Most intelligent President of the last 50 years?

[elperromagico]

[kixot]

1. I got to go with the Nuclear Engineer.

Just the math major in me.

[doni_georgia]

13. Agreed

Carter is extremely intelligent. Heard a doctor on Majority report the other night talking about Reagan. She said his IQ was only about 100 and Bush II is lower than that. Clinton is also very intelligent, but I think if you gave them all the same IQ test, Carter would be at the top of the list.

[BlackVelvetElvis]

21. I was torn between Clinton or Carter

Carter is a thinker, a writer and a poet.
A very well rounded man.
My history professor today said that Carter was highly thought of by other world leaders but not in his own country.

[WI_DEM]

2. I went with Jimmy Carter

Nuclear Engineer and I've heard some historians (not always admiring ones) comment on how intelligent he is/was.

I would also say JFK and Clinton are up there as well.

[Bjornsdotter]

12. Ditto

Hi,

I went with Carter also, I think he's incredibly intelligent.

Clinton would have been my next choice.

Cheers,
Kim

[G_j]

31. Carter is also reportedly the

"best read" president.
I've heard it said he was almost too smart to be pres.

[wicket]

3. Ok, who voted for Ronald Reagan??!!

Fess up! :D

[Skittles]

4. I have my suspicions

:o

[indigo32]

7. I was just gonna ask that same question

Poppy is like 10 times as smart as Reagan ever was... and thats leaving out our side.

[terrya]

8. Eisenhower wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, either.

And he got 2 votes. :-)

Terry

[Misunderestimator]

16. Who voted for George W. Bush ? *puzzled* n/t

[terrya]

19. Someone who is either completely drunk or as smart as * is.

[Skittles]

22. under the radar trolls

I know who they are and yes they are f***ing idiots

[WoodrowFan]

49. or smart-aleks.

just people pulling our legs I suspect. (I voted Carter)

[swinney]

46. I voted for Reagan--twice

I vote as I.

I voted for Nixon-Carter-Reagan twice, Bush Sr. once-Clinton twice and Gore once.

I knew nothing about national politics until 1991.

I was in library and saw a book by Haynes Johnson a writer I admired
from Friday Week In Review. I was shocked. Reagan administration was per Haynes-"Most scurrilous in history".

Then, I saw Bill Clinton's speech at Georgetown U "Covenant With America" and was amazed. How could anyone speak so eloquently for an hour without reading notes.

I started researching. Every book I could buy on Clinton and Reagan. Over 500 in five years. Thousands of print articles. Hundreds of hours of video on Clinton speeches.

I became a Clintonut. Big C.

Comparing Democrat’s hero-CLINTON—versus Republican’s hero--REAGAN
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.JOBS—grew by 43% more under Clinton.
2.GDP---grew by 57% more under Clinton.
3.DOW—grew by 700% more under Clinton..
4.NASDAQ-grew by 18 times as much under Clinton.
4.SPENDING--grew by 28% under Clinton---80% under Reagan.
5.DEBT—grew by 43% under Clinton—187% under Reagan.
6. DEFICITS—Clinton got a large surplus--grew by 112% under Reagan.
7.NATIONAL INCOME—grew by100% more under Clinton.
8.PERSONAL INCOME—Grew by 110% more under Clinton.
SOURCES—Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.BLS.Gov)--Economic Policy Institute (EPI.org)—Global & World Almanacs from 1980 to 2003 (annual issues)
www.the-hamster.com (chart taken from NY Times)
National Archives History on Presidents. www.nara.gov

Please submit comments to [e-mail] or P.O. Box 3411-Burlington NC-27215




I feel I am expert on Clinton and Reagan.

Clinton destroys Reagan record.

[Skittles]

5. for sheer intelligence

Clinton, hands down

[rfranklin]

6. In terms of raw intelligence the Democrats have a commanding lead...

There is very little academic achievement on the part of the Republicans. But then, conservatism doesn't demand any thought.

Even Ike, who was very likeable and a good leader, didn't show much brilliance. Nixon and Bush Junior are very cunning. Reagan was able to deliver lines, that about it. Poppy Bush is a bit more intelligent than the rest.

[HamdenRice]

45. Ike?

I would not have voted Ike the smartest, but I am curious about the dismissive comments in this thread about him. Wouldn't it have taken, not just leadership, but organizational brilliance to organize the Normandy invasion and conquest of Europe? Why did FDR choose him to be supreme allied commander?

And although appeared to be a grandfatherly, somewhat out of touch president, a book came out about 15 years ago called (I think) "Hidden Hand Presidency" that said he cultivated an image of being out of touch, but that he really was in charge and much sharper than the public knew. He actually worked hard to make the public think he was dumber than he was. I forgot why he did it though.

