Very good read about Obama

[RoadToad]

If you're going to cut/paste something from another board, I think that's fine, but it's only fair to us who read it, and the person who originally posted it, to indicate where it came from.
http://www.bookwormroom.com/2009/11/...omment-page-1/

And the first thing I would like to point out is that this person needs to get their facts straight:

We have absolutely no evidence whatsoever that Obama is smart. To begin with, we have no evidence at all of his academic abilities. (And I will concede that, while academic smarts don’t demonstrate functional intelligence, they are still a good yardstick of a brain that operates at a fairly high level.) We do not know how he did in Indonesia, his high school years are a blur, we do not know what happened during his stint at Occidental, we know nothing about his Columbia years, and the only thing we know about his Harvard years is that he made Law Review.

The FACT is that he graduated from Harvard Magna Cum Laude, and he didn't just "make" Law Review, he was elected President and Editor-in-Chief. I'm not even going to post a link to support this, if you care to check, do a simple Google search on "Barack Obama Harvard Magna" (leave out the quotes).

Conspiracy theories, of course, are easy. More than thirty percent of the American public believes that the Bush government brought down the Twin Towers so that Cheney would have an excuse to get government contracts for Halliburton in Iraq.

Oh really?? 30%?? Let me ask you, do you even KNOW anybody who believes this? Sure, there are a few whackjobs who do, but thirty percent of the American public? That statistic reminds me this one: 85% of all statistics are made up on the spot (and yes, I just made that one up).

Never mind the death of 3,000 innocents, never mind the impossibility of keeping such a vast conspiracy absolutely secret, nevermind the fact that Cheney didn’t work for Halliburton, and nevermind that those government contracts were anathema to Halliburton, because it had contracted for them a decade before, in a different economy — to the conspiracy theorists, all of the dots always connect.

For conspiracy theorists, life is always like that scene in the movie A Beautiful Mind, in which the genius gazes at thousands of random newspaper clippings taped to his wall and, in an instant of inspired schizophrenia, sees them all connect in a vast network of relationships. Except . . . except that Cashill has one weapon in his arsenal that no conspiracy theorist would ever have: completely independent corroboration of the fact that a panicked Obama, sitting on a $150,000 advance and utterly incapable of writing, high tailed it over to Bill Ayers house, and got all the help he needed.

All of which gets me back to Obama. None of the apparent indices of brains pan out: no grades, no job record, no book. Nothing at all. His sole talent, and I have to say that it’s a spectacular one, is to be a con man. He has a deep voice, good looks, and a network of behind the scenes operators who have been deeply invested in his advancement. The only problem with running a con, as Harold Hill discovered when he had to produce that “boys band,” is that, if you stick around after you’ve run the con, people expect you to perform. And Obama, who has none of the advertised talents, is utterly trapped.

The great pity for the American people is that, unlike the clever con man in a Broadway show/Hollywood musical, there is no miracle at the end when faith and love suddenly operate to produce the strained tones of the Minuet in G. All we’re hearing now is silence, a few cricket chirps, and the scary drone of muezzins and nuclear bombers in the background.

My overall impression of this post is that the reason the author knows so much about conspiracy theorists is that he or she IS one.

Oh, and as for the basic premise, that Obama isn't as brilliant as some have cracked him up to be, I agree 100%.

"There are lies, there are **** lies, and then there are statistics." - Mark Twain (though he was most likely quoting Disraeli)

[Tom523]

Interesting thoughts........I just thought he got there by getting more votes. I just never realized affirmative action laws assisted him to get "appointed".

Appointed to what? School?

[Tom523]

I understand affirmative action, and understand in certain situations it is not a good thing. However, my point was relating to the specific post about ivy league schools, I can promise they take the best of the best. Yes they may try to get a certain percentage of minorities each year, but the pool they are drawing from, is an elite pool, and only the best of any race are considered.

One of my family members, a bi racial young woman, is currently interviewing with several medical schools. She has a 4.0 GPA in pre-med, top percentile on the MCAT's, and a great deal of personal achievements and humanitarian work on national and global level. Harvard is her goal, however, she is aware that she has slim odds of getting in, when many other major universities (considered some of the best in the nation outside of the ivy league schools) have already accepted her. As of now, she has not even been offered an interview. So if you think, just because someone is a minority they are a sure thing in these ivy league schools, you are wrong. I sincerely hope she gets into the school of her choice (Harvard), as I think she is deserving of the opportunity (Minority or Not).

Most people think that is true but the truth is that if you are minimally qualified and most importantly have the $$ they will accept you if there is an opening. The biggest difference between ivy league colleges and other colleges is the cost. Call admissions at Harvard and they will verify this.
617-495-1551.

[Tom523]

That is funny! I wish he would go hunting with Cheney!

Cheney could guide, Kennedy if he were alive could drive them there and Bill Clinton can stay at the lodge and entertain the wives.