I know a shallow intellect when I see it — or why Obama’s carpet and Jan Brewer’s brain freeze are two sides of the same coin

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I know a shallow intellect when I see it — or why Obama’s carpet and Jan Brewer’s brain freeze are two sides of the same coin

Written By : Bookworm

When I was in high school, I developed a trick to make myself look smarter. I learned the beginning of a few key quotations, all tied into the classical literary or historic canon. At appropriate moments in a conversation, I’d start the quote, and then quickly trail off, as if I didn’t want to bore the listener with the whole thing. That left the listener with the impression, completely untrue, that I actually knew the whole work from which the quotation was drawn.

“Well, of course he’s lazy. It’s like ‘the lilies of the field’ all over again. But you were saying?”

“I know, I know. ‘To thine own self be true,’ and all that. But isn’t it time that he began doing something for others?”

“Well, it’s like Dickens said: ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.’ Some people like what Obama’s doing better than others do.”

In each case, I left the impression that I was intimately acquainted with Christ’s sermons, Shakespeare’s plays, or Dickens’ lively prose. I can do the same thing with Chaucer, Donne, Byron, Lincoln, etc. I throw out a clause and then stop abruptly, leaving the quite false impression that there’s a depth of knowledge there.

Now that I’m older, I don’t actually play this game anymore. It was a great trick when I was young, since it impressed older people. I finally figured out, though, that it turned off my peers who knew, correctly, that I was being arrogant. Being more mature has its virtues, some of which actually offset the wrinkles and gray hair. Not engaging in cheap parlor tricks to create false impressions about my smarts is one of those time-learned virtues.

Which brings me around to Obama, of course. As you’ve probably heard by now, his Oval Office remodel, in addition to reminding some (myself included) of generic conference rooms and hotel lobbies, has a major inaccuracy in it: the specially designed carpet incorrectly attributes a quotation to Martin Luther King. Martin Luther King did indeed say that “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” The problem with the Oval Office carpet is that he didn’t originate those words. Instead, Theodore Parker, an abolitionist who died on the eve of the Civil War, spoke those lovely words.

One could say that this is a small mistake, since the words are by now strongly associated with Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement. However, we’re not just talking about my making a mistake in a little conversation when I’m throwing my (false) intellectual weight around. Instead, we’re talking memorializing language in a carpet, in the office of the most powerful man in the world.

Someone ought to have taken the time to do a little investigation to make sure that all was accurate. Indeed, anyone with any depth of knowledge when it came to King should have been especially careful, since King was known to borrow words, both legitimately (as here, where he never claimed that Parker’s were his words, although he didn’t attribute them either) and illegitimately (as with his lifelong plagiarism problem). King was a brilliant, brave and, where it counted, a moral man, but that doesn’t erase the historical fact that you’d better double-check to make sure that his words were always his own.

All of which leads Thomas Lifson to reach a few conclusions about Obama himself:

The error perfectly encapsulates the shallowness of Barack Obama’s intellect, and his lack of rigor. Obama is a man who accumulated academic credentials while giving no evidence whatsoever of achieving any depth. He was the only president of the Harvard Law Review to graduate without penning a signed article in that esteemed journal. His academic transcripts remain under lock and key, as do his academic papers.

For the sort of people like David Brooks of the New York Times, who are impressed by fancy degrees and a sharp crease in the trousers, Obama may appear to be the smartest ever occupant of the Oval Office. But, as the old joke goes, deep down, he is shallow. Underfoot, literally, there is woven into his background a prominent vein of phoniness.

For some reason or other, Obama has been able to skate through academia and politics without ever being seriously challenged to prove his depth. A simple veneer of glibness has been enough to win the accolades of the liberal intelligentsia. But now that he has actual responsibilities — including relatively trivial ones like custodianship of the inner sanctum of the presidency — his lack of substance keeps showing up in visible, embarrassing and troubling ways.

Yup. Been there, done that myself. But I outgrew it. He hasn’t.

Incidentally, you see the flip side of all of this with Jan Brewer’s paralyzing moment of silence during the debate. Jan Brewer is not glib. Instead, she is more of a Moses:

Then Moses said to the LORD, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” (Exodus, 4:10)

I don’t think that anyone would argue that Moses’ slow speech meant that he had a slow intellect, lacked leadership abilities, or that he was ethically challenged. No one — at least no one who isn’t as shallow as a plate — would conflate moral heft or intelligence with glibness. Oh, wait. I’m wrong. Everyone on the Left does exactly that.

