Kerry thinks too much?

[lil-petunia]

After last night's incredible rush, I woke early, not just because of dog bladders, but because of the excess adrenaline still surging through me system.

Turned on a well-known freeper talk radio station - just for kicks, and lo and behold, they had the head strategist for the midwest being interviewed. (this was a tape replay, hard to tell when it was actually recorded)

The talking head said,
"the problem with John Kerry - and all the democrats supporting him - is this. He thinks too much. He concentrates too hard on a problem, and debates the pros and cons. America doesn't want that. They want someone who makes a snap decision and sticks with it through thick and thin. People who think too much like Kerry scare the American voter. That is why George Bush will win reelection."

A candidate who thinks too much? Someone who cares enough to consider the pros and cons before initiating a foreign war? Someone who wants details, facts, arguments placed on the table before making a momentous decision? THIS IS BAD?

I started laughing so hard, I missed his name. I feel like writing the radio station and getting it just to get yet another laugh.

It is true, laugher heals all. My celebratory hang-over is gone.

[checks-n-balances]

1. That's about the lamest attack I've ever heard on any candidate!

Yeah, the U.S. doesn't need or deserve a president who thinks more than the chimp. Implied in that idiot's statement is that chimpy thinks just enough, and also implied is that the voters shouldn't think too much either.

Just like the guy on the radio.

You'd have lobotomize me before I'd vote for anyone in the GOP.

[mopaul]

2. i've encountered this attitude myself

i had an uncle, married my aunt, who knocked me for reading too many books. he celebrated stupidity and looked down his nose at anyone who had 'too much book learnin'. he saw it as offensive to him, a man who'd never read even one book in his whole life, like our current president.

fascists and nazis did this as well, rounding up academics and intellectuals who could actually see through the madness. fascists would appreciate it if we'd all just stay stupid and fat and lazy.

[izzie]

3. Gee that is why I like him.

------

[kayell]

4. Bush: The Candidate for Proud Double Digit IQ Americans

[Bullshot]

5. Thinks too much?

As opposed to the shoot first, ask questions later approach of the current administration, which says anything off the cuff and worries about the consequences later? Like the current administration, which bulldozes its way into Iraq on arguments based on lies and cooked intelligence? Like the current president, who can barely complete a sentence when he's not reading his script?

If this is what the U.S. wants in its president, then the people of this country are even more dumbed down than I've feared.

[lil-petunia]

9. That is what some in the freeperland think (bad choice of words)

and what surprised me (a little) was the general agreement on the radio with what he said.

You have to admit, there is a small minority that is totally guided by the hope of rapture, by the idea that but for Jesus, their football team would lose, that all scientific research that ignores devine intervention 4000 years ago is driven by satan, that equality of the sexes, races is a devil worshiper piece of junk, and that freedom of thought is some socialist idea brought on by former atheistic communists.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

6. And the opposite of that is what we have now...

...people in charge that are simply incapable of ANY thinking at all.

[napi21]

7. Gee, isn't it about time we had someone in the WH that thinks?

The current occupant doesn't think at all! Maybe it's such a shock that there really are leaders who think, the Pubs don't know how to deal with it!

[DRoseDARs]

8. Well, obviously the world would be better had JFK made a "snap decision"..

...and just attacked the USSR over Cuba.

Jeebus... :eyes:

[Connie_Corleone]

11. Thank God for JFK and his long, thoughtout decisions.

n/t

[Connie_Corleone]

10. This Country Needs a thinking president again!!

Thank God for presidents who can think, reason and make careful decisions, especially when it comes to life and death decisions.

[Cats Against Frist]

12. When I was talking with some of my family

-- a few extended family members, a couple of aunts, uncles, etc. -- they asked me what I wanted to do. I told them that after I received my MFA, that I wanted to get a Ph.D. in Critical Theory or Literary Theory. They asked: "what is critical theory?" So I explained it, kind of simply, particularly the crazy aspects of postmodernism and its relationship to modern, classical philosophies -- and of course, it blew their minds, and no sooner was I through one of the UNCLES (of course, not the aunts -- women do not have to soothe their own egos in this area), starts in on how he puts septic tanks in for "Ph.D.s," and that "these people," have no "life experience," and can't cope with the outside world, and hardy fucking har har "can't run a backhoe, that's for sure..."

