THE BIG IDEA

The Brilliant Brain Trust

Obama should give greater weight to intellectual acumen and subject-specific knowledge than recent predecessors have.

By Jacob Weisberg | NEWSWEEK
Published Nov 15, 2008
From the magazine issue dated Nov 24, 2008

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  • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 11/18/2008 3:18:20 PM

    40YearR- you are missed and needed on the blogs. Do come back.

  • Posted By: eddiewhere @ 11/18/2008 2:35:37 AM

    it s me eddiewhere. I am back. Do you remember your articles on Obama when he ran against Hillary.
    Your analysis was wrong. Your bias articles are based on a common natural phenomenon emotions.
    All women let emotions influence their decision making "much more" than men. For example you predicted all
    the Hillary voters would have gone to McCain.

  • Posted By: eddiewhere @ 11/18/2008 2:34:56 AM

    You refused to believe that Hillary could be defeated. Even after Obama won you could not except it.
    defeat. You made comments like someone has to show Him how it's done in this town. I guess you forgot Obama is not the outsider you think he his.
    He has been friends with some of the most well connected idividuals in D.C for a long time and he has been living in D.C for
    the last four years. I know you are intelligent but your emotions have blinded you from the facts.
    Do you know UFO exists and that the Clintons were kept in the dark.

  • Posted By: eddiewhere @ 11/18/2008 2:33:27 AM

    Obama knew all about government secret agencies and the exsistence of UFO's before he became President. There are very few people in
    Government that have access to the world's knowledge. It is shared amongst an elite few and they are very
    secretive. When Truman was informed that UFO's were discovered a special part of the military was asked to analyze the material that was found.
    This military hired top scientists who were sworn to secrecy. Over time these technologies were adopted by
    defense contractors and slowly released to the public. The people who run these entities work in conjuction
    with the CIA. Only people at the top of these agencies know whats going on. Knowledge is power and "Power is knowledge"(eddiwhere 08). If the public
    had access to even a fraction of this knowlege these elites have, then there would be a panic. UFO's is just the tip of the iceberg. The President represents these
    elites and this is why they help protect this knowlege. It is like if someone discovered the original arc of the covenant and the original ten commandments.
    For example Muhammed was not visited by GOD but rather SATAN. Muhammed confused Satan for GOD. IF he thought GOD WAS SATAN then he would not follow his
    will. Think about it. The devil is very cunninPart of Evil is deception. If God had passed his message on to Humans. Would Satan not do the same. It is very difficult for
    humans to think like this. Muhammed thought God was telling him to conquer the earth until everyone became a Muslim and recognized there was only one GOD ALLAH.
    Satan is very powerful and very cunning. TOday we have people committing suicide in the name of ISLAM. THAT is what Satan intended to do. THis is his way of fighting
    GOD. ANd he did it in a genius way. He disguised himself like GOD and used Muhammed as his conduit.
    Muhammed confused Satan for GOD. IF he thought GOD WAS SATAN then he would not follow his will. Think about it.

    This is why MUHAMMED was so successful because he really believed he was carrying out the will of GOd and justified murder in his name.
    IF you read about Muhammed's life you will see that what I am stating is backed by facts.

    IT is hard for us humans to think outside of our '"domain" because we have been indoctrinated to think a certain way until knowledge hits us.
    Here is another example. If you bend space you can cross dimensions and therefore can literally step from one world to another without any time going by.

  • Posted By: greatmidwest @ 11/18/2008 2:06:17 AM

    The problem is there are too many "faux expert talking heads" appearing on cable tv, and walking the halls of the White House & Congress who just don't understand the complexities of the US and global economy and such. These people just talk to hear themselves speak and really have very little credibility with regards to the subject matter. Case in point Rush Limbaugh. And it's not just limited to the subject of economics. It could be with regards to our nation's civil rights, foreign policy, health care, education, renewable energy, and the global environment .

    I laughed the other day when I heard one "faux expert talking head", Ben Stein, blabbering on CNN's Larry King Live about how Treasury Sec. Henry Paulson didn't have a grasp of the current US economic problems, though didn't quite admit that he, too, has been wrong on many occasions.