[Piperay]

9. Clinton...

if only had used the right head, sigh. :-(

[nonconformist]

.

double post, sorry.

[nonconformist]

10. Clinton, absolutely

I didn't even have to dwell on it. The man is brilliant and I think that even Republicans would have a hard time debating that one. One of the reasons they feared (and scorned) him so much was because of his intelligence.

[LeahMira]

37. Carter, because...

The man (Clinton) is brilliant and I think that even Republicans would have a hard time debating that one. One of the reasons they feared (and scorned) him so much was because of his intelligence.

Clinton is certainly intelligent... far above average... but he also has the disadvantage of being a bit of a manipulator. Maybe he picked that up earlier on in life, but I think that when you are a manipulator you have to keep ahead of the other manipulators out there and clearly Clinton couldn't. Few can. The sleaziest group of cons were able to railroad him.

I voted for Jimmy Carter because he is not only incredibly intelligent, but he is also totally open and honest about who he is and what he does. There's not a sleazy skunk in the world who can bring down a decent, honest man.

[mitchum]

11. I would have to split between Clinton and Nixon...

(and not in any misguided attempt at bipartisanship or compulsory evenhandedness) Clinton's intelligence is unquestionable, but Remember that Nixon's fatal flaw was his damaged psyche (not his intellectual grasp)

[RetroLounge]

14. You left President Al Gore off your list...

EOM

[elperromagico]

23. I also left off President Samuel Tilden.

Your point?

We all know Gore should be President right now. He won the popular vote, and almost certainly would have won the electoral vote if it hadn't been for the Supreme Court's interference. But Bush was inaugurated. It upsets and angers me as much as it does you, but that's what happened. :(

[WoodrowFan]

50. Tilden

too bad, I hear Tilden could do the NY Times crossword in INK!! he'd win the poll in a walk!

(just joking)

[Misunderestimator]

15. Clinton, no question n/t

[Mr. Blonde]

17. Clinton was

imho a very smart political animal far more than an intelligent human. Of course there is a lot to be said for needing to be a little on the dumb side to want to be president. Ike did very well at West Point as I recall, not positive though. I lean towards Nixon who was a nutbar more far more than being dumb.

[IronLionZion]

18. Clinton or Carter

not because Democrats are obviously smarter than Republicans, but because these guys really were intelligent and well-educated.

[VolcanoJen]

20. Who are the two dumbass lurking pubbies who chose Dubya?

You guys are a fuckin' hoot!!! More, please!!! }(

[Az]

24. Where is Al Gore

Not saying he was the smartest. But the choice should be up there.

[elperromagico]

25. When was his inauguration? I missed it.

YES, he won the popular vote.
YES, a full count in Florida would have given him the electoral vote as well.

BUT, he was not inaugurated. Therefore, he isn't President. It's sad but true. :(

If he is President, he ought to use his authority to get our troops out of Iraq.

[Az]

29. Sheesh

Killjoy :(

[Jack_Dawson]

26. "Bush" Bwahahahahahahahahaha

LOL I'm still laughing. Bush is the biggest DOLT ever hired in ANY job, let alone POTUS. Freeper dumbshit trolls...thanks for the laugh. You guys rock.

[Octafish]

27. Kennedy kept us out of World War III.

All the Joint Chiefs, almost the entire Cabinet, the Congressional leadership wanted to nuke the Soviets over the missiles in Cuba. Kennedy said, "No. There's got to be another way." Adlai Stevenson figured a blockade might work. It did, despite the best efforts of Gen. Curtis LeMay to start WWIII.

Oh yeah. JFK got us to the moon, too.

[RafterMan]

36. Of course

JFK's reckless provocations got the missiles *into* Cuba in the first place...

[FlaGranny]

38. Kennedy provocations?

http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/soviet.exhibit/coldwar.html
"According to Nikita Khrushchev's memoirs, in May 1962 he conceived the idea of placing intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Cuba as a means of countering an emerging lead of the United States in developing and deploying strategic missiles. He also presented the scheme as a means of protecting Cuba from another United States-sponsored invasion, such as the failed attempt at the Bay of Pigs in 1961."

http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/baypigs/pigs.htm
"Richard M. Nixon proposed it | Dwight D. Eisenhower planned it | Robert F. Kennedy championed it | John F. Kennedy approved it | The CIA carried it out"

http://www.parascope.com/articles/1296/counter.htm
"By the winter of 1960, just a year after the Revolution, President Eisenhower and his key foreign policy advisers were convinced that Castro's government needed to be replaced-soon and by any means necessary. On March 17, 1960, Eisenhower authorized a Central Intelligence Agency plan, titled "A Program of Covert Action Against the Castro Regime." The document states that the program's objective is to "bring about the replacement of the Castro regime with one more devoted to the interests of the Cuban people and more acceptable to the U.S. in such a manner as to avoid the appearance of U.S. intervention."