I fucking hate people who get the chip on their shoulder when people are educated. A couple of my degrees are in Poetry Writing and Political Science -- two fields where the "everyman," thinks he knows everything. Brain surgeons get respect. Car mechanics get respect. A goddamn florist gets respect for going to a class, or a program and getting a certificate. I don't walk around challenging my car mechanic to a duel of wits. I don't think I know more about brain surgery than brain surgeons.

People -- and not just Republicans -- are TERRIBLE when they think you think you're smarter than them. They think it means you think you're better than them, or something. I don't believe this at all. I honor hard work and craft and dedication at anything. I'm sure it takes any number of skills that I would fail horribly at, on a first run, to drive a backhoe and install a septic tank. I don't think, inherently, that I'm "better" than anyone. I don't even think that just because you have an education that it means your average intelligence is greater than someone who doesn't.

But if I have a fucking degree in political science, and a fucking degree in Journalism, and a fucking almost degree in philosophy, and a fucking degree in Poetry, and the everyman asks me if I think I know more about these few things, than him -- HELL FUCKING YES, I DO. And not even in a way that makes me come to some greater conclusion about things than the everyman -- but it MAKES MY QUESTIONS BROADER. That's what education does. Education doesn't make you a genius -- it makes you THINK.

College and "thinking," at one time, seemed important, didn't it? Maybe it's just me, but the new GOP fascist narrative doesn't have a lot of room in it for "intellectuals," unless they happen to be a certain brand of Israel-loving Trotskyite...(and the hilarious thing about this is that apparently Strauss is a complete and total elitist -- their own GOP masters actually think they're shit. This is what I keep trying to tell them: Bush and Cheney don't know you, and they don't want to know you.")

Damn those who fault people for being inquisitive. Damn those who fault people who think. Damn those whose acceptance narrow worldviews, simple answers and constructed absolutes, keeps them from admiring and TRUSTING those who have worked and studied for more.

I'm fucking sick of it. Fuck them of their inferiority complex and low self-esteem.

[lil-petunia]

15. Cats, that is why we are here - to meet kindred spirits

The last month has been incredible. I have met more concerned, literate, thinking people in RL, than in the past few years. Some of us are exchanging books (bad habits that we all have - massive libraries, reading three books at the same time, leaving them open in different rooms) and thinking about them.

To top it off, look at the class of people we have here. Not afraid to use that little gray matter that seems to be malfunctioning in our president. I am sure you have read the reports that people carrying books (that are not the King James Version) are shunned and hissed at in the White House. Pleasure reading is verbotin. Reading for knowledge is a sign of evil liberal psychosis.

Prayer meetings - that's the ticket for full understanding and rational decision making.

yeah, right.
Go KERRY!!!

[ablbodyed]

16. True as can be>>>>

I know a lot of the type that losthes anyone who thinks. I work with them, and their pettiness is beyond belief. But good xtans though. Morans

[baldguy]

13. God help if our leader actually THINKS about something!

[OneTwentyoNine]

14. Yeah...Chimp didn't think twice about killing innocent and our men in Iraq

I guess thats the kind of leadership there talking about....

David

[Minstrel Boy]

17. Well, America did once have a "Know-Nothing Party."

It's a grand tradition, being a moran.

[lil-petunia]

18. and it has returned

with the help of the neo cons.

My mistake was thinking con stood for conservative. It really stands for confidence game.


Fool me once, shame on you, fool me, fool my, you can't get fooled again!

[PATRICK]

19. Maybe it was "postmodernism"

Trying to explain the variety of competing new theories drowning in inverted complexities competing for status and leaving the art itself in the dust really does set you up for some guffaws even among the highly educated.

People respect their poets. Critics are the "tax-collectors" or "divorce lawyers" of the arts, respected, despised, feared according to their field ranking, not their mind and soul. All too often this attitude is projected back. Again, art itself falls somewhere in the cushions of the backseat.

That's the biz, but the knowledge and gift itself is extremely important and of immense value. Of course it would be better if like Poe you were both great artists AND critic. His reputation was ruined by his critical career making enemies, which in many respects was more innovative than much of his popular fiction.

Just show them a paycheck.

[PATRICK]

29. oops, this was supposed to be in reply to #12

n/t

[dennis4868]

20. I bet you...

if that talking head on the radio had a son die in Iraq he would have wished for a president who thinks too much.

What has happened in this country where substance, thoughtfull and informed decisions are no longer required by our leaders. If that was the case in the early 1960s we all may not be here today....