To the Left, the fact that Obama reads well from the teleprompter and tosses around a few erudite phrases (and he has well-creased pants, per David Brooks) means, ipso facto, that the man must be a genius. (And since I’m a lawyer, I do get to throw around the phrase ipso facto with a certain professional aplomb.) Who cares that he has a blank record when it comes to actual proof of intelligence, common sense, practical abilities or moral compass?

And about Jan Brewer? Forget her effective time as governor, and the brave and moral stance she’s taken on behalf of Arizonans (and other Americans) by standing up to the federal government for its refusal to enforce its own laws. If you’re a Progressive, the fact that she suffered a momentary brain freeze means she’s obviously an idiot, as are all the people who look past the words and into her depths, and who support her on account of the latter qualities, not the former.

As I said at the top of this post, I know a shallow intellect when I see it.

Cross-posted at Bookworm Room

the_hawk

What a great post!

I see it as supporting people who walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
http://honestyinmotion.blogspot.com GS

I went crazy on this a couple of days ago.

http://honestyinmotion.blogspot.com/2010/09/brewers-moment-lost-in-time.html

I used Thomas Jefferson instead of Moses, but same deal. Poor public speaker, but nobody would argue that TJeff was stupid.
Martha

You also know shallow intellect from intimate acquaintance.
Huron Voyager

I agree, you are a shallow intellect.
TheDickNixon

still waiting on the cops Huron.
Living_Right_In_CA

Bark Bark Moonbat!
Ubeen Kneecapped

You know shallow intellect when you see it simply from looking in the mirror.

File under: much ado about nada.
Mr. EMT

Bet you see nothing when you look in your mirror, little guy.
Intellect is something you totally miss.
Mr. EMT

And you have simian intellect.
You can not even use proper english to attempt to insult someone.
Mr. EMT

Your parents say the same about you when they are trying to be polite.
Face it, when have you ever showed you possess any intellect?
You can not even discuss the topic at hand.
Just throw a lame insult used by the other two stooges making the same grunting intelligible noises as you.
Martha

LOL. U R kinda cute when you try to insult your betters – you know, in the 'let's put the monkey in a suit and let him attend the party' way. Now, if you could only learn to tell time.
UFKA_Smithwick

“You also know shallow intellect from intimate acquaintance”

Martha 3hours ago (at the time of writing this).

“I agree, you are a shallow intellect”

Huron Voyager 3 hours ago.

Hmm . . . .
Mr. EMT

They are in a long distance relationship with each other.
Mr. EMT

My betters don't use single letters and numbers to spell words, moron.
Thinking you are better than me? How judgmental of you.
A basement dwelling jobless hypocritical sanctimonious “Christian” in name only, treasonous, military hating commie queer is nothing but a bottom feeding dreg of society.
The only thing you are better at than I am, is being a born loser.
Hotspur1

Ad hominem.

Try again, crappy troll.
mightysamurai

You really seem to have thrown the trolls for a loop, Bookworm. The best response they've been able to muster so far is “Uh…well…takes one to know one!”
Hotspur1

What is with all the trolls and their ad hominem attacks? They haven't once tried to refute the merits of the post.

Apparently, being a liberal means being reduced to name-calling.
Jane

The quote on the oval office carpet is no more a mistake than attributing a “Shining City on a Hill” to Reagan is a mistake, which happens all he time.
Mr. EMT

Mistake implies something done by accident.
After enough accidents, you loose the ability to claim “mistake” and you are just incompetent.
In either event, you want to come off ignorant nothing works better than quoting the wrong source.
Such as you do, jane.
You tried to use this point before, it didnt work then, what makes you think it would now, other than some form of mental insanity?
Mr. EMT

Old chinese proverb:
The man who strikes first admits that his ideas have given out

“If you're going to shoot then shoot, dont talk” ~Eli Wallach in The Good the Bad and the Ugly

Liberal = Too chicken to fight, too stupid to think.
http://www.facebook.com/abirmandal Abir Mandal

