Is Sarah Palin actually a halfwit?

Exile 1798

Amerika wrote: »

But I guess if we are to accept the fact that attending Harvard (or Yale for that fact) is a guaranty of one’s intelligence, then I guess we would have to accept that Barack Obama is pretty darn smart, and George W Bush is a freakin' genius.

Yes, because we all know it's as easy for a black man without a father, no family political connections and from a lower middles class background who grew up in Hawaii to get into such a University as it is for a white man from Connecticut who came from great wealth and who's father and grandfather were both Senators.

I've seen people strain credulity before Amerika, but I've never seen someone embrace it.

InTheTrees

Exile 1798 wrote: »

I've seen people strain credulity before Amerika, but I've never seen someone embrace it.

Witness how palin supporters now accept Paul revere was actually warning the british, and how it was really super-intelligent of palin to have picked up on it.

Amerika

Exile 1798 wrote: »

I've seen people strain credulity before Amerika, but I've never seen someone embrace it.

No… but if we’re to assume intelligence is dictated by attending a Ivy League school with good credentials, then achieving both a Yale & Harvard degree trumps a Harvard only degree (as we know those other colleges don’t really count ).

Amerika

20Cent wrote: »

Haven't noticed that at all.

Could you post up a link to a video clip of Palin saying something intelligent, insightful or even kind of smart?

Here’s two that immediately come to mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCDxXJSucF4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89FbCPzAsRA&feature=player_embedded

Exile 1798

Amerika wrote: »

No… but if we’re to assume intelligence is dictated by attending a Ivy League school with good credentials, then achieving both a Yale & Harvard degree trumps a Harvard only degree (as we know those other colleges don’t really count ).

No Amerika, I like many people regard Obama as being highly intelligent based on a multitude of factors. His talent as a writer, the fact that he's articulate, his extremely skilled performances in debates and interviews, and his educational background.

You scoff at all this because for whatever reason you are part of that segment of Americans who are very bitter and whose bitterness has been harnessed and directed at "Liberals" who are the great scape goat for that ails not only the country but also their own lives. Obama is the current figure head for this ire. That's why you're incapable of assessing his as most people do.

Even though it's beside the point, for the record Obama majored in Political Science at Columbia and earnt his Law Degree from Harvard Law. Bush got a Bachelor of Arts from Yale and MBA from Harvard Business.

Amerika

Exile 1798 wrote: »

Even though it's beside the point, for the record Obama majored in Political Science at Columbia and earnt his Law Degree from Harvard Law. Bush got a Bachelor of Arts from Yale and MBA from Harvard Business.

Again I ask... How exactly did Barack Obama get into Harvard?

InTheTrees

Harvard Law is postgrad right?

SO a Harvard law degree totally trumps two undergrad degs from harvard and yale (even if one is an MBA).

Overheal

Amerika wrote: »

Again I ask... How exactly did Barack Obama get into Harvard?

I presume he applied. Why do you ask?

Amerika

Overheal wrote: »

I presume he applied. Why do you ask?

Oh... Harvard is a pretty prestigious school as I’m told by many here. It seems just by attending, it grants him instant extra intelligence (IEI). I do know it is very competitive and known for accepting only excellence in academia (but there are always exceptions wink wink). I’m just wondering if he was accepted because he did so well at his previous stop, Columbia University, or was it perhaps because of other factors? And how do you think he paid for it?

But enough about Obama, especially because nobody here seems to be able to answer any of my basic questions (which pretty much proves my point), and lets get back to more PDS and ad nauseum Palin bashing… how’bout’it.

Manic Moran

Listen to Obama speak, then listen to Sarah Palin you should be able to make up your own mind re intelligence

I doubt that Stephen Hawking would make a great public speaker, but there's little doubting his intelligence. (I'm obviously not implying that Palin's on the level of Hawking, but just pointing out the difference)

NTM

InTheTrees

Amerika wrote: »

Oh... Harvard is a pretty prestigious school as I’m told by many here. It seems just by attending, it grants him instant extra intelligence (IEI).

