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Obama has a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science with a specialization in international relations from Columbia University. He also has a professional doctorate in law from Harvard Law School.</p>
<p>Palin has a Bachelor of Science degree in communications-journalism from University of Idaho.</p>
<p>Who do you want making the decision to press the nuclear button?
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What do you guys think? OBAMA '08!</p>
<p>Wouldn't it make more sense to compare Obama to McCain, rather than to Palin?</p>
<p>^ Yup.</p>
<p>Lol, I was just watching Discovery Project Earth, and this rocket's main engine stutters and eventually fails. It's like 700 ft in the air, and then falls straight down, nose tipped to the ground, and literally shatters into hundreds of pieces. So much money gone to waste.</p>
<p>McCain came in 5th from last at the Naval Academy and crashed 5 planes. I don't think there is a comparison. </p>
<p>When did being smart and educated become such a negative in our country? </p>
<p>I really worry about our future. How do we compete with countries that honor intelligence? Look at the politicians we rally behind - George W. Bush, John McCain, Sarah Palin. </p>
<p>All these people, by simply listening to them talk, reveal very little in the way of introspection and reflection. Their answers are heavy handed and simple. Yet, they are praised for it as "decisive" while Obama is derided for giving thoughtful, nuanced answers. </p>
<p>It's as if the past 8 years just didn't happen. Nothing learned by voting for the one with whom you'd want to have a beer.</p>
<p>^ Well, opponents of Obama use his intelligence against him; they say that he is simply sneaky and manipulative, using words to rope in voters.</p>
<p>Which leads me to ask. Are presidents meant to be stupid in order to keep ourselves "safe" from them?</p>
<p>To be fair, McCain's class-rank at the Naval Academy was due to disobeying of rules rather than a lack of intelligence. From what I've read McCain's IQ falls around 130, which is at the high end of the bell-curve [average is something like 100].</p>
<p>Regarding Obama, his scores are apparently a well-kept secret. IQ, SAT, LSAT are seemingly impossible to find. Weighed against his accomplishments I've seen it estimated at anywhere from 140-165, which is only semi-reliable.</p>
<p>Well, I would be suspect if you ever come across a presidential candidate's IQ. That's usually kept very secret. Anyway, IQ doesn't make one smart. One has to use that intelligence.</p>
<p>I have yet to see McCain offer 130 IQ level responses to anything. His responses fall in the spectrum of Bush for nuance and insight.</p>
<p>With over 300 million people, why do we not have intelligent, ethical leaders anymore? </p>
<p>I may have disagreed with Bill Clinton, but I knew he was smarter than me, I knew he had studied economics and foreign policy extensively, I knew he understood the implications of his decisions, and I knew he cared about the well being of the least among us. </p>
<p>I would take a Republican or Democrat for whom I could say that. </p>
<p>This year, it seems like Obama comes the closest.</p>
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With over 300 million people, why do we not have intelligent, ethical leaders anymore?
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<p>Well, we're not exactly given a wide range of choices on the presidential ballot. Our candidates have been chosen for us.</p>
<p>I'm not sure I understand. There are always 10-20 candidates initially that get wittled down by elections carried out by the public.</p>
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McCain came in 5th from last at the Naval Academy and crashed 5 planes. I don't think there is a comparison.
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<p>Yeah, McCain nearly paid for his service to this country with his life... There is a distinct comparison. What has Obama done to that end?</p>
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With over 300 million people, why do we not have intelligent, ethical leaders anymore?
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<p>We have plenty of them. They just aren't willing to have their lives and their families dragged through the mud and crap in order take an additional beating for everything you do as POTUS. </p>
<p>It seems that right about the time Watergate happened everyone decided that the POTUS needed to be flawless and that we deserved to know EVERYTHING about them and their family and in some cases i've seen, their ancestors. When we stop holding them to an unreasonable standard we will start to get some of the best leaders back in office. Until then this is what we get...people who are career politicians and have groomed themselves to be nothing but.</p>
<p>uh we ain't looking for the smartest guy to be a president. There is nothing wrong in being smart. But thats not the only quality that is looked for. Looking at the whole, and a person who does value intelligence, i will still pick mccain over obama in a heartbeat. Its no question at all for me.
Don't get me wrong, i am also tired of not so smart ppl in the white house, but just cos someone is smart and is running does not mean he shuld win cos hes smart.</p>
<p>Intelligent decisions are what we want from a president, and that's why intelligence is important.</p>
<p>John McCain's attack ads tell me enough about his tendencies. He's vicious and doesn't care if he lies. D:</p>
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When did being smart and educated become such a negative in our country?
