Al Gore interviewed on NPR: Bush has "a different kind of intelligence"

[Human Torch]

http://atrios.blogspot.com/2006_05_28_atrios_archive.html#114935928995994979

Get Your Gore On

The Fresh Air interview is pretty good.

I recommend listening, but here's the transcript also. Gore seems to get just about everything these days. Here's a good b it:

GROSS: You got to see George W. Bush close-up when he was your opponent for the presidency. What surprises you most about how the Bush presidency has turned out?

Vice Pres. GORE: I guess what surprises me most is his incuriosity. That's a real mystery to me because he's clearly a smart man. He has a different kind of intelligence, as everybody does. There's so many varieties of intelligence. He's clearly a smart man, but it is a puzzle that he would ask no questions about important matters. When his first secretary of the Treasury came in for their first meeting and spoke for an hour about economic policies of the new administration, he asked not a single question. When he received the briefing in August of 2001 that Osama bin Laden was planning a major attack soon, you know, on the United States, he did not ask a single question. When he was briefed several days before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the weather service people were saying it may mark a return to medieval conditions, he asked not a single question. And that same incuriosity seems to be a factor when he just accepts hook, line and sinker the ExxonMobil view that global warming is not a problem, in no way related to the massive volumes of pollution we're putting into the Earth's atmosphere every hour of every day.

When they tell him that the scientific community is wrong and that they're just lying because they're greedy for more research dollars, he doesn't apparently look under the rug. He doesn't ask questions. And in the American system, the president of the United States is the only person who is charged with representing all of the people in every state in every district and looking after the welfare of the people as a whole. And if the special interest has one view, at least you should ask questions about how the public interest is affected, and I really do not know why he is so incurious.

-Atrios 2:10 PM

[uppityperson]

1. different kind of intellegence indeed, good summary

[bluedeminredstate]

2. How very, um...diplomatic

in other words: "The man-chimp is a fucking idiot!"
Thank you President Gore. We love you and your enormous brain.

:loveya:

[Zorro]

3. It's a stupid kind of intelligence

That's the way I read it.

[Human Torch]

4. It's the kind of intelligence that...

...lets a monkey know that a banana tastes good, and he should eat it.

When it comes to that kind of natural intelligence, Junior is truly gifted.



:evilgrin:

[Pirate Smile]

12. LOL. Welcome to DU. You really did make me laugh out loud and

succinctly explained the Bush's intelligence with an excellent example.


Here's some pic's to go with it.

[Human Torch]

17. Thanks, Pirate Smile!

:toast:

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

29. "Huh?"

[acmavm]

5. Silly me. I would have never used the word 'intelligence' in any

sentence when referring to blivet.

[Epiphany4z]

6. I like Al

but I just don't see how somebody who doesn't ask questions can be considered intelligent. Being curiouser and asking Questions is how we learn.

[Lisa]

21. I think this is exactly what Al was getting at ...

Rather than coming right out and saying Bush is stupid (something which even some of his supporters would balk at, since it's considered bad manners) -- he is letting us reach that conclusion ourselves. Look at the number of examples he cites immediately after he says that. If one really were trying to explain that a particular person just thinks in a different way, a couple of instances would be enough!

There is a wonderful description of a Bush-like character in one of Lindsey Davis's novels (I think it's "Scandal Takes A Holiday"). She describes a particular officer (the book is set in ancient Rome and looks at the lives of public officials) as "not a stupid man, but his brain works very differently from most people's", or words to that effect. He's very Bushlike (even down to the "bat-like" ears and overly-touchy temper).

[janx]

7. Thanks for posting this. n/t

[I_Make_Mistakes]

8. I think that Bush really believes that he is Divinely lead and if he

needs to know something, he will! I really do believe that he believes that, I really do believe that the Divine would not want to waste IT'S time inspiring that which is incapable of being inspired!

[C_U_L8R]

9. Incurious George

indeed

[Supersedeas]

22. looks like Gore has coined a phrase

[upi402]

10. Gomer is a good frontman for the cabal

They can claim he was incompetent and hide behind his dumb ass when the shirts hit the fan.

my .02

[janx]

11. David Gergen has also noticed that lack of curiosity in

the Chimp. (This in an interview.)

[Davis_X_Machina]

13. "Different kind of intelligence" = low cunning n/t

[sallyseven]

15. More like "Who Cares". I don't.

Of no interest. Never let facts get in the way of my ideas.

[creeksneakers2]

14. Bush doesn't ask questions

because he doesn't care.

[peacetalksforall]

16. He is street smart.. He is an uneducated graduate. He has extremely

limited interests. All his energy goes into what he is interested in which includes deals for profits and his ability to look into souls, which combines with his rigid concept of absolute loyalty, which leads to extreme degress of revenge. Is that the limit of his interest? Seems so. Oh yeah - sports and working out. He is also fraternity smart. And he thinks he is joke smart.

All trite and shallow.

He is only a fund raiser and we should just lower our expectations, lament, and accept it, then talk about Cheney.

[Metta]

18. Mentally lazy, spoiled and afraid of not being bailed out.

nt.

[Doctor_J]

19. Different kind of intelligence - missing

he's as dumb as a fence post. If you consider a 50-year-old giggling over hitting a good golf shot "intelligent", then I guess yeah.

[lumberjack_jeff]

20. A different kind of intelligence - like Ted Bundy. n/t

[Uncle Joe]

23. Al is using the same approach, as Colbert,

in getting his point across. When you hear the words intelligence and Bush used in the same sentence, it perks your ears up. Even Bush supporters (all 30%) will listen to the rest and accidentally be exposed to logic. It's not to say 30% will absorb this common sense but maybe 5%-10% of that 30 will. I just can't wait until Al speaks about Tucker Carlson's "intelligence"!

[Marnieworld]

24. Yes. Bush is "special"

Like the Olympics. He's not stupid. Oh no. Mama says Stupid is as stupid does. Very Colbert in his approach,that Gore. I believe he is a smart man but it surprises me that there is no proof of it. :P

[Dr Fate]

25. Great response- but I want someone to be more blunt than that:

"He is a damned plain idiot as far as I can tell" Would have been the proper response.

The "strategists" who lost the last 3 elections and those of us who are still under the illusion that voters prefer Mr. Rogers to Clint Eastwood will disagree with me, I'm sure.

Either way, good response, but nothing "hot" enough to really get it into the echo chamber like my recommended response would.

I know- I know-we cant be that truthful because the media would fein "outrage"- to which the my recommended response would be:

"Okay- I'll bite- please list some examples from his presidency that show us all how intellignet you claim he is..."

[Cha]

26. Yeah, it's called

"MISSING!"

[opihimoimoi]

27. Missing and/or Indifferent...he is a JOKE

[sueh]

28. Fuzzy intelligence?n n/t

[Zorra]

30. Yep. Bu*h has a very 'possum like intelligence.

When considering decency, truth, or logic, it plays dead.

My humblest apologies to the opossums, who are not at all like Bu*h.