Not just Harvard. But Harvard Law school. Possibly amongst the top four or five law schools in the world.

Not only that but he was president of the Harvard Law Review.

Your attempt to diminish that achievement speaks volumes about your own intellectual position.

I mean is it Obama you have something against or Harvard Law School?

Overheal

Amerika wrote: »

Oh... Harvard is a pretty prestigious school as I’m told by many here. It seems just by attending, it grants him instant extra intelligence (IEI). I do know it is very competitive and known for accepting only excellence in academia (but there are always exceptions wink wink). I’m just wondering if he was accepted because he did so well at his previous stop, Columbia University, or was it perhaps because of other factors? And how do you think he paid for it?

But enough about Obama, especially because nobody here seems to be able to answer any of my basic questions (which pretty much proves my point), and lets get back to more PDS and ad nauseum Palin bashing… how’bout’it.

Read: you're trying to deflect the point entirely by saying it was his acceptance to the school, not his accomplishments there, that are worth noting.

As for "Other factors" if you have anything to add, it's only polite to say so. Otherwise you're just doing that no-speak thing that I see in the media to imply things that they aren't allowed to say or are completely without merit. Along the lines of How often do you beat your wife, or "Does Senator XYZ have a drug problem?" type insinuations. You know, the type of things you can say with a complete void of evidence and not cross into the world of libel or defamation.

Amerika

Overheal wrote: »

Read: you're trying to deflect the point entirely by saying it was his acceptance to the school, not his accomplishments there, that are worth noting.

As for "Other factors" if you have anything to add, it's only polite to say so. Otherwise you're just doing that no-speak thing that I see in the media to imply things that they aren't allowed to say or are completely without merit. Along the lines of How often do you beat your wife, or "Does Senator XYZ have a drug problem?" type insinuations. You know, the type of things you can say with a complete void of evidence and not cross into the world of libel or defamation.

Who knows... maybe great grades, maybe he had connections, maybe affirmative action, maybe something else completely. We just don't know now do we... too much mystery from the most transparent presidency in history, dontcha think?

Back to Palin what's say ya...

20Cent

Amerika wrote: »

Here’s two that immediately come to mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCDxXJSucF4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89FbCPzAsRA&feature=player_embedded

They are both debates could you find something a bit shorter? or give the times in the videos above when you think she she said something intelligent?

alejandro1977

Manic Moran wrote: »

He was no half-wit. He may have been a bit bull-headed, divisive, overly blunt, and less than popular with foreigners and the Left, but he got good grades at Yale

Are these what you consider good grades?

http://2004.georgewbush.org/bios/yale-transcript.asp

They're rubbish grades from a guy who didn't get into UT and got into Yale because Prescott Bush was a pillar of the Alumni Establishment.

You're entitled to you opinion on other things but he most certainly didn't get "good" grades.

His Andover grades were rubbish also FWIW, and his record in the Texas Air Guard (*snigger*) was less than stellar too. Before you start lecturing us on his aircraft just admit he'd have been sent to Vietnam if he wasn't who he was.

He was also fond of leftist policies when it suited him (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_life_of_George_W._Bush)

alejandro1977

Manic Moran wrote: »

I doubt that Stephen Hawking would make a great public speaker, but there's little doubting his intelligence. (I'm obviously not implying that Palin's on the level of Hawking, but just pointing out the difference)

NTM

Palin majored in communications. (Probably the weakest major in US colleges, apart from feminist studies etc. and it still took her 6 years to graduate)

Hawking, well that's obvious.

alejandro1977

Amerika wrote: »

Have you ever noticed the vast difference of Barack Obama speeches when a teleprompter is not employed? Without one, style is vastly different between those two, but intelligence appearances seem somewhat similar. But if Palin simply read from a prepared message written by someone else all the time, that would qualify her as super smart, eh?

