The Senator Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 A portrait in underachievingmentation. Yes, but "W"'s underachievingmentation pales in comparison to Harvard's Buffoono Numero Uno, Ted Kennedy... Kennedy earned C grades at the private Milton Academy, but was admitted to Harvard as a "legacy" -- his father and older brothers had attended there, so the younger and dimmer Kennedy's admission was virtually assured. While attending, he was expelled twice, once for cheating on a test, and once for paying a classmate to cheat for him. While expelled, Kennedy enlisted in the Army, but mistakenly signed up for four years instead of two. His father, Joseph P. Kennedy, former U.S. Ambassador to England, pulled the necessary strings to have his enlistment shortened to two years, and to ensure that he served in Europe, not Korea, where a war was raging. Kennedy was assigned to Paris, never advanced beyond the rank of Private, and returned to Harvard upon being discharged. While attending law school at the University of Virginia, he was cited for reckless driving four times, including once when he was clocked driving 90 miles per hour in a residential neighborhood with his headlights off after dark. Yet his Virginia driver's license was never revoked. Link Yes indeed, Harvard folks are smart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Yes, but "W"'s underachievingmentation pales in comparison to Harvard's Buffoono Numero Uno, Ted Kennedy... Link Yes indeed, Harvard folks are smart. But that misses the point. That point being: who gives a !@#$? I never thought I'd see an "issue" that was stupider than Kerry's "Three Purple Hearts" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevbeau Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 ... but there's still (and i know a couple of them) some guys coming from the middle classes who work their way to the top schools... Hence my ambition reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X. Benedict Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 But that misses the point. That point being: who gives a !@#$? I never thought I'd see an "issue" that was stupider than Kerry's "Three Purple Hearts" Your expectations were too high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Your expectations were too high. Obviously. Abe Lincoln had eighteen months formal schooling. Total. By the standards of this thread, he's not qualified for anything. And people are okay with that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Adams Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Keep denying that Palin's academic history is at best shockingly mediocre, I love it. Just accept that your candidate chose a running mate who couldn't hack it at not one but two two-year vocational colleges. No wonder she is refusing to give any interviews! Not "my" candidate Ahab. I could care less about someone's academic history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Ahhh that sage Calvin Coolidge. By anyone's definition not just the man on the century, but the man of the Millenium! Actually, Coolidge, while intensely remote and inaccessible, was extremely popular - and, apparently quite the wit. My favorite Coolidge story... "Coolidge was known for his terse speech and reticence. A woman bet her friend that she could get Coolidge to speak to her, which was something he was reluctant to do. She went up to him and said: "Hello, Mr. President, I bet my friend that I could get you to say three words to me." "You lose," Coolidge replied dryly, and walked away." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Abe Lincoln had eighteen months formal schooling. Total. By the standards of this thread, he's not qualified for anything. Of course he wasn't qualified - he was a damned Republican! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I worked at Stanford for two years in the 1990s and the undergraduate education was not good then. It has been changed, but you could drop a class in the last week and take a class over and over and the final grade would be the one that showed, not that you took it multiple times. It really lowered my view of a Stanford undergrad degree. The graduate and medical schools (where I worked) are top notch though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 All I know is that if I were asked the question, "Which of these two people would you think were vastly more intelligent?", or "Which of these two people would you trust being the leader of the free world?" or "Which of these two people would you trust with the nation's economy or dealing with world leaders in a crisis"... Candidate A: In six years at , Matanuska-Susitna College, Hawaii Pacific University, North Idaho College, and finally the University of Idaho (twice), graduating with a BA in journalism. Candidate B: In six years at Occidental, Columbia (graduating with a Poli-Sci degree) and finally at Harvard Law School magna cum laude and President of the Law Review" I would take Candidate B 1000 out of 1000 times. Granted, Candidate A could turn out to be smarter, or a better President, and the schooling says nothing of street smarts or common sense. But if that's all I know about them, I would trust that Candidate B would be a helluva lot smarter and more prepared. You may think differently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molson_golden2002 Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Obviously. Abe Lincoln had eighteen months formal schooling. Total. By the standards of this thread, he's not qualified for anything. And people are okay with that? Do you think if this thread existed back in 1860 Lincoln might have lost to Douglas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 All I know is that if I were asked the question, "Which of these two people would you think were vastly more intelligent?", or "Which of these two people would you trust being the leader of the free world?" or "Which of these two people would you trust with the nation's economy or dealing with world leaders in a crisis"... Candidate A: In six years at , Matanuska-Susitna College, Hawaii Pacific University, North Idaho College, and finally the University of Idaho (twice), graduating with a BA in journalism. Candidate B: In six years at Occidental, Columbia (graduating with a Poli-Sci degree) and finally at Harvard Law School magna cum laude and President of the Law Review" I would take Candidate B 1000 out of 1000 times. Granted, Candidate A could turn out to be smarter, or a better President, and the schooling says nothing of street smarts or common sense. But if that's all I know about them, I would trust that Candidate B would be a helluva lot smarter and more prepared. You may think differently. Once again ignoring the fact that Obama isn't running against Palin, he's running against McCain. That's probably part of the reason they picked Palin: make the race less about McCain, and more about Palin (and let's face it...if the Vice Presidency survived Dan Quayle, how important a position can it be?), and encourage the Democrats to run Obama against her rather than McCain. The Democratic leadership seems to be buying into it, which can't be of any benefit to Obama. