# They say Sarah Palin isn't smart enough to be POTUS **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 18, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063 "2009-11-18T20:15:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paleface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f19dbf/32.png) [@Paleface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paleface)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/1 "2009-11-18T20:15:50Z")
But this guy is? > **[Gore has no clue – a few million degrees here and there and pretty soon we're...](https://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/11/16/gore-has-no-clue-a-few-million-degrees-here-and-there-and-pretty-soon-were-talking-about-real-temperature/)** > > This is mind blowing ignorance on the part of Al Gore. Gore in an 11/12/09 interview on NBC's tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, speaking on geothermal energy, champion of slide show science, can't even get the temperature of earth's mantle right,... ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/2 "2009-11-18T20:18:44Z")
2000 called, wants you back. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/3 "2009-11-18T20:24:23Z")
Al Gore is a fucking hypocrite moron. He is not good enough to be President. Better than Bush or Palin certainly, but lets hope we can always do better than Al Gore. ---
**Author:** ![Nattering\_Naybob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@Nattering\_Naybob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nattering_Naybob)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/4 "2009-11-18T20:31:26Z")
Oh no you didn’t, Paleface. You want to throw down, motherfucker? I got some some Bob Dole snapz that will ICE BURN you back to the stone age. LET’S DO THIS! ---
**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:** [November 18, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/5 "2009-11-18T20:42:07Z")
But Gore probably knows which newspapers he reads. That kind of mistake says nothing about intelligence. It does say Gore shouldn’t pass his geology quals. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/6 "2009-11-18T20:43:09Z")
1. What difference does it make if a presidential or vice-presidential candidate knows the temperature of the earth’s core? 2. When was the last time Gore was a presidential or vice-presidentail candidate? 3. Does his misstating the temperature of the earth’s core invalidate his arguments about alternative energy? (Hint: He does not suggest we drill to the center of the earth.) 4. In what way does this demonstrate Palin’s knowledge or intelligence? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/7 "2009-11-18T20:44:20Z")
Yeah, in all fairness, this is the kind of mistake Sarah Palin would never make. Because she’d never be in a position to comment on something that technical. ---
**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:** [November 18, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/8 "2009-11-18T20:48:13Z")
“I can see the earth’s core from here!” ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/9 "2009-11-18T20:48:36Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Yeah, in all fairness, this is the kind of mistake Sarah Palin would never make. > > Because she’d never be in a position to comment on something that technical. This. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/10 "2009-11-18T20:53:44Z")
Oh noes! Al Gore said something inaccurate! Clearly this demonstrates conclusively that all those scientists are wrong. Thank you, **Paleface** for pointing out the truth about that bad old Al Gore. Hearing his mistake has made me rethink my entire worldview. I’m going out right now to change my registration to Republican. Because if an bad person believes something, it must be wrong. I have to go now. I’m busy strapping myself and all my belongings down because I read on Wikipedia that Hitler believed in the Theory of Gravity. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/11 "2009-11-18T20:55:07Z")
> [@NicePete](#): > > Oh noes! Al Gore said something inaccurate! Clearly this demonstrates conclusively that all those scientists are wrong. > > Thank you, **Paleface** for pointing out the truth about that bad old Al Gore. Hearing his mistake has made me rethink my entire worldview. I’m going out right now to change my registration to Republican. Because if an bad person believes something, it must be wrong. > > I have to go now. I’m busy strapping myself and all my belongs down because I read on Wikipedia that Hitler believed in the Theory of Gravity. Hahahaha! ---
**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:** [November 18, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/12 "2009-11-18T20:56:29Z")
> [@NicePete](#): > > I have to go now. I’m busy strapping myself and all my belongs down because I read on Wikipedia that Hitler believed in the Theory of Gravity. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/13 "2009-11-18T20:58:38Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Cite? There’s no cite. It’s just a THEORY! ---
**Author:** ![heatmiserfl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df705f/32.png) [@heatmiserfl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heatmiserfl)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/14 "2009-11-18T21:09:55Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **NicePete** > I have to go now. I’m busy strapping myself and all my belongs down because I read on Wikipedia that Hitler believed in the Theory of Gravity. > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Cite? Well, some think that Hitler invented gravity in 1650. [http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jPziLQCrTJnOVk0UBpWHDYQ8e54Q](http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jPziLQCrTJnOVk0UBpWHDYQ8e54Q) ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/15 "2009-11-18T21:19:39Z")
What’s worse is that Conan had a nice old Polish woman who’d saved Jewish children from the Nazis waiting in the green room all night, with no real intention of giving her air time. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/16 "2009-11-18T21:56:54Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > 1. What difference does it make if a presidential or vice-presidential candidate knows the temperature of the earth’s core? You’ll be sorry when the mole-men from the center of the Earth rise up to conquer all they see! And only the wise president (who is also a scientist) knows enough to stop them with a quantum pulse from his newly invented cooling ray. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/17 "2009-11-18T22:30:20Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > You’ll be sorry when the mole-men from the center of the Earth rise up to conquer all they see! And only the wise president (who is also a scientist) knows enough to stop them with a quantum pulse from his newly invented cooling ray. “Good morning. In less than an hour, drilling machines from here will join others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest underground battle in the history of mankind. “Mankind.” That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can’t be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it’s fate that today is Earth Day, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom… Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution… but from Mole-men. We are fighting for our right to live. To exist. To not carry our young in pouches and consume small invertebrates. And should we win the day, Earth Day will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: “We will not go quietly into the night!” We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today we celebrate our March Equinox!” ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/18 "2009-11-18T22:34:52Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > 1. What difference does it make if a presidential or vice-presidential candidate knows the temperature of the earth’s core? > 2. When was the last time Gore was a presidential or vice-presidentail candidate? > 3. **Does his misstating the temperature of the earth’s core invalidate his arguments about alternative energy? (Hint: He does not suggest we drill to the center of the earth.)** > 4. In what way does this demonstrate Palin’s knowledge or intelligence? Bolding mine. No it doesn’t invalidate his claims about alternative energy, But, he is making a claim about geothermal energy, and its usefulness for creating energy for human consumption. If you’re going to go on a national television show and argue that this is a good idea, then i think it behooves you to have at your fingertips the requisite knowledge about the temperature of the place where this energy is supposed to be coming from. I’m no physicist, but i imagine that there is some difference, in terms of energy output, between a place that is “several million degrees” (Gore’s words) and a place that is about 5-6000 degrees. Look, i quite like Al Gore, i like his environmentalism, and i still think he would have been a decent President. I also think the OP’s point about Sarah Palin is asinine. But the fact is that Gore should be more precise if he’s going to flog ideas like this on TV. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/19 "2009-11-18T22:35:58Z")
Al Gore speaks in complete sentences that aren’t jumbled gibberish. So, y’know, there’s that. > [@](#): > > We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It’s very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It’s Alaska. It’s just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there, they are right next to our state. Yup. ---
**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:** [November 18, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063/20 "2009-11-18T22:52:33Z")
If that’s the only mistake he made in the interview, cut the guy some slack. Maybe it was just a slip and he meant to say “thousand” instead of “million”. Anyway, the deal with Palin is not so much how smart or not smart she is-- I suspect she’s got some smarts. The deal is how UNINFORMED she is. What’s worse, she doesn’t seem to know what she doesn’t know. That’s rather scary. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-say-sarah-palin-isnt-smart-enough-to-be-potus/518063.md?page=2)