a pathological liar or a very stupid person who can be easily convinced that a lie is truth and that truth is a lie. Since she didn’t do such a good job about lying her way out of Troopergate and other scandals, I think it’s fair to assume she’s really fucking stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/82 "2010-04-12T00:44:31Z")
If Sarah Palin isn’t actually a stupid person, she will completely serve any need for a stupid person until one can be located. Tris ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/83 "2010-04-12T00:46:16Z")
> [@Triskadecamus](#): > > If Sarah Palin isn’t actually a stupid person, she will completely serve any need for a stupid person until one can be located. My experience is that’s never a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/84 "2010-04-12T00:47:30Z")
The willingness of some to follow her no matter what she says or does says nothing about her intelligence, but speaks volumes about _theirs_. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/85 "2010-04-12T01:33:16Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Where did I say it was proof of intelligence? Not being stupid doesn’t mean you’re intelligent. It isn’t even a sign of not being stupid, except to the extent she was smart enough to get an agent. Which doesn’t take a lot of brains, I assure you. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/86 "2010-04-12T01:38:23Z")
She did indeed get picked by the Republicans, but mainly by wagging her boobs in front of Bill Krystol’s face. I’m not sure if this is an indication of intelligence or not. However, when she was running she managed to be a laughing stock, not just of liberals but of independents. McCain would have lost anyway, but she sure didn’t help, and that was stupidity. How is her stating in the debate that she was not going to answer questions but instead do talking points anything but stupid. Not that this isn’t what everyone does, but she wasn’t able to make the talking point even sound like an answer. Show me one place where she has gotten smarter since the campaign. ---
**Author:** ![OrvilleWright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e57/32.png) [@OrvilleWright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OrvilleWright)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/87 "2010-04-12T04:34:34Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Sometimes things are nothing more than what they seem. She’s a lucky idiot who reflects the increasing stupidity of our country/world’s population. > > . Barack Obama infinitely reflects the increasing stupidity of our country’s population. Obama has snookered liberals everywhere, promising “change” and “hope” and delivering lies, deceit, corruption, tax-dodging incompetents, socialist thugs, and much more. Obama was reared at the feet of Saul Alinsky. His “mentor” was radical racist Jeremiah Wright. His fund-raiser and pal was unrepentant terrorist William Ayers. Obama has embarrassed America by his stupidity and naivete Austria, claiming he doesn’t speak “Austrian.” Obama returned Churchill’s bust to Britain, gave the Queen a schoolboy gift, insulted the French by sending a letter to the FORMER president of France, thinking he was the CURRENT president. Obama doesn’t know how to pronounce “corpsman.” Obama thinks he has “visited 57 states” and has “2 more to go”. Obama said “ax” instead of “ask.” But above and beyond Obama’s profound stupidity and ignorance, he has no common sense, no decency, no judgment. Harry Truman was a simple man, but he had common sense and integrity, both of which are permanently missing from Obama the empty suit. It is inconceivable that any random person would be a worse choice than Barack Obama for president. Whereas millions of people boasted that they had voted for the empty suit a year ago, it is difficult to find anyone who will admit to this personally. Online, perhaps. In person, no. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/88 "2010-04-12T04:37:34Z")
Oh, I don’t know. The average American is [pretty ignorant](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/22/opinion/polls/main965223.shtml). You know in Great Debates you’re supposed to offer citations in support of your partisan sniping, right? ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/89 "2010-04-12T04:38:42Z")
Burma Shave! Stranger ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/90 "2010-04-12T04:52:10Z")
> [@OrvilleWright](#): > > Barack Obama infinitely reflects the increasing stupidity of our country’s population. Obama has snookered liberals everywhere, promising “change” and “hope” and delivering lies, deceit, corruption, tax-dodging incompetents, > socialist thugs, and much more. > > Obama was reared at the feet of Saul Alinsky. > His “mentor” was radical racist Jeremiah Wright. > > His fund-raiser and pal was unrepentant terrorist William Ayers. > > Obama has embarrassed America by his stupidity and naivete Austria, claiming he doesn’t speak “Austrian.” > > Obama returned Churchill’s bust to Britain, gave the Queen a schoolboy gift, > insulted the French by sending a letter to the FORMER president of France, thinking he was the CURRENT president. > > Obama doesn’t know how to pronounce “corpsman.” > Obama thinks he has “visited 57 states” and has “2 more to go”. > > Obama said “ax” instead of “ask.” > > But above and beyond Obama’s profound stupidity and ignorance, he has no common sense, no decency, no judgment. > > Harry Truman was a simple man, but he had common sense and integrity, both of which are permanently missing from Obama the empty suit. > > It is inconceivable that any random person would be a worse choice than Barack Obama for president. Whereas millions of people boasted that they had > voted for the empty suit a year ago, it is difficult to find anyone who will admit to this personally. > > Online, perhaps. In person, no. And all this proves that Sarah Palin isn’t an idiot, how? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/91 "2010-04-12T05:17:14Z")
