Who is the smartest Dem - elected or not?

[Stinky The Clown]

Yesterday I started a thread asking ho you thought was the smartest Dem, but limited you to choosing one who is currently holding elected office.

This thread opens it up ....... the only restriction is that the person you name must actually **be** a Democrat in some level of public life. (So you can name your local alderman, but you can't name your mother-in-law - unless she's also said alderman.)

Who's the smartest one in the room?

[Captain Hilts]

Barney Frank. And the Republicans agree.

I worked with Republican politicos for 8 years, and that was their view.

I agree.

[primative1]

27. Truth ...

Behind his enjoyable sense of humor there is a pragmatic wit that IMO is unmatched.

[Captain Hilts]

29. He's smart AND funny. A combination tough to beat. nt

[nickshepDEM]

1. Probably Rush Holt. I believe he used to be a Rocket Scientist.

As far as public policy and international affairs - William Jefferson Clinton.

[blm]

7. Not smart enough to fully expose BushInc when he had the chance in 1993.

.

[bklyncowgirl]

33. I have a "My Congressman IS a rocket scientist" Rush Holt bumper sticker

Holt's a great guy and I'm thrilled to be in his district.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Wes Clark.

[1932]

3. He may not always have the purest motivations, but Schumer is one of the

smartest Dems out there.

[Captain Hilts]

12. Yes, I agree about Schumer. nt

[Totally Committed]

4. If we are talking pure intelligence and not political savvy.....

I would have to say Wes Clark. If we are talking political savvy/smart, I would have to say Bill Clinton.

TC

[Sweet Freedom]

6. I agree /nt

[Bonobo]

5. Mario Cuomo, Bill Bradley, Wes Clark

[Totally Committed]

8. Doh! --------- I forgot Mario Cuomo!

I have just slapped my own wrist! He and Wes Clark are the two most intelligent brainiac Democrats in our Party.

TC

[CarolNYC]

13. Not sure I know enough about enough Dems to decide....

who's the smartest...But that trio's got rank right up there.

[Kolesar]

9. Eric Fingerhut is up there

Our Ohio candidate for Senate in 2004. He would have made a great governor. Well, maybe in 2014 when Ted Strickland is term-limited out of office.

[CTD]

10. Definitely Bill Bradley

I wonder if he'd be up for running again.

[trotsky]

11. Jimmy Carter. They say one of the knocks on him...

was that he was "too smart" to be president. I'd have to say there is some merit to that.

On edit: Ooh, also Howard Dean. Don't know how I spaced on that one.

[LynneSin]

14. Say what you will about Joe Biden - that guy is incredibly intelligent

Well with everything but hairplugs - that just wasn't a smart move.

[Totally Committed]

20. ....

:rofl:


TC

[ToeBot]

15. Robert Reich, but I don't think he's in the public sector anymore. nt

[geek tragedy]

16. Wes Clark, #1 in his class at West Point. eom

[gcole]

17. Big Dog

[Apollo11]

18. President Al Gore

The smart folks at Scientific American magazine just named Gore their Policy Leader of the Year.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=CA1F51BD-E7F2-99DF-394B9B6312C7753D

In Gore We Trust :-)
www.algore.org
www.draftgore.com
www.draftgore2008.org
www.patriotsforgore.com
www.climatecrisis.net

[LeftishBrit]

19. Don't know about all Dems...

but I would definitely say that Bill Clinton and Al Gore are both very intelligent. (That's what I put for the last thread, as I misunderstood the import of the question).

[Adelante]

21. Clark, Cuomo, Clinton (Bill)

In that order.

[sallyseven]

23. Barney Frank tops them all.

[Budmeiser]

22. I'll cast a vote for Russ Feingold

He's sharper than Ann Coulter's fangs.

[AlGore-08.com]

24. Al Gore - - he gave us the Internet

There's no other Dem who has changed the entire culture - - and he just did it again. He just single handedly changed the international debate on global warming from "The science is inconclusive so why worry?" to "It's real, and we have to solve it NOW."

I'm just sayin'...

[Apollo11]

25. algore.org

is the new name of the site formerly known as algore-08.com

Sorry dude! B-)

[windbreeze]

26. Wes Clark...

the man is brilliant on all levels...he can answer any question put to him, without breaking stride, no matter what it pertains to..and he has the ability to answer those questions using words that anyone can understand...
windbreeze

[Blue_In_AK]

28. Does Bill Moyers qualify?

[PurityOfEssence]

30. Edwards, Frank, Clark, Stark, Obama, Schakowsky, Durbin

Polls like this are just rife with bullshit, because people tend to be simplistic: those I like are more honorable, decent, intelligent, pretty, etc.

The partisan maneuverings are tiresome here, but this is a poll designed to try to ask for a simple judgment on quality of circuitry.

Carter's awfully sharp, and so is McGovern, and they probably should have been on my list.

Whatever.

Maybe Jan Schakowsky isn't as sharp as I think, but I like her a lot and she certainly seems to handle herself with true perspicacity when interviewed.

Pete Stark is one of the most underappreciated members of the House.

The annoying jockeying for position for '08 is already in full flower. A long primary season is the best method for finding the right candidate, but sadly the powers that be keep trying to shorten it. This causes the pre-primary struggle to start earlier and earlier. The last cycle had things in full swing by the very beginning of '03. Extrapolating this, we will be in the thick of it by the end of the week.

[Marie26]

31. Lawrence O'Donnell. nt

[Uncle Joe]

32. President Gore n/t

[NYCGirl]

34. I agree with that one. As I've said before, Al Gore has VISION. NT

[PassingFair]

35. DEAN-O

Genius.
Common Sense.
Cut through the crap.
I'd want him for my Doctor.
Or my President.

Did I mention the Heart and the Compassion?

BONUS

[shireen]

36. WES CLARK

"scary smart", to quote his son.