Sarah Palin: Smarter than Bush. Smarter than McCain.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

She is ignorant and has no more business being President than George W. Bush ever did, of course, but I haven't seen any indication she's dumb. She's a bad person and probably incurious (that word again) about anything that doesn't advance her ambitions, but I would rather debate McCain than Palin. (McCain is senile, inflexible and undisciplined, and a piss poor actor. And McCain doesn't know shit about foreign policy, but is supposed to. It's easy to best someone like that face-to-face.)

She's more Lady MacBeth than Forest Gump.

She is probably about as smart as Paris Hilton, and anyone who thinks Paris Hilton is dumb is dumber than Paris Hilton.

And Christianist whackos are not all dumb. (I have some fiercely intelligent and widely read young-earthers in my extended family. They're scary!)

So don't fall for the lowered expectation game. (They've already worked it so that if she can distinguish Sunni from Shia she'll be hailed as the second coming of George Marshall.)

[dbonds]

1. The Christian whacko part says there is some mental problem there.

Can't be too smart and buy into all that 6000 year old earth stuff. But that doesn't mean she is an idiot either. I think you mean she is functional, unlike bush and mcsame that appear to not to be.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

11. There are dumb fundys and smart fundys. The thing to remember is

that these folks don't always believe that gibberish because they cannot understand science. Some of them believe it as a mental discipline... they see a virtue in believing it.

I know young-earthers with Ivy League degrees is serious subjects who delight in the intellectual sport of defending the indefensible. They view their gibberish as more philosophy than science... as a critique of secularism.

Palin isn't one of those, as far as I can see. She doesn't spend much time on philosophy of any sort. She seems like a practical person. Give her a goal and she will show real resourcefulness in getting it.

Like Reagan. Anti-intellectual, but not wholly without resources.

[The empressof all]

21. Some also believe because

For some belief is convenient and a way to exert power over others. Those who are holier than thou get away with hitting us all with that stick they proudly carry around in their butt.

[riverdeep]

2. How many colleges did she attend?

Maybe it could have something to do with having so many kids, I don't know. That's the point, it's less than sixty days and we don't know anything about a woman who today made the scenario of her actually having her finger on the button a reality.

[AkFemDem]

7. While WE know she's a dangerous entity behind a button... she IS smart

and appealing to the average American to dismiss her because of her college resume won't work.

I think the whole country knows by now after having watched Mr Ivy League GWB in office that university education doesn't mean "smart".

Much better to attack her lack of experience and her lack of credibility than her lack of education- especially when so much of the country still doesn't have a degree.

[riverdeep]

17. I guess that depends on what you mean by 'smart'.

She's smart enough. That's all that counts sometimes. Then other things like confidence and other personality traits come in. Many really successful people aren't 'brains'.

But someone that doesn't believe in evolution, I don't know, how do you maintain that divorce from reality?

[gateley]

3. I've no doubt she's shrewd and knows how to play the game.

It's my hope that if people watch the CNN specials on both of the VP candidates (even though Biden took questions, Palin didn't), the contrast between the two (and thereby reflecting on the Presidential candidate) will be painfully obvious.

Biden inspires confidence.

[flamingdem]

4. She's functional and trained in public speaking, otherwise a nobody

being packaged ... kinda like a pig with lipstick..

[Ilsa]

5. She may be "smart", especially politically, but she is ignorant.

She keeps herself uninformed of what is going on in the world around her, instead preferring to listen to "advisers who advise her to give her good advice" or whatever the hell Bush* said. She's alot like Bush in this respect.

[flakey_foont]

6. smarter than Bush?

that's not saying much

[BeyondGeography]

8. Street smart and, but completely inexperienced on the big stage

She didn't want tocome across as a warmonger in her first interview; that train has left the station. All she had to do was give the same basic answer after layering in the usual language about sanctions, diplomacy, working with allies. Bad answer.

She doesn't know how to play the game and she's running out of time.

