Are the Republicans actually going to nominate someone for President that isn't stupid?

Question

I've been listening to the Republican candidates for President. Something out of the ordinary has happened. None of the top contenders seem stupid. Now don't get me wrong. The Democrats have more competent candidates. However, it looks like this time the Republicans have got some intelligence. We haven't had a truly intelligent Republican get their party's nomination since Nixon ( eventhough he had to resign ). Am I imagining things, or have the Republicans finally figured out that intelligence is a worthy characteristic to have for a President ?

Answer 1

It's your imagination. Even if you categorize some of the candidates (not Tancredo, Brownback, Thompson) as intelligent, look at the stupid things they have to say, and the "flip-flopping" they have to do to distance themselves from moderate sensible policies they have championed in the past.

When 30% of your candidates disavow evolution, and they're still in the race, you know it's going to be like watching a Stooges movie marathon.

Answer 2

I take some exception to a question like that, I'm convinced that anybody who gets himself elected as President in this day and age is at least of average intelligence, if not better.
Anyway Presidents run around with cartloads of advisors,
and some of them are certainly not stupid.
Karl Rove is considered an Evil Genius by many, so his intelligence isn't questioned by anyone.
So the current President is not stupid ( He's certainly not the
smartest President ever either though ).
But he has become the victim of an overhasty reaction, a total
misjudgement of a situation, and choosing for a then popular
well supported and apparently easy solution.
( Kicking Saddam Hussein's a** ).
He underestimated the trouble ahead and has dug himself a
Hole he can no longer climb out of.
Bush is a stubborn, proud, loyal to his friends President,
He can't handle criticism very well, and overrates his own political importance.
This is fine if sailing is smooth, maybe even desirable as qualities to be looked for in a President.
But things have gone terribly wrong, and now it is working
against him. He doesn't cooperate very well with people not
totally supportive of him. He is a Black and White thinker.
Flexibility just isn't one of his characteristics.
He does feel the buck stops with him and him alone.
And he is a determined fool at times trying to achieve the
unachievable. Sometimes politics don't work like that.
He is also now a prisoner of his own political choices, veering to and catering to his power base ( The right wing of
the Republican Party ), so he is tied hand and foot to their political agenda now.
He has become a President by Proxy, and could not change
direction if he wanted to.
Middle of the road America won't return to him, and his hard core supporters would cry out in horror and indignation.
Support would plummet to unbelievable dephts.
So I have some secret admiration for the man in stubbornly
' staying the course ' because if it goes all very wrong ( And
I think it will, obviously ) his legacy as a President will be mud.
To go down in History as a failure ( on this one vital issue )
must be hard to swallow, but I fear he'll drag all Replubican
Candidates running for President with him into the Abbys.
If they stick close to him (ideologically), they are dead ducks.
Let's see if one of them is intelligent enough to gently and slowly detach himself without being shot down by Neo - Cons
and appeal to a wider audience.
America could do with a Republican Party getting back in touch with ' Mainstream ' America, it would do the country
as a whole a world of good.

Answer 3

I don't think either party can completely abandon their base constituants. They're partisan and want their legeslators and president to reflect this.
And how intelligent are the American voters?
Also ... ever since the last half of the 20th Century
presidents seem to be ( with a few exceptions ) fronting for the corporations and monied interests that control things behind the scenes. In effect, they are figure heads.

Answer 4

There are serious intelligent Republican aspirants for the Presidency but were unlucky to face any of the Democrats that are favored to win.

VOTE for your choice as US President on my 360 degrees blog and know who will likely win.

Answer 5

I love this question! I hope they nominate Ron Paul, because even though I don't agree with everything he stands for, at least he is against the war, and he wants to abolish the Federal Reserve and the Patriot Act. *sm*

Answer 6

You are living i a dream world. There is not so much as one viable candidate in the race at this time. They are all losers and if the American people place any of them in office we are in real trouble.

Answer 7

Only if Hilary of Obama switch parties.

Answer 8

Their will be plenty to out run Hillary.

Answer 9

Two words: "Battlefield Earth".