The same arguments were also used against Bush, Jr, who, as we can well see now, turned out to be a way better pres of the US than Mr Mom Jeans– in fact, one can say, a way better man.
billdalasio

Hotspur1, I'd say that Mr. Bookworm's post hit a bit close to home for many of our trollish friends. The sum total of their arguments amounts to “proving” their intelligence with a quick web link or a third-hand reference. Calling them on it amounts to a collosal assault on their sense of self.
Proud Infidel

Hmm,.. very well said, I very clearly remember watching Pres. Obama's speech to a small crowd at NSA Panama City Beach without his 'prompter, and every 2nd or 3rd word had a profuse “uh” or “umm” before the next. I watched a FOX report last night (local time) where Robert Gibbs had his head handed to him on a platter, he was hissyfitting like our soiled-diaper moonbats here!!

It's the end of the first week of the month, and the moonbats are back. I'm certain that they're done drinking, snorting, and smoking their welfare checks, so now they're back to posting troll droppings from the public library free internet stations after filching off charities!
http://www.patriotpost.com bthewolf

Pot mee kettle, idiot.
http://www.patriotpost.com bthewolf

Spoken like someone who has to put down others to inflate their own sensitive and over-inflated ego.
http://www.patriotpost.com bthewolf

Says Huron Stupidity, king of the 'I have no intellect' set.
http://www.patriotpost.com bthewolf

Spoken like a true anti-intellectual.

Filed under: Liberalism is a mental disorder.
http://www.patriotpost.com bthewolf

Racist!
Kingfisher

Wow, did you come up with that *snort* fantastic response all by yourself or did you have help from your multiple mommies, special ed teachers and parole officer?
mightysamurai

I have never heard of anyone who ever claimed that Ronald Reagan came up with the phrase “shining city on a hill”.
http://www.patriotpost.com bthewolf

Who's attributing that phrase to Reagan, I've heard reference to the speech in which he used that phrase, but I don't see any saying he coined it.

More stupidity a vapid 'intellectual' leftard.
whats_up

More of the same, Liberals are really dumb, Conservatives are really smart, blah, blah, blah.
StanW

Glad to see you finally understand, crthns. You may go now.
Proud Infidel

U-Be, DO try to come up with an intellectual response for a change, I see that you and your troll ilk have returned, you've spent the past few days drinking, smoking, and snorting your welfare checks, and now you're back to posting your drivel from the public library computers after filching from charities!

WE are the RIGHT, WE WILL OVERCOME beginning in less than 2 months!
Proud Infidel

Yup, Dr. Savage is RIGHT!
Proud Infidel

Like I said to your fellow troll, DO try to say something civil and intelligent for a change, but you can't, you're just too juvenile.
UFKA_Smithwick

Because the left never brought up Bushs intelligence when he was president.

Bwhaahahahahahahahahahahah.
UFKA_Smithwick

Cool story.

Let me know when it's sewn in to a rug in the whitehouse.
http://www.patriotpost.com bthewolf

“More of the same, Liberals are really dumb, Conservatives are really smart, blah, blah, blah.”

More of the same WU can't counter the argument, so he deflects and attempts derision instead.
TheDickNixon

David Duke. Bush. 2004.

Blah blah.
TheDickNixon

Who is Bush Jr?
Kingfisher

That's you're best shot? ROFL!

What's the matter, is your government-issued union speechwriter out on part of his twenty-week vacation?

You should have just left this thread alone. My advice, quit before you REALLY make an ass of yourself.
Benito

In the last four months Jan Brewer has been caught lying, three times and counting.

The comments made on June 16, 2010, and June 27, 2010, clearly indicates that the Brewer says that immigrants are beheading people in the United States desert. She first ran away from the question and the press when confronted with the question. She finally when to FOX/ FAKE News to recant her lie.

When Brewer was confronted with the fact the two of her top Advisors (Paul Senseman, Chuck Coughlin) are lobbyist for “Private Prisons” giant CCA she first ran away from the question and the press.

In an attempt to gain sympathy, she first said her father had died in Germany fighting the Nazi in World War II (which ended 1945) but of course we find out the truth that her father was never in Germany and died in California in 1955. Do you see a trend here?