    ***CHECK OUT YOU TUBE: PETER SCHIFF WAS RIGHT IN 2006-2007*** In the clips it shows all these "faux expert talking heads" disagreeing with the President of Euro Pacific Capital, Peter Schiff, who actually knows about the subject matter he speaks about......Americans can no longer afford to listen to "cable experts" who don't have their facts straight about finance, law, and foreign policy. A mind is such a terrible thing to waste! God Bless America.

  • Posted By: Butterflies @ 11/16/2008 11:35:22 PM

    OBAMA REAALY NEEDS BRILLIANT PEOPLE AROUND HIM. HERE'S WHY:
    1) Obama is a memorizer (like most lawyers) who regurgitates thoughts created by others. Real smart people dont go into politics.
    2) Obama needs smart people to hide Democratic oversiight of Fannie Mae/Feddie Mac over the last two years from the general public. Democratically created frankenstein Fannie/Freddie is the main reason for the credit crisis that is turning a normal economic down-turn into a cluster F. Dobbs and that disgusting, homesexual slob Barney Franks should be haled in front of the people's court and exposed, at best, as totally incompetent.
    3) Obama needs smart people to tell him that the auto industry has been tanking slowly for years because of uncontrolled, grubby, union greed. $60,000 to tun a lugnut? But Obama is in bed with the unions (for 80 million votes) so GM will get money.
    4) Obama needs smart people sit on the tards he has has already posted (dead fish mailers, and Hillary for Secrestary of State? Are you kidding me - a Joseph Gobbles type and another laywer memorizor. - they dont make horror movies like this anymore.
    5) Obama needs smart people to tell him that FDR single-handedly converted a recession into a full-fledge depression by just increasing the tax on the top 5% of wage earners in 1934-35. The free economy runs the economy - not the Feds - whether the Feds like it or not.
    6) Obama needs smart people to tell him that if everyone (including illegals) get health care, then the system will overload and bog down. The Democratic plan is to get healthy young to pay the entire bill and kill off the old people who are stuck witth a beauarcratic slob telling them what underspecialized hospital to die at.
    7) Obama needs smart people to tell him that anbody who thinks that the USA wouldnt be fighting Iraq again in the near future is a compete moron. In 10 short years after the first Iraq war (and 10 years of violating UN sanctions) Irag recoverd over to over 100% power. Bush at least moved the front lines 5000 miles east of New York City, took down Hussain and killed THOUSAND OF TERORORIST.
    8) Obama need smart people to tell him that he aint that smart. Never before have I read seemingly endless articles coaching Obama on what he should do, least he make a mistake. I was agast by an article stating that even though Obama did not attend the G2 sumit he was there in spirtit as some omnipresent god-ghost. What a load of BS

    • Posted By: LibertarianForObama @ 11/18/2008 1:16:18 AM

      Too bad Bush didn???t have smart people around him then someone could have informed him that::
      1. Gross deregulation has always led to economic ruin.
      2. Using a national tragedy in order to pass draconian legislation is shameless and highly inappropriate.
      3. Abandoning the war with the perpetrators of an attack on our soil in order to start a harebrained boondoggle with a nation that had nothing to do with it for oil is disreputable.
      4. Starting a war without an exit strategy isn???t wise.
      5. Starting a war under false pretenses is unscrupulous and extremely bad for foreign relations.
      6. Unilaterally starting a war and occupying a sovereign nation long beyond the discovery of the false pretenses looks despotic.
      7. Thumbing your nose to the world and continuing this war looks (and is) arrogant.
      8. Continuing to spend $10 billion a month in order to keep this war going amid an economic crisis is just plain stupid.

      I could go on, though I believe my point is clear???.

    • Posted By: elvischannel @ 11/17/2008 12:28:11 AM

      Learn to spell and capitalize correctly.

      • Posted By: smith5395 @ 11/17/2008 9:10:32 AM

        Who cares abut the spelling and capitalization. The truth hurts those "blinded by media bias liberals". And now we learn that Obommer knows how to fix College Football ... With that breadth of omnitience, who needs any body around him!!!

  • Posted By: tscar12 @ 11/16/2008 5:25:39 PM

    Did a brainy cabinet stop the Bay of Pigs, lead to failure in the 1st meeting between JFK and Khrushchev, stop the Cuban missile crisis, stop Operation Mongoose initiated by Kennedy and his brainy cabinet stop the build-up of U.S. troops from 200 advisors to 16,000 Green Beret soldiers disguise as advisors or the overthrow and assignation of Diem? Brains without common sense and ties to special interest groups = Stupidity which is how Obama cabinet will look but then after 8 years we should be use to stupidity.

