Brains Are Back!

I totally agree that we are way over due for secular and pragmatic thought in the white house. George W even managed to give "C" average students a bad rep. 3 things in this world frighten me the most. That's an Engineer, a Doctor or a President that depend too much on prayer. Bad things can happen in big numbers.

My, aren't we full of ourselves! (collectively, I suppose...)

Despite his cautionary comments, the author is celebrating way too soon.

As an independent, I voted for Mr. Obama after previously voting for Mr. Bush, so I'm not speaking from ideology. I am seeking a government that will actually WORK for a change!

Mr. Bush failed as a leader due to incompetence, not due to his personal beliefs. Equating religous faith with ignorance or stupidity is just another form of predjudice.

Mr. Bush stayed in office after 2004, despite his obvious failings up to that point, because the Democrats failed to come up with anybody who looked convincingly better to the electorate. It should not have been all that hard to unseat him, and yet the Democrats couldn't produce a credible leader. Even with renewed Democratic strength in Congress since 2006 they have not made much progress.

I am hoping and praying that Mr. Obama really will have the transformational presidency that the pundits are predicting, that he will surpass the mediocre performance of most other Democrats (or Republicans, for that matter). Right now his appeal is of the same qualtiy as Ronald Reagan's in 1980: he speaks well and presents a consistent message of hope. I will be very happy if he succeeds in turning that appeal into true progress for our country. If that happens, and whether it comes as the result of intellectualism or hard work or just plain good luck, remains to be seen.

http://connedwhites.blogspot.com/2008/11/white-obama-voters-conned-in-gramscian.html

Religious conservatism is a form of natural selection.

BRAVO! I am a 58 year old, white American. And, for the last few years, I have been ashamed of our foreign policy. Barack Obama is a breath of fresh air. Even with his lack of experience,, surrounding himself with the experienced, will negate that problem. I am literally, excited, to have him take office. Sure, he'll make mistakes. We all do. But, I believe, he will prevail, in the end.

2gofer: Interesting post. You're right; it will be fascinating to watch Obama's development. A question, though: In what way has Bush "effectively led us through [sic] a extremely challanging eight years doing what was needed for the nations interests?" (Actually, y'know what? Just assume an all-inclusive [sic] over all of that mess for brevity's sake, okay?) Just by being president? You've got me stumped - What did he ever do to lead anyone, forget for the moment about "effectively?"

And lancegutzman, I'm sorry, but railing against intellectualism as perceived "code" for liberalism is both insulting to thinking conservatives and... Well, kind of pitiful.

Nobody else is going to say it? Okay, fine, I will. I know that this whole "stupid and uneducated is the new chic" thing made a lot of people feel better about their own shortcomings, but that train has (finally!) left the station. I can't for the life of me understand how it ever became acceptable to say that being uninformed, thoughtless and vapid was somehow proof of one's "real American" credentials. How the rest of the world must have laughed at us as we paraded these idiots about while they shouted from the rooftops that to be a "real American" one had to be either incapable or uninterested in intellectual examination of trivial things like, say, evidentiary facts and administrative policies!

Thank heaven that a majority of voices have finally taken up the shout that it is no longer cool, acceptable, or ???really American??? to think idiocy = authenticity, or scholarly disinterest = awesome.

Amen!

It's been a long time since I have read such a petty, mean spirited column. For a person who would claim that he admires intellectual curiosity, "brains" and inclusiveness, it is a shame none of that can be found in your writing. "A 72 year old cancer victim"? Based upon your photo, one might as well describe you as someone who cannot grow a decent beard. Surely, you can do better than this. I think it was Lincoln who said "it is better to be quiet and let people think you are stupid, than to speak and remove all doubt."

Wow, what a partisan ass. All this article says is "I don't like Bush and I like Obama better." We get it. There are more mature ways to go about it than saying "stupidity is out", though.

The Republican party has painted itself into a corner were the only support they have is from the evil CEO overlords and the mindless ignorant trailer-park hoards that serve them without thinking.

As for religion - religion stops a thinking mind. Or as our American forefathers said: "Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise, every expanded prospect."
-James Madison, letter to William Bradford, April 1, 1774

Comment: Prairie Pranskter: You may be intelligent but you're as naive and gullible as the group of "intellectual" Democrats I chronicled below. You vote against a party while ignoring what you're voting FOR, which is, an unvetted, slick talking snake oil salesman who offered nothing new, has an inexcusable assortment of anti-American associations throughout his entire life (oh yeah...that's just a "coincidence") My point was not to "offer" you anything, I'm sorry to disappoint. My point was to illustrate the lunacy of this article's premise.

I find it both slightly amusing and slightly disturbing of the bitterness of Democrats of the last 8 yrs. They love nothing more than to "stick it" to the Republicans. I think that in 4 yrs we will find that Obama is not the next "Messiah" nor will he be as terrible as many of the Republicans fear. Hopefully we can all come together under one direction and make this world a better place. I also believe that the "intellects" will find that discussing with terrorists and outlaw govt's will not get them as far as they hope. I also hope I'm wrong about this, but I fear I will not be.

Intellectualism != knee-jerk, relativist, liberalism.

I admire President-elect Obama's intellect, but what really elevates a leader is BOTH brains and judgment.

Jimmy Carter is one of the most intelligent people to be President, but he was not a very good leader as President.

I hope Obama is a better leader than Carter or G.W. Bush was.

I am a 51 year old white male, with a BS in accounting, certified project manager, certified on microsoft, sun and cisco products. I voted for Obama becuase I no longer believed that the Republican party represented good government. I also found the attack ads on Obama had the opposite effect on me, the more McCain and the 527 allies of McCain attacks ads I saw, the more it convinced me that McCain had nothing to offer but fear and loathing. Reading comments by Joe Falcone and his ilk only reinforces the notion that the best man won. Thanks, Joe for showing us that you have nothing to offer. Have a great day stewing in it!