And how did Barack Obama get into Harvard exactly?

Playing the race card is pretty lame. SO every black man who gets in has benefited from AA? You obviously haven't been to an Ivy League School or similar. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong,

BTW Have you applied to HLS? Served as Editor of the HLR? Served on the Editorial Board?

BTW You might read this article in the Crimson. (That's the student newspaper at Harvard, as you're obviously not a Harvard alumnus.)

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2007/1/19/obama-left-mark-on-hls-days/

Obama Left Mark on HLS
Profs fondly recall Law School alum as he launches presidential bid

By MARIE C. KODAMA, CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Published: Friday, January 19, 2007

Days before he launched his campaign for the presidency, Barack H. Obama gave Law School professor David B. Wilkins ’77 a heads up: one of the professor’s favorite students might be heading to the White House.

But that favorite student wouldn’t be Barack. It’d be Michelle R. Obama, his wife.

The presidential hopeful graduated magna cum laude from the Law School in 1991; his wife earned the degree three years earlier.

But the senator was still outstanding in his own right—“brilliant, charismatic, and focused,” said Wilkins, the Kirkland and Ellis professor of law. The two forged a relationship after Obama became the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review.

Amerika

Ya’ll have convinced me. And I think I’ve found the video you've been looking for as evidence… Proof that Sarah Palin is an idiot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wJfsLafye4

After viewing it I think we can all come to no other conclusion… as the evidence is irrefutable! We can’t afford to put somebody this dumb in the White House.

Amerika

This woman must be stopped! She single-handedly is bringing down ObamaCare. The mental anguish caused by this woman will push the cost of mental health treatment for those afflicted with Palin Derangement Syndrome to astronomic levels.

Now we have “I Hope Like Heck: The Selected Poems of Sarah Palin” available for the kindle, consisting of assembled "poetry" by Michael Solomon, from the emails that Sarah Palin dispatched while Governor of Alaska.

Sarah the Bard... Oh the humanity!

A sampling of (assembled) poetry from the woman who you must admit, is "whatever you project upon her."

Where There’s Smoke
One of Lyda's aides stopped me in the hall
To say the building was getting a kick
Out of my "burnt toast" episode this morning
That caused the fire alarms to go off
For 20 minutes
And caused an evacuation.
She thought it was funny
I was cooking breakfast in the capitol
And burnt it.
I assured her
I was not in the building this morning,
I was not cooking breakfast here at any time,
And I did not burn any toast.
She looked at me warily,
I doubt she believed me.

Carpe Per Diem
Am I supposed to be charging meals
While I am away from Juneau?
Or does per diem cover my meals—
I haven't charged any meals to the state,
Just a couple of coffees while outside
During these six months in office.
Am I doing this right?
What about Todd's meals
If he's traveling for First Gentlemen duties?
Is the intent for his per diem to cover meals entirely,
Or was he to have been keeping receipts
For reimbursements?
What about family?
I'd like to be real clear.

I Hope Like Heck
Also,
When asked about the Gravina Bridge—
I hope like heck
Lawmakers are smart enough
To chop that out
Of the state budget
So I don’t have to.

You Are All Amazing—Except Maybe for Bruce
You all are amazing!
You're loved
And appreciated!
Now
Lean over
And slug Bruce for me,
As I follow up
With a hug for him
Next time I see him.

Boo
What a crock.
We've hosted so many groups,
classrooms, teams, etc.
In the mansion and/or
The Juneau office
And no one has said
Boo
About it.

I May Be Pretty Wimpy
I may be pretty wimpy
About this family stuff,
But I feel like I'm at the breaking point
With the hurtful gossip about my family
That Sherry
And others
Get away with.
Bear with me.
I hate this part of the job
And many days
I feel like it's not worth it
When they have to put up with the hate
That spews from people like Sherry.
And there are others.

