"bush's brain" -- Is Rove really intelligent?

[panader0]

They say he owns a lot of books. So? I do too. Sure, he can play dirty, but that doesn't make him smart. I can't believe that anyone who is truly intelligent could be such a huge bush supporter. I don't think that anyone who is truly intelligent could want a war. Anyone know his IQ? Wasn't he a college dropout? I can't take the constant references to his smarts.

[JuniperLea]

1. He took a dumbass and made him pretzeldent...

That musta been hard werk.

[Warpy]

2. No, he's ruthless and amoral

and firmly believes the end justifies the means.

Don't confuse that with intelligence. Intelligence is in for the long haul. Ruthlessness is in for the cheat, the quick victory, and doesn't think about the time down the road when incompetence reveals the whole thing as fraud.

[davidwparker]

4. this is exactly it. people don't think anybody can be THAT low-down until

it's too late. He's a liar and cheat. He's not smart enough to learn what Atwater learned in the end on his death bed.

[JuniperLea]

7. That's the point...

Evil geniuses get so full of themselves they can't see straight. They believe THEY will be the one smart enough to RULE THE WORLD! Right, Pinky?

[JuniperLea]

8. There are plenty of intelligent yet ruthless people...

Don't confuse intelligence with morals and ethics. They are not the same thing.

[Warpy]

14. I didn't

but nice strawman.

Now go knock him down.

[lvx35]

3. Good post!

It brings up a really good underlying issue, which is the way the ability to deceive people or do anything to acquire power has been thought of as intelligence in the conservative scene. I remember talking to a conservative at a bar, complaining about Schwarzenegger's nomination. The guy asked why if I was so smart why I wasn't California Governor. I explained to him that I there were specific duties a Governor had that took skills and experiences I didn't have a computer scientist or Arnie didn't have as an actor, but he just couldn't see it. To this guy, the fact that this guy was able to TAKE power was sufficient to convince him he was smart enough to do the best things with that power. It was strange.

[JuniperLea]

5. I don't understand why people can't believe that...

A person can be a mad, evil genius! This is NOT a complement!

IQ has nothing whatsoever to do with morals, ethics, charm, or a pleasing personality!

Think about the major despots throughout history... they were by in large evil geniuses. That is no complement to them, nor is it a slam on the rest of us!

[AlCzervik]

6. i think he's basically a punk that got lucky.

[Sir Jeffrey]

9. No, Rove is not that smart...

He is shameless and ruthless. He has probably read Machiavelli. He has studied under right-wing ideologues with a warped view of history and politics, and has adopted their views as his own.

Those are not the traits of a genius. Those are the traits of a sociopathic political science major entering his third year.

Truth be known, any idiot can run a political campaign when they have a brainwashed constituency and a constant supply of money.

[Big Blue Marble]

10. The one thing I know for sure

is that Rove is not anywhere near as smart as he thinks he is!

[JuniperLea]

12. Therein lies his folly...

And that will bring every conceited person down.

[malaise]

11. Rove was one of those men who believed in

playing smart but not being clever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnGBJAnYA9E&mode=related&search=


If you are a big tree, we are a small axe...
Whosoever diggeth a pit shall fall in it.

Fugg you Rove.

Sp.

[Johonny]

13. IQ

Has very little meaning. It certainly isn't a measure of intelligence. I is probably impossible to measure intelligence in an absolute scale. Anyways I think Rove is intelligent. He certainly devised a strategy that work over a short period of time. However he appears to be a very limited strategist. Basically as the situation changed Rove simply was (is) unable to change course. Basically because he his steadfast in his beliefs and thus unopen to new information.

[soothsayer]

15. devious. and he collects stamps. nerdy. so i guess.

[MoonRiver]

16. Please, stop disparaging the "unintelligent" by making references to Rove's IQ

Surely you know your post represents blatant discrimination against the less than genius.

:sarcasm:

[LandOLincoln]

17. Sure...by Republican standards. n/t

[Hekate]

18. Rat-like cunning will take you far in the Publican world. nt

[AZBlue]

19. I think he's very intelligent. Unfortunately, he's chosen to use it for evil.

Nasty, dirty, scum-sucking evil.