President Oprah Winfrey?

[rainbow]

https://slate.com/health-and-science/20 ... yland.html

When the US elected Nixon, I thought this was the lowest they could go.
...then they elected Reagan, and I thought the joke was going a little bit too far.
...later it was Dubya, and I was convinced that the US electorate was quite mad.
This was confirmed by Trump.

So it is quite possible that out of a country with many millions of talented individuals, the US could elect a complete nutter.

[pErvinalia]

The frightening thing is who will be the next even nuttier president the Repubs throw up in that succession.

[Hermit]

but then again I'm not on the "right" either.

You've got to stop saying this. It's patently ridiculous. Even in America, you're right-wing.

He won't, no matter how many times his right wing views are pointed out to him.

[Forty Two]

https://slate.com/health-and-science/20 ... yland.html

When the US elected Nixon, I thought this was the lowest they could go.
...then they elected Reagan, and I thought the joke was going a little bit too far.
...later it was Dubya, and I was convinced that the US electorate was quite mad.
This was confirmed by Trump.

So it is quite possible that out of a country with many millions of talented individuals, the US could elect a complete nutter.

This is a retarded article. Nixon was a highly qualified and extremely popular President. He had been in Congress for decades, and had previously served as Vice President. He ran in 1968, against the policies of Lyndon Johnson, and spent most of his first term trying to figure a way out of the Vietnam that Lyndon Johnson got us into. In 1972, he was elected in one of the biggest landslides in election history, winning 49 out of 50 states, so he was popular among Democrats as well as Republicans.

Nixon was actually a very good and competent President. His presidency is overshadowed by the Watergate scandal.



In 1980, Reagan won 46 states, losing only Minnesota, West Virginia, Georgia (Carter's home state) and Maryland).

In 1984, Reagan was reelected by an even bigger landslide, winning all states except Mondale's home state of Minnesota (and the 3 electoral votes from Washington DC).

And, Reagan was a good and well-respected President. His opposition, of course, like to paint him as a dottering idiot, but then again, that's been the playbook of the Democrats since Eisenhower (who also was a dottering idiot to them).

They skip over Carter, who apparently to them is a genius, even though Carter barely beat out Gerald Ford -- Gerald Ford -- whose claim to fame was PARDONING NIXON and being appointed Vice President after Agnew resigned and then succeeding to Nixon's seat after Nixon resigned. And Carter is a smart guy? Born Again Christian peanut farmer from Georgia?

George HW Bush was portrayed as a moron, too. Former head of the CIA, Congressman, Vice President for two terms - moron!

And, then of course Clinton, he's a genius. Sexual harasser and rapist in chief, but let's not get lost in the details. Bill Clinton from Arkansas was a complete and total genius, like the second black President, Barack Obama, who was always the smartest guy in the room.

It's every election with this crap. Look, Trump is not a "genius" - but, he's also not an idiot. He is a highly capable businessman, and he has a significant, well-above-average capacity to manage and engage. He has his faults, for sure, and could shut his Twitter-gob for a while. But, can we just, for once, get off the constant refrain about how so-and-so is an evil idiot? It's really just lazy thinking.

[L'Emmerdeur]

https://slate.com/health-and-science/20 ... yland.html

When the US elected Nixon, I thought this was the lowest they could go.
...then they elected Reagan, and I thought the joke was going a little bit too far.
...later it was Dubya, and I was convinced that the US electorate was quite mad.
This was confirmed by Trump.

So it is quite possible that out of a country with many millions of talented individuals, the US could elect a complete nutter.

This is a retarded article.

Given the contempt for Slate that you've expressed, it's no surprise that you didn't actually even look at the fucking article, yet feel entitled to proclaim that it's 'retarded.' Here's a clue--it has absolutely nothing to do with Nixon or any other Republican president.

[L'Emmerdeur]

Nixon was a highly qualified and extremely popular President. He had been in Congress for decades, and had previously served as Vice President. He ran in 1968, against the policies of Lyndon Johnson, and spent most of his first term trying to figure a way out of the Vietnam that Lyndon Johnson got us into.

After sabotaging Johnson's efforts to bring about a peace in a completely cynical ploy to get himself elected. Nixon was a fucking crook.

In 1972, he was elected in one of the biggest landslides in election history, winning 49 out of 50 states, so he was popular among Democrats as well as Republicans.

Popularity is no indication of character nor fitness for office.

Nixon was actually a very good and competent President. His presidency is overshadowed by the Watergate scandal.