[RobinA]

21. As Far as I'm Concerned

this guy is absolutely right. I may not LIKE it, you may not like it, but he's talking about Joe Average voter. I run into this attitude all the time. The fact is, despite a constant flood of bad news for Bush these last couple months, he's neck and neck with Kerry STILL. People say, "Oh, we don't know what Kerry stands for." Our government is torturing people, they lied us into a war, their actions are creating more terrorists than they are capturing, we've got a concentration camp in Cuba... How much more do they need to know about Kerry to come to the conclusion that there's a good chance he'd be better than Bush. The truth is, they don't care about any of these things. They care that Bush will shoot first and ask questions later, and that chances are he may hit a evil-doer or three while he's shooting. That's apparently good enough for many voters.

[lil-petunia]

23. So, autolobotomization is a weekend sport in the south?

along with countryfried steak and lard based gravy?

Although I can't stand the idea of heading to freeper land to see their comments, I do guest at another conservative BB. Robin, you are 100% correct.

The fact that this guy hears voices, tells the amish that god speaks to him, falls off segways, bikes, and his message repeatedly, cannot control his temper and requires heavy meds at the moment, none of that matters.
They are heading to rapture with their savior George at the head of the line.

Scary, scary, scary.

[wishlist]

22. Kerry didn't hesitate to save a man's life (or his daughters' hamster!)

but Bush showed no reaction for 7 minutes after the 911 attacks. Amazing how Repubs have the audacity to praise Bush's 'bravery' and decisiveness when his foolhardy rush to invade Iraq has turned out to be such a disaster. When will they learn that Bush is a phony with a very cynical short-sighted narrow minded calculated agenda behind everything he does. His agenda does not stand up to scrutiny hence they have no tolerance for thoughtfulness.

[derby378]

24. I have to ask...

What was the station, and who was the speaker?

[Gregorian]

25. Not too much. ....... .Kerry thinks TOO BIG.

Too big for the little people. Those who either can't, or don't want, to see a bigger picture.

[midnight armadillo]

26. The problem with thinking too much

What they're really implying about Kerry is that he can't decide quickly, therefore would be useless in a crisis.

Some people do think too much due to indecision, which is the criticism of Kerry. His personal history indicates the total opposite: he take all the time he can to make a correct decision, which allows him to carefully consider complex problems and ALSO to react well in crisis situations.

Conversely, they're trying to criticize Kerry by emphasizing Bush's critical flaw: Bush's total lack of capacity for thinking through a problem, leading to his 'gut reactions' and his massive fear of failure or admitting he was wrong leading to a dug-in stubbornness.

[kwolf68]

27. Buwahahhahaaha

It just keep getting more hilarious

The talking head said,
"the problem with John Kerry - and all the democrats supporting him - is this. He thinks too much. He concentrates too hard on a problem, and debates the pros and cons. America doesn't want that. They want someone who makes a snap decision and sticks with it through thick and thin. People who think too much like Kerry scare the American voter. That is why George Bush will win reelection."

I am astounded that a make who concentrates too hard on a problem, and debates the pros and cons would NOT be the right man for the job.

You know what? I think these Repukes are giving us some great advertising.

"Vote for Bush....He doesn't concentrate on problems, and never looks at both sides of an issue."

The level of hilarity is rising by the day.

[ProfessorGAC]

28. And, Bush Doesn't (Or Can't) Think Enough

Spending more effort on a response to such a stupid statement is not worth it.
The Professor

[Skittles]

30. Reagan made idiocy fashionable for the idiot rightwing

nt

[Serenades]

31. Tell me

This is a joke right? You're making this up to make us laugh, right?

[noise626]

32. Bush...The Candidate For the Rock Stupid

Are you too chicken shit and lazy to think for yourself?

Do you want someone will instead NOT waste precious time thinking and debating the issues and instead get to the important business of BLOWING SHIT UP!!!???

VOTE BUSH/CHENEY!!


pax
ant
www.noise626.com

[kwolf68]

33. Another thing

If Bush was President during the Cuban Missile Crisis, none of us would be here today.

The world would be a big giant tomb.

Sometimes YOU NEED someone to THINK you moran. That way we make sure to avoid our own extinction.

If you Right Wing fukturds are going to build bombs that can annihilate the entire planet it may be wise to THINK SOME, and LOOK AT all sides of the issue.

I am complete astounded that this is a talking point. Complete astounded.