The Only Intelligent Congressman

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03 Mar 2011, 5:18 am

It turns out the only Congressman capable of doing non-trivial mathematics is Rush Holt (he represents my district in New Jersey). He has a PhD in physics from New York University. By Heinlein's criterion he is the only fully human being in Congress. But he is a Democrat! Damn!

ruveyn

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03 Mar 2011, 9:00 am

Starship Troopers, and Stranger in a strange land were overrated $h!t books.

number5
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03 Mar 2011, 9:58 am

ruveyn wrote:

The smart ones often are :wink:

I heard about this guy. Didn't he beat Watson? I'm not generally a big fan of anything that comes out of NJ, but I must give the state credit for many of its representatives who seem to have a big edge above the rest when it comes to intelligence.

sgrannel
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03 Mar 2011, 12:30 pm

Why won't the voters choose politicians with a science/engineering/math background? In theory, voters are free to choose these individuals, but for some reason they don't. If you voted against him just because he's a democrat, then you're also contributing to the popular bias against electing people with meaningful skills.

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03 Mar 2011, 12:50 pm

sgrannel wrote:

There are probably two main reasons:
1) Such people are not inclined to enter politics. Lawyers and businessmen are much more interested in politics and power; scientists and mathematicians are usually content in their labs, or trying to prove a new theorem, or trying to build and tinker.
2) The stereotypical "geeky" scientist/engineer/mathematician lacks the charisma and interpersonal skills to campaign successfully.

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03 Mar 2011, 2:48 pm

ruveyn wrote:

I envy you sir.
But as a Democrat, at least he's playing for my team.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

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03 Mar 2011, 5:08 pm

ruveyn wrote:

Well that gives me yet another reason to think our entire education system is a disaster.

In all seriousness so he has a physics degree, that doesn't mean he understands economics or has any common sense.

He is not the only person in congress with a college degree.

He attended Joseph A. Craig High School in Janesville and went on to graduate from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a B.A. in economics and political science in 1992 and is a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ryan

She graduated from Winona State University and later received her J.D. degree from Oral Roberts University and an LL.M. degree in tax law from the William & Mary Law School.[8][dead link] She was a member of the final graduating class of Oral Roberts' law school, and was part of a group of faculty, staff, and students who moved the ORU law school to what is now Regent University.[9]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michele_Bachmann

Boehner attended Cincinnati's Moeller High School and was a linebacker on the school's football team, where he was coached by future Notre Dame coach Gerry Faust.[7] Graduating from Moeller in 1968, when U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War was at its peak, Boehner enlisted in the United States Navy but was honorably discharged after eight weeks because of a bad back.[8] He earned his B.A. in business administration from Xavier University in 1977, becoming the first person in his family to attend college, taking seven years as he held several jobs to pay for his education.[5]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Boehner

visagrunt
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03 Mar 2011, 6:04 pm

Inuyasha wrote:

Disaster? On what basis?!?

Let's not pretend for a moment that an undergraduate or a professional degree is in any way comparable with a Ph.D. I have four degrees, two undergraduate and two professional, and I would never claim that I have made an original contribution to knowledge in my field--which is the baseline for a Ph.D. from any reputable university.

Now you may have a point that this intellectual accomplishment is not, in and of itself, any guarantee of suitability for public office--but the same can be said of the qualifications held by the others that you cite.

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03 Mar 2011, 6:34 pm

@ visagrunt

However the degrees of the people I have given as examples actually relate to their current job.

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03 Mar 2011, 6:54 pm

Inuyasha wrote:

@ visagrunt

However the degrees of the people I have given as examples actually relate to their current job.

Weren't conservative objects of worship Newt Gingrich a history major, and Sarah Palin a sports journalism student? Not every Republican is going to fit in your criteria for proper education.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

Inuyasha
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03 Mar 2011, 6:56 pm

Kraichgauer wrote:

Inuyasha wrote:

@ visagrunt

However the degrees of the people I have given as examples actually relate to their current job.

Uh history is actually relevant to a career in Government, and Sarah Palin actually has business experience.

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03 Mar 2011, 7:26 pm

Inuyasha wrote:

In all seriousness so he has a physics degree, that doesn't mean he understands economics or has any common sense.

I don't think ruveyn made any such claim. In fact, ruveyn seemed disappointed that he was a Democrat.