The Old, Used Tanning Bed
Arghhh!
I am so sorry
That the office is swamped like this!
Dinosaurs even?!
I'll try to run through some of these
In my head
Before responding.
And the old, used tanning bed
That my girls have used
A handful of times
In Juneau?
Yes,
We paid for it
Ourselves.

The Truth About the Moose
He claims
Chuck Heath was going to take Molly's tag
And shoot a moose.
Not true.
I recall
That Chuck Heath was offering to take Molly hunting
Since the season was coming to a close
And Wooten had still not taken the time
To take her hunting
So she could fill the tag.
Chuck Heath wasn't going to "shoot a moose,
Period."

But I’m Not Bitter
The sunshine is perfect—
Too bad we’ll be looking at it
Through conference windows
This afternoon.

http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Like-Heck-Selected-ebook/dp/B0056U9KM8

:rolleyes:

Overheal

You know your argument has failed when you withdraw to weak satire in the face of direct criticism. And you wonder why you get no respect here.

Amerika

Overheal wrote: »

You know your argument has failed when you withdraw to weak satire in the face of direct criticism. And you wonder why you get no respect here.

A better word would be “derelict,” rather than “direct,” in regards to criticism.

Honestly, I have no desire to achieve respect from the emotionally exhausted & morally bankrupt.

alejandro1977

Amerika wrote: »

A better word would be “derelict,” rather than “direct,” in regards to criticism.

Honestly, I have no desire to achieve respect from the emotionally exhausted & morally bankrupt.

Did you ever pause to wonder why Democrats would absolutely LOVE it if Palin got the Republican nomination. It would just be hysterically funny!

Comparing minor verbal mispronunciations and slip ups like "57 states" (when he clearly meant the alliterative word 47 [states]) to the verbal diarrhoea that Palin (the Communications (:rolleyes:) Major and ex-TV presenter) comes out with is almost as amusing.

Did you get a chance to read that Crimson article? Written before he was the Dem nominee, BTW.

Amerika

alejandro1977 wrote: »

Did you get a chance to read that Crimson article? Written before he was the Dem nominee, BTW.

Sorry, it took a little time. At first I had a hard time getting over the fact that you were able to get transcripts of George W. Bush’s grades. I guess he had nothing to hide, eh? I wonder why we can’t seem to get anything of Obama’s?

But that article, written by a person about what some other people have said, sure does put Barack Obama in a good academic light... I must admit.

And to your prior question... yes I’ve been to a couple of Ivy League schools. I just didn’t graduate from one. I also did not apply to any after being advised by one of the most powerful presidents of a major company at the time... not to (unless my MBA would come from Harvard or Wharton, which were too far and too expensive for someone barely scrapping by, and raising a family). But my own personal academic journey to a dual post-graduate degree is pretty impressive in it’s own right, when adding the many challenges faced, in my opinion… thank you very much.

alejandro1977

Amerika wrote: »

Sorry, it took a little time. At first I had a hard time getting over the fact that you were able to get transcripts of George W. Bush’s grades. I guess he had nothing to hide, eh? I wonder why we can’t seem to get anything of Obama’s?

But that article, written by a person about what some other people have said, sure does put Barack Obama in a good academic light... I must admit.

And to your prior question... yes I’ve been to a couple of Ivy League schools. I just didn’t graduate from one. I also did not apply to any after being advised by one of the most powerful presidents of a major company at the time... not to (unless my MBA would come from Harvard or Wharton, which were too far and too expensive for someone barely scrapping by, and raising a family). But my own personal academic journey to a dual post-graduate degree is pretty impressive in it’s own right, when adding the many challenges faced, in my opinion… thank you very much.

Bush didn't release his records - no politicians do. They were leaked. Nothing to hide? :rolleyes: His results are poor - most people wouldn't get into HBS with those... Yale was notorious for giving "Gentleman's C" especially to "legacies"

For someone so keen to criticise Obama's academic record and snidely insinuate, repeatedly that got in to Columbia and HLS due to AA you are rather defensive about your own academics.

