Are we getting stupider or are our politicians getting stupider. Or, maybe, we’re both getting stupider. Could it be that we’re not getting stupider, but our politicians are treating us as if we were? Why are less experienced politicians acting stupider than more experienced politicians? Finally, yes, we have confirmation that the new Tea Party class of Republicans are the stupidest people yet. But you already knew that without discovering that they talk at the lowest reading level of any group in Congress, now or in the past.
About The Author
BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
I’m not going to equate “grade level” of speech with intelligent.
I’ll equate content with intelligence all day long though. The upshot is that Republicans are stupid and because many conservatives are Republicans, many conservatives are also stupid.
I think the newer Republican politicians are more stupid, reflecting the stupidity of their constituents. And in reference to delivering their message in Congress, I think they don’t even bother preparing written speeches or remarks. The language has been reduced to dog whistles and soundbite catch phrases.
That being said, I caught a few minutes of a speech on the House floor by Eleanor Norton, the Democratic Congresswoman from DC. She gave a fiery, passionate, compelling speech about the rights of women in her district who face abortion ban hearings that threaten their right to choose. Man, she was in fire, and I wish the House had been packed with people to hear it. I thought it was a remarkable moment.
I would say that both are getting more stupid. The fact that our President, who I think the majority of people would agree is a smart man, has to give speeches at a 8th grade level in order to be understood by a significant portion of the population should be a major red flag.
And yes, I don’t think there is any question that the far right of the spectrum has a wide lead on the rest of the pack when it comes to stupid. Unfortunately, their stupidity is treated in the media like just another “point of view” rather than for the actual stupidity that it is.
As with most things regarding the right wing and Obama, it doesn’t really matter what the facts are, they’ll spin to fit. When his speeches aim high, he’s being uppity, whoops, I mean “elitist”. When they don’t, he’s being a dumb nig, whoops, dumb person.
As far as the base of the GOP, I think it’s probably safe to say that, one way or another, race drives almost all of their view of Obama. Some hide it well much of the time. But if you are able to get people to express themselves long enough, it will bubble to the surface. It can’t be helped. Many of them WANT to say it!! It is almost cathartic to them. And I think it gives them a real sense of being a made-member of their tribe.
They never have dazzled me with their brilliance, so my guess they are trying to baffle me with their bullshit.
Well, aren’t the correct usages “more stupid” and “most stupid,” not “stupider” and “stupdiest”? Just saying. š
you clearly are operating on old Stupid usage.
It’s the money. The republicans have not had this much access to this much money since Nixon. Money that no one knows where it comes from or who is spending it.
OT-What happened to Tarheel Dem?
Good question. Anyone out there know???
See Oui’s post on Tarheel’s arrest:
http://www.boomantribune.com/?op=displaystory;sid=2012/5/20/1746/83927
I don’t believe Tea Party politicians are stupid. I think they are just throwing red meat to their base and don’t really believe what they are saying. Joe Walsh, in particular, is a very wily politician and a very dangerous man, not stupid at all.
I think they are stupid.
I think the mainline Republicans are stupid.
How else do you explain Cantor and Boehner?
The problem is: Most of the country is under-educated.
Most people Pooh-pooh education. A 60 year old sis-in-law of mine making fun of my 48 year old daughter who will be receiving her Masters in Special Education on 8 Jun.
My sis in law has three children. Only the oldest has graduated from high school. The other 2 are dropouts.
I believe it is a reflection of the degree to which actual debate has left the public square. There is little attempt to persuade in these speeches – it is more a matter of affirming one’s position in the eyes of the electorate, planting a flag to identify with the team. Actual debate and decision-making is done offstage, presented in bite-sized chunks to a public that is more inclined to vote for the next American Idol than the next American President.
So I would say that the public is being stupid with its priorities while the politicians are craftily taking advantage of the lack of attention paid to them, so that’s actually pretty smart of the politicians, if evil.