For the record, a total of three physicists have served in Congress. Two were liberal Democrats, one was a moderate Republican whose votes split right down the center.

Quote:

He is not the only person in congress with a college degree.

Of course not, most people in congress have a degree of some sort. But most of them were business majors, which means that the hardest classes they took in their time at college were easier than the stuff I took in high school. Business is the biggest cakewalk major there is. There are very few politicians with degrees in rigorous or technical fields that actually require a high level of intelligence.

Quote:

He attended Joseph A. Craig High School in Janesville and went on to graduate from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a B.A. in economics and political science in 1992 and is a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ryan

Poli sci is an incredibly easy major, with econ it depends on the university (at my school econ is a cakewalk) but I know a lot of people at MU Oxford and my impression of that school is not at all favorable.

Quote:

She graduated from Winona State University and later received her J.D. degree from Oral Roberts University and an LL.M. degree in tax law from the William & Mary Law School.[8][dead link] She was a member of the final graduating class of Oral Roberts' law school, and was part of a group of faculty, staff, and students who moved the ORU law school to what is now Regent University.[9]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michele_Bachmann

Evangelical diploma mill.

Quote:

Boehner attended Cincinnati's Moeller High School and was a linebacker on the school's football team, where he was coached by future Notre Dame coach Gerry Faust.[7] Graduating from Moeller in 1968, when U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War was at its peak, Boehner enlisted in the United States Navy but was honorably discharged after eight weeks because of a bad back.[8] He earned his B.A. in business administration from Xavier University in 1977, becoming the first person in his family to attend college, taking seven years as he held several jobs to pay for his education.[5]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Boehner

Business major is not impressive. You can quite easily be drunk out of your mind for four years solid (and knowing Boehner, he probably was) and still earn a business degree.

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cave_canem
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03 Mar 2011, 7:52 pm

Orwell wrote:

Business major is not impressive. You can quite easily be drunk out of your mind for four years solid (and knowing Boehner, he probably was) and still earn a business degree.

lol, you could say the same thing about engineering. actually, i thought being drunk like that was a pre-requisite for engineering.

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03 Mar 2011, 8:28 pm

cave_canem wrote:

Orwell wrote:

Business major is not impressive. You can quite easily be drunk out of your mind for four years solid (and knowing Boehner, he probably was) and still earn a business degree.

lol, you could say the same thing about engineering. actually, i thought being drunk like that was a pre-requisite for engineering.

Actually Orwell, that could be chalked up as a personal attack of Speaker Boehner if you looked up his background.

When he was 8 years old, Boehner started working in the family bar. His sister, Linda Meineke, still works there.

"They think he's a rich guy who's got this tan, goes into tanning beds, plays golf all the time, goes to the country club," she said. "That's not John Boehner."

The first person in his family to attend college, he worked his way through night school as a janitor. He met his wife of 35 years, Debbie, after emptying her trash bin. The couple has two adult daughters.

"I've spent my whole life chasing the American dream," he said Tuesday night. "I put myself through school working every rotten job there was and every shift I could find."

After his graduation, Boehner worked as a salesman at a small plastics company and eventually became president.

"I poured my heart and soul into a small business," he told supporters Tuesday night. "When I saw how out of touch Washington had become with the core values of this great nation, I put my name forward and ran for office."

He was elected to Congress in 1990 and has been the House minority leader since 2007. He was a member of the "Gang of Seven," a group of freshmen GOP lawmakers who launched an ethics crusade against House veterans accused of various abuses.
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/american-dream ... 868&page=2

Looks like he was too busy with a part time job and actually being responsible to go out and get drunk.

ruveyn
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03 Mar 2011, 8:41 pm

Inuyasha wrote:

Actually Orwell, that could be chalked up as a personal attack of Speaker Boehner if you looked up his background.

.

Personal attacks on politicians are not only permitted, but necessary.

Anyone who seeks to have authority over anyone but their children is inherently evil.

ruveyn

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03 Mar 2011, 10:23 pm

ruveyn wrote:

Inuyasha wrote:

Actually Orwell, that could be chalked up as a personal attack of Speaker Boehner if you looked up his background.

.

Personal attacks on politicians are not only permitted, but necessary.

Anyone who seeks to have authority over anyone but their children is inherently evil.

ruveyn

Evil might be a bit too strong of a word. But certainly, in order to be good citizens, we have to watch our leaders, and if necessary, be critical of them.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

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