Nevertheless, fair play to you for continuing your studies while raising a family.

RichieC

As if it's not already clear that Palin is out for personal glory and cash, she's now Trade marked hers and her daughters names...

Trade marked their names!

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/06/21/sarah-palin-daughter-bristol-trademark-their-names/

RichieC

alejandro1977 wrote: »

Playing the race card is pretty lame. SO every black man who gets in has benefited from AA? You obviously haven't been to an Ivy League School or similar. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong,

It's safe to assume "Amerika" thinks highly of the black community and regards all their achievements as having been based on merit.

Amerika

You know, I was wondering when I mentioned “affirmative action,” if it was going to be the one thing in all my posts that would be gleamed on by the intellectually dishonest here. After a couple of responses, I was not disappointed.

I gave it a little time before responding. The fact is, Barack Obama alluded to it himself while president of the Harvard Law Review. I knew this before even posting it in this thread, and was wondering if anyone would bother to do a little research or just employ the regular ignorant personal attacks against anyone with a conservative slant. Surpirse Surpirse!

I must say, however, that as someone who has undoubtedly benefited from affirmative action programs during my academic career, and as someone who may have benefited from the Law Review's affirmative action policy when I was selected to join the Review last year, I have not personally felt stigmatized either within the broader law school community or as a staff member of the Review.

http://www.hlrecord.org/2.4475/record-retrospective-obama-on-affirmative-action-1.577511?pagereq=1

If in fact he was the beneficiary of affirmative action, why is he hiding it? He should be yelling it from the rooftops, as proof of the benefits by achievement of the highest level of success obtained by the policy. It pretty much would be vindication of its oft debated benefits and fairness.

I think if this is the case (if true), it is a success story that should be shared with the nation. The intellectually dishonest can continue to think through hate whatever they want.

alejandro1977

Amerika. Having attended a highly ranked grad school I know that it's easier for minorites to successfully apply. That goes for women, non traditional majors, veterans etc. What you won't admit is that the really top tier schools still have the absolute cream of the crop so it's a minor advantage. If you're a male Indian engineer applying to HBS it's next to impossible. A female Eskimo geologist might find it somewhat easier but she still has to be pretty damn smart. To graduate Cum Laude or Dean's list etc well that's obvious... or should be except to intellectually dishonest haters.

The fact that Ivy league grad programs are being discussed shows how Palin supporters have to drag Obama and pathetic accusations against him into every little argument when it's clear that no matter what, academically they aren't in the same league.

If you're looking for a black male lawyer who has benefitted from AA why not discuss Clarence Thomas, who unlike Obama was never elected to anything in his life but was handpicked to all appointments? Maybe you can tell us if you consider his appointment office to be legitimate? (to his credit his memoir is great, I recommend you read it)

Overheal

So as I expected, you are acting like a dick and not actually interested in a discussion. Because if you actually wanted to talk about his affirmative action, why not come out and simply say so? Why spend 2 days trolling the thread before making the point you were actually interested in making? It was painstakingly obvious you had something to say about his acceptance into Harvard and now you finally come out with it? Only after you had baited a few people right. You're trolling, you're not actually interested in the discourse.

Memnoch

Overheal wrote: »

So as I expected, you are acting like a dick and not actually interested in a discussion. Because if you actually wanted to talk about his affirmative action, why not come out and simply say so? Why spend 2 days trolling the thread before making the point you were actually interested in making? It was painstakingly obvious you had something to say about his acceptance into Harvard and now you finally come out with it? Only after you had baited a few people right. You're trolling, you're not actually interested in the discourse.

The level of bias with which his posts appear to broach any discussion suggests that discourse, is the last thing on his mind. I'm not sure why he posts on these forums to be honest, where his views would be considered extremist by the vast majority and where he considers the majority of posters to be 'intellectually dishonest, emotionally exhausted and morally bankrupt.'