(no subject)

[msmemory_archive]

I'm coming to a preliminary conclusion: what I want most in a President and Vice-President is somebody that's smarter than me. err, "Someone who is smarter than I." Still. Not necessarily older, not necessarily a match to me in race or gender or religion. Really, not necessarily someone I agree with all of the time. Or a great speechmaker, warrior, lawyer, or even diplomat. Just brains, and clue, and honesty.

Comments

[dsrtao]

Doesn't our political process tend to filter out people with brains, clue and honesty?

Well...

[bunnyjadwiga.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure that, say, Tibor, is smarter than me. So are Steven Hawking, Ben Bernanke, and the president of my University.

I'm not sure about the comparative intelligence of, say, myself and Harry Truman, but he had lots more horse sense than me.

Somehow, I'd really rather have Harry Truman as president.

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

I'd settle for "at least as smart as me, or close enough not to matter."

Sigh.

[rosinavs.livejournal.com]

I've come to a similar conclusion, and I think Obama has the brains. I'm not sure about McCain yet, but Palin does not have the brains.

On a side note, I know this is totally superficial, but McCain does this lizard thing with his tongue. If he gets elected, I won't be able to watch Presidential addresses without trying to count how many times he does it.

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the lizard thing bothers me. What if it's Tardive Dyskinesia? (Neurological problem.)

[rickthefightguy.livejournal.com]

What I really want is a Nobel Economics Prize winner from New Hampshire.

[dlevey.livejournal.com]

Me too. Sadly, he has so far refused to run.

[crolevey.livejournal.com]

agreed, smarter is good - better than what we've had lately for candidates.

The problem is that for many of the people I've met over the years, these candidates are smarter. You run in a bright & educated crowd and are a bright lady yourself. You also have the ever rare "common sense."

Given this is a fantasy conversation, concern for the greater good and some social skills would also be nice.

[ramblingmom.livejournal.com]

I'm fairly convinced that at least one of the candidates (counting all four -- Presidents and Veeps) has less intelligence than my collie. And my collie has the attention span of a turnip.

I fear we may be doomed.

[be-well-lowell.livejournal.com]

It's a good criterion, but I think respect for knowledge is at least as important to me as being able to manipulate it well. I don't think my problem with the current president has nearly as much to do with his lack of intelligence as with his lack of curiosity; his intelligence doesn't matter.

My interest in artificial intelligence has also led me to doubt that natural intelligence is clearly defined...

[madamebuttery.livejournal.com]

As near as I can tell, most of my friends (in real life and on LJ) are as smart or smarter than I am -- I'm an intellectual snob and I admit it. But there are few of them I'd trust to be President. Brains are a necessary but insufficient criterion; I want to vote for someone WISER than I am.