someone help me to understand....

[historian]

I'm not american so i find very difficult to understnad why an unpopular president who has obviously lied his way into a war suddenly becomes popular.
Of what importance is it if a candidate used to be a football coach?
Surely the basis for choosing a president should be based on his intelligence and knowledge of the world around him.
DONT BE OFFENDED ANYONE PLS.

[gWbush is Mabus]

1. American mass media lies 24/7

people do not know the truth.

[CaptainClark23]

2. Can't tell you

But if you ever do figure it out, write a book, we'll all stand in line to buy it!

"Surely the basis for choosing a president should be based on his intelligence and knowledge of the world around him."

Sadly that idea has rarely, if ever, come to be. Plato and other governmental theorists notwithstanding.

ON EDIT: Don't listen to me, listen to that guy up there. He's right. Its all about the money.

[rasputin1952]

3. If you're talking about bush...

he's not popular. And although he had support after 9-11-01, he sqaundered it a long time ago.

As for intelligence being a factor for Republican presidents or nominees, there has been none since Teddy Roosevelt. I truly believe that the powers that be in the Republican Party go to the local green grocer and pick their candidates from the mark down vegetable bin.

O8)

[Cleita]

4. Darned if I understand.

I'm still trying to figure out why my candidate has been selected for me and I haven't even had a chance to vote. In America, it is your primary vote that should count the most and I can't even vote until next week, yet another man is being chosen under my nose. If you figure it out, tell me.

[buckeye1]

9. Um...

I assume your candidate is still on the ballot. So what's your problem? The nomination has not been decided. Whoever gets the most votes wins. If you have a better idea,lets hear it.

[Cleita]

12. Not so fast buddy.

Many people who were voting for my candidate are now trying to decide between Kerry and Edwards because there are strong feelings of dislike for one or the other candidate and they want to make sure the candidate they don't dislike gets the nomination.

I am still voting for my candidate, but since most of the other votes have been diverted by clever backstabbing, he will not be the nominee so essentially, I didn't have a primary choice.

[BillZBubb]

5. War changes things in a lot of people's minds

Before a war a politician may not be liked. Once the country is at war and in a conflict, a large number of people rally behind the president, no matter what. They view it as a patriotic duty since the president is the top official of our country. I think it's absurd, but that's what happens.

Sadly, intelligence and knowledge are actually a negative to many voters. They like guys who talk like them and don't make them think. Bush* has some of his popularity tied to his "everyman" persona.

[DuctapeFatwa]

6. Intelligence is not an asset for he who would be a successful politician

It is not a commodity highly prized in US mainstream voter culture to begin with, and for a politician, it is more of a liability.

Unless he is a pathological socio/psychopath, it would be extremely difficult for an intelligent person to convincingly spout rhetoric intended to persuade voters that a reduction in their income will empower them to manage personal wealth, or that it is better to spend a dollar to kill someone else's child than to spend a dime on medical treatment for your own.

[scottcsmith]

7. Bush approval rating down

The last several polls I've seen from Gallup and Zogby have Bush's approval rating hovering right about 50%. Americans are starting to wake up to the fact that Bush is just not a very good president. He's failed just about every thing he's tried in life. The only thing he's been good at so far is being drunk, and he gave that up years ago.

[smirkymonkey]

8. I'm not offended at all ...

Most of us are asking the same question. Part of the answer lies in the fact that the media is dominated by the far right-wing, part of it is that most Americans are ill-informed and have no desire to be so, and part of it is that our leaders are so corrupt and crooked they will find away to twist events (including elections) to their advantage despite what the general population wants.

[Bandit]

10. In America if you can tie your shoe you are close to genius

America has suffered a tremendous decline in intelligence since the advent of TV. It is escalating rapidly now though. More than half of our High School students have failed their exit exams in the "Leave No Child Behind" programs. Won't be long until Bush* will be remembered as our most brilliant President of the Century.

[ComerPerro]

11. It all goes back to 9/11

[E-Z Rider]

13. Not sure what you mean...

What do you mean by "suddenly" becomes popular?

On a nationwide scale, he's never been 'unpopular' per se...after all, when he was elected he got around 50% of the votes...and currently his approval rating is around 50%. In the meantime it had risen to as high as over 70%.

I'd imagine that most of what you're hearing is anti-Bush, and therefore you haven't gotten an accurate view of how popular he is. Bush is a very polarizing president- his supporters love him and his detractors *revile* him. There isn't a whole lot of middle ground. Which is why November 2004 will be so interesting.

And yes...the basis *should* be (or at least have a consideration for) intelligence and knowledge. But honestly, people vote selfishly. They vote for a candidate that they belive will offer the most to themselves. This true regardless of political orientation.

Also- stop worrying about offending people. There are MUCH greater things to worry about.

Peace-

[rasputin1952]

16. People do indeed 'vote selfishly'...

but we also vote for survivability. This pinhead that currently occupies the WH, needs to go. If for no other reason, than to keep his failure rate intact, before he can do any more damage!

O8)

[wuushew]

14. Bush is a master of low expectations

When something goes horribly wrong policy-wise(everyday) people are angry at the "smart evil" people like Rummy and Uncle Dick. Being so stupid and folksy causes a subconscious sympathy reaction that shields the pResident in the ultimate coat of teflon. Add to that the fact that he seldom speaks for the administration himself and when he does his popularity always plummets(everything in the SOTU, gay marriage, WMD, jobs). What is left is the base support for the position of the President 20-30% plus the sympathy of idiots who don't how horrible his policies are.

[lapislzi]

15. Couple of points

The Bush people pride themselves on their anti-intellectual stance. If I thought about this long enough, I could come up with convincing arguments about how Americans value "self-made people" although Bush is clearly not one of these, the intellectuals of the 1930s (especially in Europe), and the like. Intelligence, in the academic, "book-sense" of the word, is not valued. In fact, it has slowly but surely been demonized over the last couple of decades. The prevailing mood has been one of "dumbing down." With all that that entails.

Also, note that we did not choose him. He was chosen for us.

His popularity is not sudden; it is declining (hallelujah! there is hope for America).

Americans themselves are not particularly well-informed. The people who post on this board are among the best informed in the nation. We are hardly representative of the average American (quelle dommage!) Americans are nowhere near as informed as Europeans (that anti-intellectual thing again, almost like a badge of honor), so our president's lack of intellectual curiousity is of little consequence to most Americans. We accept what we are told by our trusted TV reporters, who are in the entertainment business, not the news business.

I hope that answers a few of your questions.

edited: for spelling

[camero]

17. Rally around the flag

It happens in every country where the people feel threatened or are made to feel threatened. It's not a uniquely American thing.

Not offended, please don't take offense.

Edit: Just to state that rationality goes out the window in times of fear and war.