> [@OrvilleWright](#): > > But above and beyond Obama’s profound stupidity and ignorance, he has no common sense, no decency, no judgment. I’ve heard he also drinks the blood of Christian babies. ---
**Author:** ![InterestedObserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@InterestedObserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InterestedObserver)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/92 "2010-04-12T05:21:44Z")
> [@OrvilleWright](#): > > Barack Obama infinitely reflects the increasing stupidity of our country’s population. Obama has snookered liberals everywhere, promising “change” and “hope” and delivering lies, deceit, corruption, tax-dodging incompetents, > socialist thugs, and much more. > > Obama was reared at the feet of Saul Alinsky. > His “mentor” was radical racist Jeremiah Wright. > > His fund-raiser and pal was unrepentant terrorist William Ayers. > > Obama has embarrassed America by his stupidity and naivete Austria, claiming he doesn’t speak “Austrian.” > > Obama returned Churchill’s bust to Britain, gave the Queen a schoolboy gift, > insulted the French by sending a letter to the FORMER president of France, thinking he was the CURRENT president. > > Obama doesn’t know how to pronounce “corpsman.” > Obama thinks he has “visited 57 states” and has “2 more to go”. > > Obama said “ax” instead of “ask.” > > But above and beyond Obama’s profound stupidity and ignorance, he has no common sense, no decency, no judgment. > > Harry Truman was a simple man, but he had common sense and integrity, both of which are permanently missing from Obama the empty suit. > > It is inconceivable that any random person would be a worse choice than Barack Obama for president. Whereas millions of people boasted that they had > voted for the empty suit a year ago, it is difficult to find anyone who will admit to this personally. > > Online, perhaps. In person, no. You really need to check your sources on Snopes or something, man. You are a perfect example of what I meant when I referred to those who swallow whatever shit they are fed whole. Using a term like “empty suit” does not help your case. Think for yourself and stop parroting the latest talking points on right-wing radio/media. _I_ , a registered Independent for many years now, voted for Obama, an AMERICAN, raised by a single mother and grandmother (like myself) who worked his way up to college (me too) and the Senate and then the Presidency. I admire his intelligence, his experience, his humor, his humanity, and his policies. I also think his wife is pretty smart and his kids are quite awesome. I will gladly tell you or anyone else this in person (I still have a bumper sticker proclaiming my bias, in fact) and most I know who voted for him and still support him (all of them who voted for him STILL support him) will as well. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/93 "2010-04-12T05:23:22Z")
> [@OrvilleWright](#): > > Barack Obama infinitely reflects the increasing stupidity of our country’s population…\… Whereas millions of people boasted that they had > voted for the empty suit a year ago, it is difficult to find anyone who will admit to this personally. > > Online, perhaps. In person, no. Was this supposed to _disprove_ my point? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/94 "2010-04-12T06:11:08Z")
Everybody that can make a couple bucks is intelligent? Really, that’s your argument? Sherri Shepherd has a couple bucks to rub together, but she’s fucking retarded. ---
**Author:** ![OrvilleWright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e57/32.png) [@OrvilleWright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OrvilleWright)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/95 "2010-04-12T11:33:49Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > That reminds me of high school dropouts (even people on this board) describing some other high school dropout as “the smartest person they know” as an argument against higher education. They only seem so smart because that person has such a narrow range of intellectual experience. > > That’s the secret of Sarah Palin. She just says things that confirm what idiots already “know”. Indeed, everyone should be a _genius_ just as you are. _Geniuses_ all _know_ that: 1. Socialism is the best political system on earth 2. YET MORE welfarism will solve all of America’s problems 3. Aborting roughly 1,000,000 innocent, unborn babies is totally wonderful, and everybody opposing this brutal barbarism is an “idiot.” 4. More tax hikes are necessary, immediately. 