[RafterMan]

42. Hmmm

Are you trying to confirm my point?

As Khrushchev says, the decision to put missiles in Cuba was a reaction to the decision to deploy US missiles in Turkey as well as the invasion of Cuba. Both of which were Kennedy moves.

Blaming Eisenhower is like blaming Clinton for 9/11.

[wyldwolf]

28. I've got to say Clinton

..Carter being a close second.

Clinton - law degree, Rhodes Scholar...

I saw him on David Letterman last year. Letterman asked him a question concerning the Middle East.

Clinton gave such an in depth answer Letterman and the audience was speechless... until Letterman said "You know what I think? I think you're still the president..."

...and the crowd goes wild!!!

[Bombtrack]

30. What would make people vote for Carter? Being super religious

pretty much negates any possibility of being near the intelligence level of a Clinton or Kennedy or even George H.W. Bush in my opinion.

[Bridget Burke]

32. Despite the activities of some idiotic "Christians"

Religious people can be quite intelligent. Carter received a BS at the Naval Academy. Later education included graduate work from Union College in reactor technology and nuclear physics.

Sounds pretty smart to me.

[Az]

34. Excuse me?

Lets think this through for a sec. Christianity has been around for 2000 years. The greatest minds have struggled with the concept of god and we still do not have a definitive means of removing belief in people. In fact it continues to dominate our particular culture. Notable scientific minds have also been Christian minds. Isaac Newton springs to mind. Just because a person is Christian does not mean they cannot be intelligent. I have watched too many fellow atheists get their rear ends handed to them by underestimating the intelligence of a Christian they were debating. You do yourself and everyone else a massive disservice by presuming belief equates to stupidity.

[Bombtrack]

43. um, where did I say he or any christian can't be intelligent

It's just my opinion, based on exposure to alot of biographical reading that a VERY religious person as Carter is hugely less likely to be on the intellectual level as exceptionally intelligent people like a Bill Clinton or even a wonk like George H.W. Bush.

There is just so much evidence to me out there that the brightest minds of today realize that, to at least a degree religion is a crutch for the masses.

And I'm not an atheist either. I know Carter was probably a smart enough guy. But has he ever come forward with to demonstrate an intellectual competitivness with people like Clinton?

[WoodrowFan]

48. bigoted

That may be the single most bigoted post I have ever seen posted by a non-troll.

[Freddie Stubbs]

44. Albert Einstien would disagree

"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."

http://www.quotedb.com/quotes/1682

[PATRICK]

33. Better question

How many of our intelligent Presidents behaved intelligently? The best? Clinton's ego and sexual carelessness alongside his naively tentative dealings with the Right(his conversation with Gingrich) seem inexplicably dumb even for hubris. JFK is even a more hair-raising example of brilliance on vacation in key areas. Carter is a study in concentration and care with different blinders, different presumptions. Nixon totally lost it though in the Postal strike crisis Dad found him pretty smart and hands on in the showdown meeting with union leaders.

These are the first ranks of those listed. Eisenhower comes next or maybe belongs there.

As far as intelligence is defined it seems humanity by and large is not smart enough to save themselves. Putting your faith in one individual seems quite foolhardy.

[edison1958]

35. I voted Carter....

....brilliant mind, good man...but a micro-manager (kept track of who used the WH Tennis Courts?!?!)

[On the Road]

39. I Had to Vote Clinton,

although Gore would have made it a more difficult choice.

Nixon was the smartest Republican, but he did not have Clinton's moral center, which I believe affect intelligence.

[troublemaker]

40. I'd expect results like this from Republicans

The results to this poll are absurd unless one defines "intelligence" as "agrees with me."

Clinton was indeed the brightest and only a fool would dispute the fact. Bush II is the stupidest person to ever hold the office. Reagan was dim.

But Nixon and Johnson and Bush I were very intelligent people. All were smarter than JFK and on par with Carter.

[John_H]

41. There are many kinds of intelligence--that's why I say LBJ

If it weren't for his huge mistake in Viet Nam, he'd easily have surpassed FDR and the best domestic policy president in history.

[noonwitch]

47. Clinton-but Carter and Nixon were pretty smart.

Too bad one was just to good of a man to be an effective president and one was too paranoid.

[Snellius]

51. Is intelligent the same as smart? the same as wise?

Clinton may have been the most intelligent, but intelligence without the ability to persuade others, can sometimes have the opposite effect. In their speeches, for example, Kennedy's inaugural address or Roosevelt's radio addresses can still inspire. Clinton's speeches, on the other hand, while extremely well argued were difficult to sit through even for those who admired his message.

[brunohautenfaust]

52. most intelligent

I vote for Al Gore!


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