[Youphemism]

9. Agreed. But there's no substitute for experience...

The McCain campaign is holding its breath with every milestone, and trying to cram as much guidance as possible into her before each step she takes into the public.

*Nobody* is ready for a national spotlight when it first shines on them. Everybody screws up when they're in that light for long enough.

They've postponed her interactions as long as possible, scheduled her first interview in a one-on-one environment on 9/11 for cover, and they're playing up every little thing to keep the media and public distracted. That only works for so long.

She's sharp, but still out of her depth on the national stage. She's going to make mistakes. The McCain camp has its collective heart in its collective throat right now.

Sooner or later she'll get off the script, and have to swim on her own in the deep end. That's when we'll find out what the real "Palin Bump" amounts to.

[blm]

10. She's a Newt Gingrich talking point repeating GOPAC Parrot with the heart of Dick Cheney.

That does require more smarts than Bush, I guess.

[AndyTiedye]

12. Crazier Than Either of them Too

[SoxFan]

13. Smarter than Bush...

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

14. "She's not dumb"

She's a fucking creationist.

Dumb as a stump.

[AzDar]

15. Nope. No sale. In order to believe HALF the shit she apparently subscribes to, you have to be stupid

There is NO other explanation.

[Sensitivity]

22. Well, that kind of "stupid" appeal to many middle-america, small-town, church-going voters

That's smart in politics.

[AzDar]

25. Perhaps. But the point is : she isn't especially smart.

[Sensitivity]

16. Looked at her BEFORE the pick. Appeal to middle-America was worrisome. Now it's fear-inducing

The danger of McCain making a female pick was obvious and Palin was listed a one on McCain's Veep list.

I am a little surprised that the Obama camp was not prepared to respond quickly.

A bad sign re. effectiveness of opp research planning. Are they being reactive rather than proactive.

[Chloroplast]

18. Being manipulative and conniving doesn't mean that someone is smart.

[Overseas]

19. And Sitcom Sarah memorizes lines quite well.

She has a rather boring delivery-- not too much modulation-- but she knows how to memorize lines, including adding the appropriate pauses and broad facial expressions for audience response.

And Americans like that Perky McBubbles thing. We can tell Sitcom Sarah wants us to like her.

When I saw the Alaska Gubernatorial debates rerun by CSpan recently, I realized that same thing. She can hold her own by spouting right wing ideological paragraphs in response to many different questions.

Before the debates, she will have been loaded up with paragraphs to plug in for various occasions.

She'll also be given quips that will denigrate intelligent people for laughs. A few new lines to trot out for the quick sound bytes. Her next pit bull with lipstick joke.

The RNC sociopaths will send her in with lots of material ready to roll out. They may probe Biden's history and give her some lines designed to throw Biden off or get him to look mean in response.

[BrklynLiberal]

20. Aside from allthe other things that turn me off to the barracuda, the fact that she is a TRUE

believer, while prez shit-for-brains was just pandering..is the scariest.
The thought of this rapture-believing person having the ability to launch atomic attacks around the world...to, in effect, bring on Armageddon....terrifies me.
How can a person who believes the things that the Rapturist-Dominionists do, be entrusted with the future peace and well-being of this planet?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

24. She is clearly unfit for office, yes.

But watching her on ABC, she is ahead of where the Chimp was in 2000, and somewhat more coherent than McCain was in his latest interview.

Being smarter than a chimpanzee or sharper than a senile man are not compelling qualifications for high office.

But since the Republicans have thrown up a moron then a doddering fool as nominees, she's not outside the "new normal" of Republican intellect.

[LAThinker]

23. Just look at her education

http://www.ucubd.com/Index.aspx?id=688&cid=3120

[PfcHammer]

26. Dogshit is smarter than Sarah ,Bush, and McCain

:thumbsdown:

[ailsagirl]

27. She's a complete ninny

:evilgrin:

[elkston]

28. Gee, can you compliment her any more? (eom)