As you know, all we heard about was how bright this guy is. I kept wondering: where’s the evidence of that, beyond a flair for oratory, which I discount as a combination of performance, script and setting.

(Want to test it? Just skip The One’s next TV speech and read only the text. I found nothing but stupid, juvenile, re-tread liberal nonsense, topped with false premise and half-truths.)

Too, his grasp of history, especially American, is nebulous. Someone friendly should really give him an intense survey course. Someone less friendly should write an essay about his mis-statements and re-workings of historical events.

Also, I too am weary of the whole “constitution scholar” reputation. Again, all evidence to the contrary: scholars write. So where’s the goods?

Last, this “Pres of Harvard Review” thing is over-rated, I think. I remember a radio interview with a woman who had served on the review at the same time as The One. As I recall, her opinion was the Pres position is more a ceremonial, PR-type role, while the Editor of the Review has the real power and is the real star role. Take that for what it’s worth.

So, I think the MSM marketed The One as hip, cool, and really, really smart, and it fooled a lot of people. I’m usually not very prescient at all, but I never bought it. He ain’t that smart, and not nearly as smart as people think he is.

I nevertheless would not underestimate him. I consider him dangerous. He’s ruthless, arrogant, narcissistic, elitist, and drunk with power. He has shown his true lack of character quite a few times now, most notably with this Gates business.

I’ll tell you one lesson I learned from this Gates mess that no pundit’s discussed yet, to my knowledge: I never concerned myself with the color of his skin, or the class from which he came, until now. Now it matters greatly. I think 100 years from now our historians will point to the Gates affair as the beginning of the end.

That wasn’t a smart move at all, but again, I don’t think he’s that smart a guy.

Bill

Since coining new terms came up, I would suggest “negrode”. A diode is an electrical component that allows the flow of current in one direction only. Since some lefties imply that racism can only flow from white to black, and never the opposite, I would suggest that the esteemed professor Gates would in fact be a negrode, in that his internal brain wiring does indeed reverse the flow of racism to the white arresting officer who himself acted in a non-racial manner.

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I understand where you’re coming from, but being in that demographic myself, I just want to assure you that some of us, at least, are on your side.

I know, Jamie and I appreciate it.

Please, everyone, please! You’re destroying [Obama's] presidency!

LOL

I won’t call you crazy or stoopid because your speculation has the merit of optimism. But, if Obama does learn from these past six months it will be the most remarkable transformation in American history.

The real question is whether Obama has the intellectual and moral wherewithal to affect such a metamorphosis. Christopher Hitchens famously endorsed The One as teachable on the subject of jihadist Islam and the necessity to defeat it by force of arms. There’s reason to think Hitch was right in his assessment – notice that Obama has quietly adopted many of the hated Bushitler’s means and methods, much to the consternation of the Left. My leftish friends never bring up the war subject anymore (heh!). I suspect Campaign Obama was never sincere about Iraq; his rhetoric was intended to cement his Left base which might have dissipated if Lord Zero was found guilty of blatant pragmatism.
Obama’s moral fiber is rather wispy and frayed at the ends. He sought power and said what he needed to say to get it regardless of the truth. Now that he has power he’s quick to take personal credit for successes (“I won.”) and just as quick to foist the blame on others when things don’t go smoothly. This kind of avoidance of responsibility is typical of childhood, and we expect adult notions of responsibility will develop in due course. But for a 46 year old man to engage in such puerile blame shifting as we’ve seen in the last 48 hours over the Gates/Crowley matter (Can we call Gatesgate? Can we, huh? Can we?!) Well, let’s just say it doesn’t bode well for the transformation process.
Now to the matter of Obama’s brain. During the campaign the MSM constantly beat the Smart Obama drum with a frenetic urgency and assurance that was positively North Korean in scope (Matthews and Oblermann were and remain particularly egregious mountebanks of Smart Obama propaganda). The problem is the evidence offered. Obama’s Harvard educated, therefore Smart. Idiot Bushilter is also Harvard educated – oops! Never mind, Obama was President of the Law Review! Then why wasn’t he recruited by a major national law firm for a six-figure starting salary and prospects of partnership, or snatched up an appellate judge in need of a talented clerk – the usual fortunes of a member of the Law Review upon matriculation. Where are his brilliantly argued papers, his subtle and devastating courtroom briefs, his landmark cases won against the odds? OK, forget the resume. Obama gives a good speech, therefore Smart! But Obama misuses words (invoke for evoke) mispronounces (Oh-REE-on for Orion) commits errors of fact just like Moronic Idiot Evil Bushitler the Worst President Evah!

Thus we are led to conclude that either Obama isn’t nearly as smart or Bush isn’t nearly as stupid as the Shapers of Opinion would have us poor benighted schmucks in Flyoverland believe. My ill-informed and inconsequential assessment is that Barack Obama is a man of good intelligence who through a confluence of circumstances and a conspiracy of corrupt media mavens has been promoted considerably beyond his competence, an inherent risk of the affirmative action culture that has dominated the Academy for the last 45 years — a risk that has finally bitten us in the collective ass.

No, probably not.

…and I blame the baby boom / Vietnam / hippie generation for being in power (now as 50 and 60 year olds) and letting all of their own worst, most narcissistic, anti-common-sense and insane impulses run unchecked…

I understand where you’re coming from, but being in that demographic myself, I just want to assure you that some of us, at least, are on your side.

Jamie Irons

When the term RACISM or RACIST is used, it is implied it can ONLY be WHITE on MINORITY (usually black).

In order to capture the true nature of recent events, I suggest introducing TWO NEW TERMS to our vocabulary.

One of the new terms is BLACK RACIST.

This is where privileges are granted to one race and not to another. And, the “privileged” race uses this to their advantage over the other, including BLAME.

For example, President OBAMA criticized the cop and defended Gates without knowing FACTS. The president further suggested ALL (white) Cops are prejudiced.

The type of RACISM exhibited by SENATOR BOXER towards Harry Alford during Climate Change hearings is defined as LIBERAL RACISM.

That is, a liberal holds condescending views of another race WHICH HOLDS DIFFERING POLITICAL VIEWS.

There, you have it – Black Racism, Liberal Racism.

There could be similar categories, but they are not to be confused with plain old Racism.

Personally, I hope someone in the audience coughed “blowjob”. Or at least thought it. Not likely, I know.

Anyone? Senator Blutarsky? Anyone?

See? Totally consistent.