He wasn't a good president, but I would credit him with being competent. He wasn't a fatuous, ignorant blowhard with practically no genuine understanding of world affairs and an unwillingness to learn.

In 1980, Reagan won 46 states, losing only Minnesota, West Virginia, Georgia (Carter's home state) and Maryland).

In 1984, Reagan was reelected by an even bigger landslide, winning all states except Mondale's home state of Minnesota (and the 3 electoral votes from Washington DC).

And, Reagan was a good and well-respected President. His opposition, of course, like to paint him as a dottering idiot, but then again, that's been the playbook of the Democrats since Eisenhower (who also was a dottering idiot to them).

Again, popularity is not a legitimate yardstick to determine qualifications for office. Reagan wasn't a doddering idiot when he first took office but he had clearly deteriorated during his time in the White House. The Iran-Contra shitshow demonstrates that he was either incompetent by the time that despicable caper took place or viciously cynical.

They skip over Carter, who apparently to them is a genius, even though Carter barely beat out Gerald Ford -- Gerald Ford -- whose claim to fame was PARDONING NIXON and being appointed Vice President after Agnew resigned and then succeeding to Nixon's seat after Nixon resigned. And Carter is a smart guy? Born Again Christian peanut farmer from Georgia?

Dummies don't earn a Bachelor of Science degree and graduate 60th out of a class of 820. No, he wasn't actually a nuclear engineer, though he did some work at a nuclear plant and was in training to operate the power units on nuclear subs when his father died and he got released from active duty to take over the family business. When you imply that born again Christians and farmers are all stupid, you only demonstrate your own ignorance and prejudice.

George HW Bush was portrayed as a moron, too. Former head of the CIA, Congressman, Vice President for two terms - moron!

I haven't heard people describing Bush I as a moron, but go ahead and cite an example or two and I'll accept that it's true--I don't consider you a trustworthy source. It's his son that got a reputation for being unintelligent. As it happens I don't agree with that assessment--to me it's pretty obvious that he's of about average intelligence, which isn't any great recommendation. It was his willingness to be guided by shitheels like Dick Cheney that showed him in an extremely poor light.

And, then of course Clinton, he's a genius. Sexual harasser and rapist in chief, but let's not get lost in the details. Bill Clinton from Arkansas was a complete and total genius, like the second black President, Barack Obama, who was always the smartest guy in the room.

Clinton was a Rhodes Scholar. If you don't know what that says about his intelligence, look it up. Obama was a law professor at the law school of a respected university, which speaks to a well above average intelligence.

It's every election with this crap. Look, Trump is not a "genius" - but, he's also not an idiot. He is a highly capable businessman, and he has a significant, well-above-average capacity to manage and engage.

No, Trump is not literally an idiot, but an obvious lack of intellectual curiosity and an over-inflated view of his own capabilities is a dangerous combination in a president. Highly capable businessmen don't bankrupt casino businesses they're operating in a town to which tens of millions of people flock each year to be fleeced.

[Tyrannical]

Clinton was a Rhodes Scholar

No he wasn't, he dropped out.

[L'Emmerdeur]

Clinton was a Rhodes Scholar

No he wasn't, he dropped out.

I don't usually bother to respond to your fetid tripe and ridiculous lies, but I'll make an exception here. Clinton received a Rhodes Scholarship and attended Oxford for a year. He didn't complete his second year, returning to the US to attend Yale Law School instead. While he didn't receive a degree from Oxford (if one ignores the honorary degree they gave him years later) that doesn't negate the undeniable fact that he was a Rhodes Scholar.

[Rum]

As an admirer of Clinton's over the years I looked into this and although it is a minor matter now, he did leave after a year. One possible reason is that it was a way to dodge the draft. Another was simply that it was a common thing to do - to spend a year at a university that would look good on a CV. There is another possibility. There is a long standing and completely unsubstantiated rumour that he raped a fellow student and was 'quietly' told to leave. It could well just be what we now call fake news of course.

[Joe]

For what it's worth, I grew up in Arkansas and had many friends in common with then Governor Clinton, although I never met the guy and wasn't a fan. All of them were impressed with his intellect and interpersonal skills. I will say that as I saw him in action over time, I was impressed with his ability to adapt and get things done.

I have no idea what his IQ is, but he was smart and effective.

[rainbow]

George HW Bush was portrayed as a moron, too. Former head of the CIA, Congressman, Vice President for two terms - moron!

I said Dubya.

Please pay attention.