    • Posted By: LibertarianForObama @ 11/18/2008 1:15:05 AM

      Spin all you like, though we have already suffered through 8 years of a no brain cabinet.... I think having a "brainy cabinet" for the first tiem in nearly 50 years will be an improvement.....

  • Posted By: smith5395 @ 11/16/2008 5:05:08 PM

    Anybody who selects Joe Biden as his VP running mate is not interested in being around smart people.

    • Posted By: gusdicksin @ 11/16/2008 6:38:11 PM

      No one seriously interested in politics would call Joe Biden either stupid or a policy lightweight. You may not like him, you may disagree with him, but he is not a stupid person.

      • Posted By: smith5395 @ 11/16/2008 6:54:31 PM

        How many misstatements or lies did Biden make in his debate with Palin? Someone counted 17. He makes things up as he goes along! How many other people had to drop out of a presidential campaign because of his plagairism? Who else would be so arrogant as to state that he "has forgotten more than most of his senate colleagues ever knew about foreign relations?" We should be very afraid of this administration. Very, very afraid.

        • Posted By: Forty4 @ 11/17/2008 9:44:57 AM

          Everyone new about the many screw ups Biden made in the debates and other appearances, but the MSM eased on by like they never happened. Funny though, they hammered the hell out of Palin for every mistake she made.

          • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 11/17/2008 11:07:14 AM

            What many screw ups? A couple of gaffes perhaps that's all. Biden is an excellent speaker..he proved that in the debate with Sarah Palin.....hmmmm.........but.....let's not get into that unless we want your BP to rise...I don't want to do that to you....cause I'm so................... sweet.

            • Posted By: Forty4 @ 11/17/2008 6:49:43 PM

              Well.... 17 to be exact, but the MSM let him slide on it, which would've been okay if they would've done the same thing with Palin. Anyway, it's over, and we all want the new administration to do well.

              And no, we don't want to get my bp up. And yes, you are very, very, sweet!

              • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 11/17/2008 10:40:00 PM

                Biden, 17? Huh...NO. As for Sarah Palin, she is not very knowledgeable in politics that's all...she's led a sheltered life in the Alaskan Political World if there is such a thing in Alaska. As for the MSM, I agree thay have been hard on her..time to leave the woman alone.

                Thanks. Is very sweet a good thing..or a liability?

          • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 11/17/2008 11:25:17 AM

            Almost forgot..another one to start the day with..losers the BP too.

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-JaI4tg4EE

            • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 11/17/2008 11:26:42 AM

              Sorry, I meant "lowers" the BP and sorry for the multiple posts...had problem posting for a few minutes.

    • Posted By: dmspeech @ 11/16/2008 7:27:02 PM

      Hannity and Limbaugh are calling with your new talking points. These points have expired

  • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 11/17/2008 4:09:04 PM

    Forty4-I replied to your comments about Joe Biden, down below.. thanks.

  • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 11/17/2008 11:23:19 AM

    Forty4-Here's another goodie to start the day with-

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-JaI4tg4EE

    • Posted By: Forty4 @ 11/17/2008 3:46:46 PM

      Great song.... I haven't heard that one in years. Thanks!

      Btw, I agree with the title, and you?

      • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 11/17/2008 4:01:08 PM

        Hey there! Glad you enjoyed it..discovered this one last summer at a party...I had heard BF's music before though. Good to dance to anytime. Yes, I agree about the title.

    • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 11/17/2008 11:32:58 AM

      Sorry for the multiple....my posts are not going through.

      • Posted By: Forty4 @ 11/17/2008 3:48:47 PM

        Somthing's up with a tech issue here at NW. I had trouble posting last night and this morning too. Only about half of mine went through.

        • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 11/17/2008 3:59:14 PM

          Hi! I've had problems posting all afternoon.

  • Posted By: Lee Holmes @ 11/17/2008 1:47:41 PM

    Well Jake,I guess your last four words leave you out for any cursory consideration at least.

  • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 11/17/2008 11:20:02 AM

    Forty4-check this out.. a fave...another good one to start the day with.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-JaI4tg4EE

  • Posted By: bighappy @ 11/16/2008 2:45:56 PM

    Kerry for State??? Becides his liberal views (so likeable by Al Qaida, Chaves and France) he is terrible diplomat (remember his "lesbian" comment which probably cot him 2004 elections>)..
    Hillary is OK, but she will never agree.

