Former Schroder Spokesman Questions Bush's Intelligence

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   Stacie Lposted 14 years ago

   US President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder in the Berlin Chancellery in May 2002.
   
   Already having been branded a liar by former Chancellor Gerhard Schroder, ex-US President George W. Bush's intelligence has now been questioned by Schroder's former spokesman. Uwe-Karsten Heye said on Wednesday that Bush "had no idea about what was going on in the world."
   
   Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder is hardly a popular figure in Germany these days. His own party, the Social Democrats, has distanced itself from the reforms he made to the country's welfare system. And his decision to take a post-Chancellery job with a company owned by the Russian state-owned fossil fuels firm Gazprom has been widely criticized.
   
   This week, however, he seems to have nothing but friends. Ever since former US President George W. Bush's memoir hit the bookshelves, former German government officials have joined Schroder in questioning the veracity of Bush's portrayal of Germany's position in the run-up to the Iraq invasion.
   
   Indeed, one official, Schroder's former spokesman, has even gone so far as to question Bush's intelligence.
   
   "We noticed that the intellectual level of the (US president) was exceedingly limited," Uwe-Karsten Heye, Schroder's former government spokesman, told the television news station N24 on Wednesday in reference to Bush. "As such, it was difficult for us to communicate with him."
   http://www.spiegel.de/international/wor … 82,00.html
   a lot of people question his intelligence   

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      LillyGrillzitposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      What a shocker!

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      William R. Wilsonposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      http://politicalhumor.about.com/cs/geor … shisms.htm

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      tony0724posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      And all of Asia Europe and most of America questions Obama's intelligence

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         Doug Hughesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         The facts suggest otherwise. Unless you have a factual recent poll?
         
         "The Pew Global Attitudes poll found that a majority of individuals in 16 of the 21 countries surveyed feel confident in Obama as an international leader. Ten of these countries, in fact, express a higher confidence in the president than America does (at 65%). Obama’s popularity remains high in Europe, especially in Germany (where he enjoys a 90% confidence rating), France (87%), and Great Britain (84%).
         
         That said, confidence in Obama fell in Asian countries. Still, more than seven in 10 in Japan (76%), South Korea (75%), and India (73%) approve of the president and his actions. Even in China, a slim majority of the population (52%) has confidence in the American president. Global support for Obama’s foreign policies is not as widespread as it was when he first took office in 2009, but still remains favorable in most countries."
         
         June 17, 2010 from NBC
         http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/20 … n-at-home-

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            tony0724posted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Doug this was from today also.
            
            http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co … 02846.html

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               Doug Hughesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               So you are quoting a conservative editorial opposed to Obama  running in 2012.  Obama is not popular with conservatives.  This is news?

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   habeeposted 14 years ago

   Bush had higher SAT scores than Clinton. Did you see him on Oprah? He was really funny, and he wouldn't say anything negative about Obama, which I found refreshing. His popularity is improving since he left office!

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      Ralph Deedsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      "Bush had higher SAT scores than Clinton."
      
      I don't believe that's true. Clinton would never have been admitted to Yale Law School. Bush was admitted to Yale and Harvard because his grand father and father went there and their political and New England social prominence. Clinton had nothing going for him other than his high intelligence, ambition and social skills.

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         Uninvited Writerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         It's possible, Bush had a private school education, Clinton did not.  However, I don't believe the SAT is a definition of intelligence; not everyone does well on tests.
         
         As I said in the other thread, it's what you do after that counts.

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            Ralph Deedsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Agreed. Character is much more important than intelligence. Bush was deficient on both counts.

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   Aficionadaposted 14 years ago

   Just something that I read years ago:  one commenter said that Bush actually is far more intelligent than the persona he has projected through the years.  He started "dumbing down" his communication style when he realized that voters were turned off by more intelligent modes of speech.  The article that I read gave examples of phrases that he had used before and after making that change.  The purpose, apparently, was exactly what niall.tubbs mentions - to identify with the "common people." 
   
   Well, I guess it worked.  He definitely did create an image that many people perceive to be unintelligent.  But I do realize it is not only his phraseology and malapropisms that have given that impression.  ETA:  Many people will evaluate a person's intelligence based on whether or not the evaluator agrees with the person.

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      habeeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I read that, too, Aficianada. And how did he get that Texas accent?? I wonder if that was exaggerated, also. The guy graduated from Harvard and Yale.

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         PrettyPantherposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Yeah, and that ridiculous swagger.  I believe he was a phony who was in way over his head.

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            Aficionadaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Aren't most Presidents?
            
            I would love to find one who fits the qualifications you listed in your post prior to this one.  There are such people in the world, I know.  But even they, I believe - at least many/most of them - have their own degree of hypocrisy and phoniness.  All of us are human.  We expect more from leaders in every field, but they are human too.

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               PrettyPantherposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               I actually don't think it should be that hard to find people who meet those criteria.  However, if we care more about a potential leader's ability to appear to be a "regular guy" more than we care about their intellect, education, knowledge, and temperament, then we're not setting our standards very high, are we?

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                  niall.tubbsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Deleted
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                     PrettyPantherposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     "Man of the people"  He fooled enough people to get elected.
                     
                     

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   Evan G Rogersposted 14 years ago

   this is news?
   
   We've all been calling the guy a complete moron for ... a decade now?

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      niall.tubbsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Deleted
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         Evan G Rogersposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I vote anarchy - Don't blame this on me!

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   Mighty Momposted 14 years ago

   And an updo!

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   tony0724posted 14 years ago

   http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/obama … /19715160/
   
   http://patdollard.com/2010/11/merkel-re … ake-money/
   
   http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/america … obama.html
   
   http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi … 891717.cms
   
   http://revolutionaryfrontlines.wordpres … -in-seoul/
   
   I guess you have not been keeping up with current events Doug , I have plenty more where that came from. Even CBS slammed his trip.

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   saltposted 14 years ago

   intelligence, thats a big word!!!

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