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Do you think if this thread existed back in 1860 Lincoln might have lost to Douglas? In as much as this thread determines presidential elections? Let's just say that, if this culture existed back in 1960, Lincoln might have lost. It really is comparing apples and oranges: the issues that faced voters in 1860 centered largely around states' right, rather than issues of individual rights we see today. But all I'll commit to HERE is that Lincoln today would be judged extremely harshly by many of the posters in this thread who no doubt judge him otherwise in a historical light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisheralum Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 It took me six years, at MCC, Geneseo, and St. John Fisher. I switched majors several times. To help pay my way, I often had to work 20-30 hours a week, at various jobs. I always seemed to end up back in the Deli at Star Market. In two of those years I played sports, which was time consuming and physically very demanding. It wasn't easy for me. But I was determined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Once again ignoring the fact that Obama isn't running against Palin, he's running against McCain. That's probably part of the reason they picked Palin: make the race less about McCain, and more about Palin (and let's face it...if the Vice Presidency survived Dan Quayle, how important a position can it be?), and encourage the Democrats to run Obama against her rather than McCain. The Democratic leadership seems to be buying into it, which can't be of any benefit to Obama. Actually, DC, I'm wondering if there wasn't a subtle brilliance in pickling Palin to hi-lite Obama's own inexperience - how the hell ya gonna attack Palin's career as councilwoman, mayor, and governor, when - at the TOP of your own ticket - all ya got is THIS... Political Experience:(2005–) Junior Senator from Illinois. Working directly under Senior Senator Richard Durbin himself, duties included fact-checking and copyediting the 2006 highway appropriations amendment bill. Member, Illinois State Senate (1997-2004) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Once again ignoring the fact that Obama isn't running against Palin, he's running against McCain. That's probably part of the reason they picked Palin: make the race less about McCain, and more about Palin (and let's face it...if the Vice Presidency survived Dan Quayle, how important a position can it be?), and encourage the Democrats to run Obama against her rather than McCain. The Democratic leadership seems to be buying into it, which can't be of any benefit to Obama. I'm only replying to this thread. If anyone wants to substitute candidate A's academic record with being on the very bottom of the class at the Naval Academy versus Candidate B at Occidental, Columbia and Harvard, go ahead. Of course, if you just looked at Candidate A and Candidate B's military record, 1000 out of 1000 times, one would take Candidate A, McCain, over Candidate B, Obama (if you knew nothing about them) when it came to questions of foreign policy. If the question was on economics, I would still take Candidate B 100% of the time. Frankly, I am sick of stupid people in the White House. To the thesis of your post, I agree with you, and so far from what I have seen today, the left is already off the Palin comparisons and making this about Obama versus McCain. They had to answer the Palin questions when all the media was focused on her. Now that it shifted to McCain's speech, they are avoiding her. And wisely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pBills Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Actually, DC, I'm wondering if there wasn't a subtle brilliance in pickling Palin to hi-lite Obama's own inexperience - how the hell ya gonna attack Palin's career as councilwoman, mayor, and governor, when - at the TOP of your own ticket - all ya got is THIS... If that's the case then they poke at McCain's experience as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Actually, DC, I'm wondering if there wasn't a subtle brilliance in pickling Palin to hi-lite Obama's own inexperience - how the hell ya gonna attack Palin's career as councilwoman, mayor, and governor, when - at the TOP of your own ticket - all ya got is THIS... I'm sure there's a way. I'm sure I could find it, given not too much time (I'm just not in to looking at it right now). You know what would be interesting, though? Creating resumes for each of the candidates. Have some of the more honest and objective Democrats and Republicans (i.e. not foaming-at-the-mouth morons like JK2000) on the board create honest resumes for the Republican and Democratic candidates (respectively...have each look in to the other party's candidates) and see what we come up with. Would be an interesting exercise. Would also be a completely futile pursuit in this cesspool of a forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsNYC Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 It took me six years, at MCC, Geneseo, and St. John Fisher. I switched majors several times. To help pay my way, I often had to work 20-30 hours a week, at various jobs. I always seemed to end up back in the Deli at Star Market. In two of those years I played sports, which was time consuming and physically very demanding. It wasn't easy for me. But I was determined. Exactly, attacking her for this will only make Dems look elitist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Adams Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 It took me six years, at MCC, Geneseo, and St. John Fisher. I switched majors several times. To help pay my way, I often had to work 20-30 hours a week, at various jobs. I always seemed to end up back in the Deli at Star Market. In two of those years I played sports, which was time consuming and physically very demanding. It wasn't easy for me. But I was determined. You sound like a total stupid head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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