Fair enough on the 'must read', batman -- I'm not a big fan of Vanity Fair's political artcles so I wasn't about to read a lengthy story I figured was just another hit piece on what a dolt she turned out to be. But that didn't stop me from posting a snide comment here . (sorry about that chief) I did like the newsweek series last year. Did you find any insight in this beyond the campaigns and her incompetence and poor judgement? Did it make you better understand the selection and what they were trying to do?
We started at how can he be considered an idiot when he went and graduated from the top 2 colleges in the country.
It wasn't just another hit piece. It was a fairly dry but thorough recounting of a lot of stuff we already knew generally but supported with lengthy, interesting anecdotal stuff. More revelatory about Alaska politics than anything else (in itself, interesting reading). And not too much on what they were trying to do with the selection; more about what happened in her career before she was chosen and how she interacted with the campaign once she was in the position. Again, worth a read I think if you don't have anything better to do. Especially since she hasn't left the stage and doesn't seem to intend to do that anytime soon.
And we haven't progressed an inch from there since the initial response to that silly proposition. He got in because he was connected and he was allowed to cruise through with disappointing and mediocre work, as evidenced by his grades, until he got out. Then he continued the trend by being given the reins of various companies, each of which was worse off before he came, and then by repeating the trend with the presidency. I wouldn't call him an idiot; I'd just say that he's been undeserving of every opportunity he's ever had and that he's clearly and indisputably proven the same. He's never done an impressive or even semi-impressive thing in his life. His education is proof of nothing except a lucky birth.
Those are fair statements. I'm not sure exactly where he would have stood against his fellow incoming freshmen, but we do know he scored well above the average SAT scores at the time, but under the mean score for a Yale student. Class and connections have always dominated equal opportunity around the world. The difference here is at least you've got a better chance of moving up in class.
you started on that, idiot is a subjective term, obviously bush has demosntrated enough intelligence that he can navigate his way through school. but its interesting you bring this up because as a kid who went to nice private high school in the houston area, one thing i can tell you about private school, as long as you're not a criminal and you at least make any attempt, you will get out of that private school, at least my experience. and i would bet without even looking it up that ivy league institutions have exceptionally good graduation rates, because that's one of the benefits of going to a private school edit: my spelling suggests I needed help to get out also
You believe getting elected President of the United States is not impressive? He even did it twice. It is a hell of an accomplishment I don't care the circumstances.
the accomplishment is Karl Rove's, PBS has a great documentary on their relationship that starts in the seventies I believe edit: this is it I believe its also interesting because it gets into some texas politics in the eighties
Agreed. I honestly don't believe Bush's participation in his election was impressive at all, unless you count the fact that his multiple screw-ups along the way never proved to be catastrophic. He was elected for his name and because a lot of Americans disliked his opponents -- not for anything he himself did. To navigate this back on topic, Palin has also had a remarkably unimpressive career except for managing to finagle her way into the national spotlight despite various large missteps all along the way. And, to think, she managed to do all that without a famous name. Now, that's impressive.
A nice private high school in houston area is probably a different animal than Phillips Andover. I am sure Bush benefited from legacy connections, but there was no indication he would have flamed out in those schools if not for his last name.
I know that, but the point is that no matter what the quality of the institution they will do their best to help you graduate secondly the quality of andover and any other elite private is chicken and egg, only kids from elite families attend, therefore they have a higher probability of success than kids from other schools. I don't know if we can really brag about what it takes to get out of a high school. its still high school
You can tell when T_J is feeling threatened by the truth. He does his utmost best to derail. Here's a quote from the article: "What does it say about the nature of modern American politics that a public official who often seems proud of what she does not know is not only accepted but applauded? What does her prominence say about the importance of having (or lacking) a record of achievement in public life? Why did so many skilled veterans of the Republican Party—long regarded as the more adroit team in presidential politics—keep loyally working for her election even after they privately realized she was casual about the truth and totally unfit for the vice-presidency? Perhaps most painful, how could John McCain, one of the cagiest survivors in contemporary politics—with a fine appreciation of life’s injustices and absurdities, a love for the sweep of history, and an overdeveloped sense of his own integrity and honor—ever have picked a person whose utter shortage of qualification for her proposed job all but disqualified him for his?" Fetch, T_J, fetch, boy...