    • Posted By: dmspeech @ 11/16/2008 7:29:53 PM

      What lesbian comment did he make? You may be thinking of Edwards. Anyway, liberalism is what allows you to post your thoughts and allows Fox News to be on the air. Liberalism is the root of almost all your freedoms. So, next time you see a liberal, thank them

      • Posted By: Forty4 @ 11/17/2008 8:41:35 AM

        Thank a liberal for our freedoms, including freedom of speech? You are joking, right? LOL! That's provided by the first amendment, not by "liberals."

        If you truly want to thank someone for your freedoms, try thanking those who have fought and died to protect your right to have them.

      • Posted By: Pia1981 @ 11/16/2008 8:10:29 PM

        Excellent!

        • Posted By: RavenRaving @ 11/17/2008 5:31:46 AM

          Kerry commented that even a gay-bashing hate-filled bag like Cheney loved his lesbian daughter. Kerry was saying gays deserved equal rights, but the media took the comment and portrayed it as a Cheney-bashing comment. But it was the media, so hey, what did we expect?

        • Posted By: NORTH CAROLINA REGISTERED INDEPENDENT @ 11/16/2008 9:21:08 PM

          I agree regarding liberals. Also, why do so many Americans seem to dislike intelligent people? Heaven knows we can see for ourselves what having a "good old boy" and someone that we all could "have a beer with" has done for the country.

  • Posted By: clikdawg @ 11/17/2008 6:43:00 AM

    Rough translation: Get ready for yet another bunch of insufferably arrogant *** who won't listen to anybody because they already have all the answers, and who are you to question their undoubted superior wisdom?

  • Posted By: Rocky2001 @ 11/17/2008 6:41:03 AM

    I'm busy! Sorry Barry....LOL!!

  • Posted By: Kid Various @ 11/17/2008 5:33:33 AM

    http://groktheidiom.blogspot.com/2008/11/beware-rule-of-experts.html

    Written by an elitist journalist directly for an elitist audience. Nice job on the psychoanalysis on President Bush. The Kid is guessing that the journalism degree now requires 60 credits in cognitive and behavioral psychology these days...

    It's not that being an intellectual is a negative thing. It's good to be smart and have smart people around (although "smart" is not synonymous with "intellectual") It's simply that intellectuals value intellectualism to the exclusion of everything else. And that's dangerous.

    It becomes the paramount value. Presidential Administrations are judged, as Weisberg judges the Bush Administration, solely by that value. If you are not an intellectual, you are not deserving of a position of power. Go back to your cave and let us smart people figure it out.

  • Posted By: Kid Various @ 11/17/2008 3:47:46 AM

    http://groktheidiom.blogspot.com/2008/11/beware-rule-of-experts.html

    Written by an elitist journalist directly for an elitist audience. Nice job on the psychoanalysis on President Bush. The Kid is guessing that the journalism degree now requires 60 credits in cognitive and behavioral psychology these days...

    It's not that being an intellectual is a negative thing. It's good to be smart and have smart people around (although "smart" is not synonymous with "intellectual") It's simply that intellectuals value intellectualism to the exclusion of everything else. And that's dangerous.

    It becomes the paramount value. Presidential Administrations are judged, as Weisberg judges the Bush Administration, solely by that value. If you are not an intellectual, you are not deserving of a position of power. Go back to your cave and let us smart people figure it out.

  • Posted By: smellmyfinger @ 11/17/2008 1:31:53 AM

    Is this seriously the "Big Idea"? Essentially not to hire a bunch of religious zealots or dumbshits like Bush did?

    I've got another one. How about Obama not adopt the manner and speech of an anoxic red neck so he can bond with the morons who make up most of the citizens of this Great Nation (patent pending)?

    • Posted By: meneither123 @ 11/17/2008 3:26:04 AM

      DR FREDRIC SCHIFFER, PSYCHIATRIST

  • Posted By: rrdalton @ 11/16/2008 9:53:18 PM

    "If he really wants to bring chango Washington, the new president can start by putting a sign in his window: NO HACKS NEED APPLY."
    So, I take it you won;t be seeking employment in the new administration , Jacob

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