Brewer signed into law SB 1070 Bill (Did she even read it?), lied about the crime rates in AZ (even Janet Napolitano knows that all crimes rates went down), and now we find out that she is in the pockets of PRIVATE PRISONS who stand to benefit with the increase Federal jailing, and thus they will pay her back, I wonder if it has to do anything about the fact that her son was transferred to a brand new prison, he was convicted for rape and sexual assault, I guess the fruit does not fall far the tree.

“Private Prisons Lie”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMcgXxzcBeY

“AZ Crime Rates”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eb4mMk6XgQ

“Father Lie”
http://vodpod.com/watch/3771595-charles-krauthammer-rips-jan-brewer-for-lying-about-her-father-dying-in-ww2
http://www.patriotpost.com bthewolf

Care to post on topic? What does anything you posted have to do with Brewers intellect, or Obamas?
CoolCzech

“More of the same, Liberals are really dumb and about to lose power, Conservatives are really smart, and about to give Liberals the boot. Big Time.

There, Fixed That For You, whats_up! BTW, you DO remember the 8 years of snide comments about Bush, “McChimpy” and “nucular,” right?? I don't remember you being particularly upset by all that…
Jane

Reagan's “Shining City on a Hill” is often associated with him. And when it is, no one, at least no one with intelligence, is suggesting he coined it. Rather, they they are point to his usage of it as an example of the President's view of America.

In the same way, Obama is not saying that King coined the carpet phrase. Rather, he is associating it with King because of the important context in which King used it. Same thing.
TeaPartyNation

FACT: BREWER IS SO SHALLOW, SHE MAKES “You Lie!” hussein APPEAR TO HAVE THE DEPTH OF THE GRAND CANYON.

FYI: Arizona Gov Brewer is a dim-witted (she's down at the Alvin Greene level) TAX-AND-SPEND RINO who has done essentially NOTHING to help the state's and country's ILLEGALS problem, except sign State Sen. Russell Pearce's outstanding bill and pander to voters for her re-election. Pearce is the legislative genius behind ALL of Arizona's outstanding immigration reform laws. Pass that on to the uninformed mentally challenged that actually think Brewer, who just imposed $3 BILLION in additional taxes on Arizona citizens to give to unions and big government, is “presidential material” (for the d-crat socialists, maybe!).

However, as pathetically bad as brewer is, her lunatic-left d-crat socialist opponent is worse. Voting for brewer will be like voting for lying, phony-conservative AMNESTY-JOHN mccain – one must hold one's nose and hope the experience doesn't make one too sick and nauseous.
Jane

And no on in the Obama admin is suggested that King came up with the Carpet phrase. Rather, they are reminding us that King used it in a context that is important to this era.
Jane

It wasn't a mistake. It was a clear reference to King's usage of the phrase to make a very modern point.
percivalcreek

Let me know when it's sewn in to a rug in the whitehouse.

Precisely. That was the point made several days ago. Typically, Ms. Weekend Update failed to address it.
percivalcreek

Oh! Noes!

I guess that means Brewer will win re-election by 20 points instead of 25, huh.
Mr. EMT

Spin fail.
You are a dumbass and your lack of education is showing.
They gave a quote and they were wrong about the source of the quote.
The end.
A stupid sot like you would not have known that king had not been the originator of the quote if someone else did not point it out.
Mr. EMT

It wasn't a mistake, you are right.
It was gross incompetence.
Now the rug is trash and will have to be replaced.
Which would have been done by the next president anyway, however now obamao is going to have to replace the rug himself unless he wants to look like a boob to the world for his last days in office.
Oh wait, too late he already does look like a dumbass to the world.
mightysamurai

And no on in the Obama admin is suggested that King came up with the Carpet phrase.

Are you retarded? The words are stitched into the carpet with the name “Martin Luther King, Jr.” underneath them. They forgot to do the due diligence and incorrectly attributed the quote to Dr. King. Deal with it.
mightysamurai

Reagan's “Shining City on a Hill” is often associated with him.

By whom? Who are these mysterious individuals who allegedly associate “shining city on a hill” solely with Ronald Reagan?
Proud Infidel

FOrgive me for the digression, but here's another hero of the left calling for MORE government control over our lives, it's Chris Dodd this time:http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=200637