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<p>The pop psychologist in me tells me that Americans are pumped with an extreme sense of entitlement (mostly stemming from the "Greatest Country on Earth" idea and the popular myth that America is a complete meritocracy) that is bound to get crushed into bitter sourgrapes when their lives don't turn out the way they want it to be. Then they start looking for scapegoats to explain why they aren't rich and famous. Popular ones include:</p>
<p>The blacks took my spot at Harvard!
Damn liberals keep taxing me so much that I can't become a millionaire!
Gays are feminizing society so much that I can't be the Lothario that I could be!</p>
<p>Remember Brad Pitt's line in "Fight Club"? Something about a generation raised expecting to be rock gods and movie stars, and now that they're middle-aged and mediocre, they're mad as hell? I think that's what's happening.</p>
<p>trickstylz - </p>
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uh we ain't looking for the smartest guy to be a president. There is nothing wrong in being smart. But thats not the only quality that is looked for. Looking at the whole, and a person who does value intelligence, i will still pick mccain over obama in a heartbeat. Its no question at all for me.
Don't get me wrong, i am also tired of not so smart ppl in the white house, but just cos someone is smart and is running does not mean he shuld win cos hes smart.
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<p>Well, perhaps some people "ain't" looking for the smartest guy to be president, but those of us who know proper possessive grammar might see it a little differently. I can't fathom how someone who can understand the nuance and complexity of global situations is looked at as inferior to someone who thinks "evil" is one guy who can be hunted down to the gates of hell, whatever that means. </p>
<p>I guess I want our VP to know by this point that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. I guess I want our president to offer a comprehensive plan and not just "I'm going to cut taxes" and then blatantly lie about Obama's plan to both cut taxes and invest in building a new economy. It's unethical and sinful to lie in the way McCain has and it shows a clear lack of confidence and intelligence in what he stands for.</p>
<p>nbachris - you may well be onto something. </p>
<p>Along those same lines, I think most Americans think they're smart enough and qualified enough to become president. When someone like Palin comes along who clearly is not, it is not an issue for many. </p>
<p>They are more concerned that she reminds them of her and makes them think, as one ecstatic Republican delegate put it, "She made me believe anyone could become president!". If someone who spends his or her life driving kids around, hunting, and ignoring the larger world thinks they could step into the position, why wouldn't they support someone who actually does?</p>
<p>Issues of taxation policies aside, I can't help but feel as though our country has a large urban and rural mass that is cosmopolitan, global, and ready to evolve to the next economy being dragged down by a much larger mass (both Democratic voting and Republican) that is fearful of that larger world and will do whatever it takes to hold onto the way things once were.</p>
<p>Just with that statement id take Palin. Political science is about the easiest major you can do, id even say art history is harder. School realy has no bearing, when I was a undergrad I got more work than friends that went to Cornell, and I got some better job interviews also. So school really doesn't mean to much. You don't somehow get a magic education when you go to a top 20 U. Journalism, no matter what the schools actually requires a good bit of work.</p>
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They are more concerned that she reminds them of her and makes them think, as one ecstatic Republican delegate put it, "She made me believe anyone could become president!".
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<p>There's nothing wrong with being inspired by a candidate that makes people feel like they could be president. Hell, that's part of Obama's appeal!</p>
<p>But the difference between Obama and Palin is that Obama makes people believe that they can become president by striving to achieve their very best. In contrast, Palin makes people believe they can become president exactly as they are. Sorry to burst your bubble and be "elitist", but being a parent and a good citizen ain't good enough to be president. </p>
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Just with that statement id take Palin. Political science is about the easiest major you can do, id even say art history is harder. School realy has no bearing, when I was a undergrad I got more work than friends that went to Cornell, and I got some better job interviews also. So school really doesn't mean to much. You don't somehow get a magic education when you go to a top 20 U. Journalism, no matter what the schools actually requires a good bit of work.
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<p>I agree. Communications degree from Idaho is so much tougher than a law degree from that Harvard place.</p>
<p>I didn't know we were comparing undergraduate work to doctorate. But knowing the winners who have come out of Harvard, I honestly don't hold it in a high regard.</p>
<p>^lol
^^lol</p>
<p>"McCain nearly paid for his service to this country with his life... There is a distinct comparison. What has Obama done to that end?"</p>
<p>Obama was born a year before U.S. involvement in Vietnam began. Was he somehow expected to fight?</p>
<p>I don't care that Obama hasn't served in the military. The question was very simple though. Would Obama be willing to give up his life or that of his children for this country? John McCain almost did and has sons in the military right now. No, that doesn't mean he's the best guy to be POTUS but it does make a distinction when compared to Obama.</p>