5. When Obama says he has “visited 57 states, two more to go,” when Obama says “ax” instead of “ask,” when Obama pronounces “corpsman” as “corpse man,” when Obama shows idiocy on top of idiocy on top of idiocy, it’s trivial. Nothing, really. When Vice President Dan Quayle misspelled “potatoe,” that was a capital offense, due to Quayle’s terminal “stupidity”. Then there is the subject of Harry Truman, a simple but quite honest president who was a Democrat. Better such a person as Harry Truman, or Sarah Palin, than a White House full of conniving, racist, ignorant, incompetent, corrupt, socialist empty suits like Barack Obama and his cabal of thugs. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/96 "2010-04-12T12:30:54Z")
**OrvilleWright** , this is not the BBQ Pit. If your only reason for posting is to spew invective, then you need to open your own thread in that forum. As silly as this thread has been, (and it has been pretty silly), most of the posts have actually addressed specific actions taken by former Governor Palin or statements she has uttered. Your rant is little more than wild accusations, some of them clearly false (“socialist”), some of them demonstrating your own ignorance, (“ax” is a regional pronunciation of the word “ask” that dates back hundreds of years, occurring in both the U.S. and England), with none of your serious accusations supported by evidence. Cool down, take a breath, and come back with actual evidence of Ms. Palin’s intelligence or open a separate thread to discuss President Obama’s intelligence, (preferably in the Pit if it is going to be more invective), but do not continue to post hijacking rants that are off topic in this thread. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/97 "2010-04-12T14:59:55Z")
> [@OrvilleWright](#): > > Barack Obama infinitely reflects the increasing stupidity of our country’s population. Obama has snookered liberals everywhere, promising “change” and “hope” and delivering lies, deceit, corruption, tax-dodging incompetents, > socialist thugs, and much more. > > Obama was reared at the feet of Saul Alinsky. > His “mentor” was radical racist Jeremiah Wright. > > His fund-raiser and pal was unrepentant terrorist William Ayers. > > Obama has embarrassed America by his stupidity and naivete Austria, claiming he doesn’t speak “Austrian.” > > Obama returned Churchill’s bust to Britain, gave the Queen a schoolboy gift, > insulted the French by sending a letter to the FORMER president of France, thinking he was the CURRENT president. > > Obama doesn’t know how to pronounce “corpsman.” > Obama thinks he has “visited 57 states” and has “2 more to go”. > > Obama said “ax” instead of “ask.” > > But above and beyond Obama’s profound stupidity and ignorance, he has no common sense, no decency, no judgment. > > Harry Truman was a simple man, but he had common sense and integrity, both of which are permanently missing from Obama the empty suit. > > It is inconceivable that any random person would be a worse choice than Barack Obama for president. Whereas millions of people boasted that they had > voted for the empty suit a year ago, it is difficult to find anyone who will admit to this personally. > > Online, perhaps. In person, no. Wow, you really went nukular on his ask! ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/98 "2010-04-12T15:03:14Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > She continues to insist that abstinence only sex education works in spite of the existence of her own grandchild, possibly conceived in her own house, as she allowed overnight sleepovers between her daughter and her boyfriend. If she never anticipated what might happen under those circumstances I’d say that would be _prima facie_ evidence of stupidity. She’s saying what her fans want to hear. > [@](#): > > She apparently really thought that using a Yahoo email address to conduct state business would shield her from having to disclose said emails, and apparently isn’t aware that Yahoo accounts aren’t exactly safe from hacking. Granted, this could just be techno-tardery but then again–it was pretty fucking stupid. Likewise using her office to pursue a personal vendetta against a state trooper–pretty fucking stupid. Ignorance not stupidity. > [@](#): > > Her continuing lack of discernible cognitive dissonance between what she says and verifiable, empirical truth and facts indicates either a pathological liar or a very stupid person who can be easily convinced that a lie is truth and that truth is a lie. Since she didn’t do such a good job about lying her way out of Troopergate and other scandals, I think it’s fair to assume she’s really fucking stupid. The truth does not matter to the people she is speaking too. She’s not trying to convince US that shes right, shes reinforcing the beliefs of the morons who send her money for agreeing with them. ---
**Author:** ![Gustav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/919ad9/32.png) [@Gustav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gustav)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/99 "2010-04-12T15:45:44Z")
Does it really require intelligence though to tell people platitudes they want to hear? Doesn’t take much brains to figure out what platitudes to dish out if you’re a paid speaker at a teabagger convention. Seems like most people could do that just as well as her, as long as they have no moral scruples and happen to get handed a VP nomination for no reason. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667/100 "2010-04-12T15:48:02Z")
**OrvilleWright** , your head movies makes my eyes rain. Especially since everyone here knows how liberal and socialist I am. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palins-intelligence-level/535667.md?page=6)