George Bush: Worst American president in history

[anonemouse 1]

I don't think any modern President has ever been "one of us." They have never been one of the little people. By the simple fact that they were able to be elected, they had to be rich and have rich buddies that were willing to fund their campaign. I guess I am just cynical, but I don't truly trust any politician or anyone with political ambitions. Most of the time, they will be out for themselves and for the people they sold their soul to for campaign funding. I think almost all of them are willing to screw over "the people."

[Betsyjane 2]

Aw, I think Bush is a disaster, but I think that's below the belt. An IQ can't be judged by a lack of works with which to judge him. And an IQ is not a measure of intelligence, it's a specific measure that includes space reasoning, math, and a host of other things that are theoretically predictors of the ability to do well in school and nothing else.

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

#1. That IQ story is false.

#2. Both Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton were "one of us" originally, each coming from very humble backgrounds and broken homes.

[BJean 16]

Rats. You say it's false T_O_M? Why? If you were to rate them based on your own intelligence, how would you change the list?

Want a web address? There are many more unflattering articles about BuSh that they've written. The ones I read aren't wrong.

[BJean 16]

Betsyjane: sorry I didn't cite all the ways in which the panel formed their opinions, but Jimmy Carter's has been published elsewhere.

[Betsyjane 2]

Origins: No, this isn't a real news report, nor does it describe a real study. There isn't a "Lovenstein Institute" in Scranton, Pennsylvania (or anywhere else in the USA), nor do any of the people quoted in the story exist, because this is just another spoof that was taken too seriously.

The article quoted above began circulating on the Internet during the summer of 2001. In furtherance of the hoax, later that year pranksters thought to register www.lovenstein.org and erect a web site around it in an attempt to fool people into thinking there really was such an institute.

The piece is simply a political jibe, made obvious by its ranking all the Democratic presidents of the last several decades as having high (even exceptionally high) IQs (note that Bill Clinton's IQ is listed as being exactly twice George W. Bush's) while ranking all the Republican presidents from the same time frame as average to moderate in intelligence, with the current president and his father assigned below-average figures placing them at the very bottom of the list. (President Nixon is the sole exception, presumably because his reputation is still so tarnished that not even a high IQ measurement can yet redeem him in the court of public opinion.)

[some noticeable errors: Although the study includes Franklin D. Roosevelt, who died in office in 1945, the report is described as covering presidents in office "over the past 50 years." Also not true is the claim that "all the Presidents prior to George W. Bush had a least one book under their belt" — some of them authored no books until after becoming president, and George W. Bush did have a book to his credit before being elected president, 1999's [ame=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0688174418/qid=995667789/sr=2-1/ref=aps_sr_b_1_1/102-4392188-9248133]A Charge to Keep[/ame]. Plus, if there's a "Swanson/Crain" system for ranking intelligence, nobody else seems to have heard of it.]

In any case, IQ is a dodgy enough concept even when measured by tests designed for the purpose — trying to guess not just relative rankings but specific IQ scores based solely on writings and speeches is bound to be error-prone. Based on President George H.W. Bush's extemporaneous speech-making, for example, he couldn't "speak with clarity" to save his life, but he was clearly far more intelligent than the insultingly low IQ assigned to him above. And a recent article reports President Kennedy's IQ as 119, far below the genius-level 174 ascribed to him here.

Update: As obvious as this joke was, at least two publications were taken in by it: The [London] Guardian and the New Zealand Southland Times. Both ran the "Presidential I.Q." tale as a factual item (on 19 July and 7 August 2001 respectively). The Associated Press publicized The Guardian's error on 12 August, moving The Guardian to post a retraction on 14 August, and U.S. News & World Report clearly reported the I.Q. item as a hoax on 20 August, 2001. Gary Trudeau's 26 August 2001 Doonesbury comic strip features an invisible George W. Bush being told about his ranking on the presidential I.Q. ladder by an underling. (This strip appeared on the Doonesbury web site on 2 September 2001).

[green 6]

#1. That IQ story is false.

Rats! Foiled again!:bandit

But the Doonesbury cartoon is pee yer knickers funny.......:heh:

[Carlene 12]

Maybe we should start a thread titled: Clinton, best decision-making president?

Bill Clinton....best looking president in US history.

[BJean 16]

Ohmigosh, that was FUN! Thanks for all the input Betsyjane. Leave it to you to set the record straight.

I really thought I'd have even more fun when the pro Republican subscribers jumped in, but it was fun nonetheless! You people are just too quick for me!!!

[BJean 16]

Carlene: I'll vote for that thread!

[Carlene 12]

I don't think any modern President has ever been "one of us.

Bill Clinton came from a truly bizarre, dysfunctional, dirt poor family. His biological father died before he was born and was actually a bigamist. His stepfather, who eventually adopted him, was a violent alcoholic. His half-brother Roger also suffered from alcoholism.

Clinton attended public schools in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the 49th ranked state school system in the US. (Arkansas' motto is "thank God for Mississippi".)

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

Rats. You say it's false T_O_M? Why? If you were to rate them based on your own intelligence, how would you change the list?

Want a web address? There are many more unflattering articles about BuSh that they've written. The ones I read aren't wrong.

I am sorry, but sometimes people from either side of the aisle mock the other side. It is a shame when it is hard to tell what is real and what is in jest.

There is also this site which I sent to all my friends via e-mail. Many believed it was real, but it also is a left-wing site mocking the right-wing.

What is most amazing is the documentary movie "Jesus Camp". People from the right who were interviewed said it was proof that the women who runs the camp is doing a great job, while people from the left said that is was scary and shocking.

If you want to view "Jesus Camp", you can download it or watch it at this site.

[BJean 16]

Thanks T_O_M! I'll check it out.

[BJean 16]

Carlene: It is surprising that Clinton overcame his unfortunate home life. You do know he was a Rhodes Scholar too?

[Carlene 12]

Carlene: It is surprising that Clinton overcame his unfortunate home life. You do know he was a Rhodes Scholar too?

Yes, I know. And a graduate of Yale law school - without the money to pay for it outright, so he had to make grades good enough to win scholarships and grants.