Pres. Bush is Smarter Than You May Think

Ever since January 20, 2001, President George W. Bush—hold all cheers/jeers to yourself please—has been on the wrong end of a myriad of jokes. I have watched countless television shows, mainly liberal-based, have their way with the President’s quotations and mannerisms. Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” said on a recent episode, “President Bush does not talk as if he’s stupid. He talks as if his audience is stupid.” Almost all of the jokes are comical references to his intelligence, particularly during any of his televised speeches and press conferences. But I have a very serious topic I would like to discuss with you. I’m here to present to you today an incredible truth: President Bush is smarter than you may think (gasp). Now I know that to most people, regardless of political affiliation, this is as radical an idea as proving the world was round in the 16th century. However, I will attempt to convince you of this drastic theory by showing that because he is leader of this nation, his mistakes are more amplified than others. This is not based on political strategies, the war in Iraq, oil, civilian cellphone taps, U.S. government secrets, (I'm sorry, did I just write that?) or the like. This is only about Bush as a human being, and I will show how human nature is involved in his mistakes more than what some would call sheer lack of wisdom.
First, understand that President Bush does have a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University, and a Master’s in Business Administration from Harvard Business School. For most people, someone being accepted to Yale is a major accomplishment, and graduating with a Bachelor’s from there, as well as getting a Master’s from Harvard is remarkable. But, for some reason, these achievements get overlooked when mentioning the President. Yes, this is the same man that choked on a pretzel; but many people have incorrectly swallowed food. He does not have exceptional oratory skills, like previous presidents such as John F. Kennedy, and he does not write his own speeches. Michael Gerson is his speechwriter for this term, and Bush rarely has the opportunity to review them before he addresses the public. All of us have stumbled and hesitated through something that we’ve written for ourselves in front of a classroom, so imagine attempting to read something someone else wrote for you after receiving it five minutes before you’re live in front of a camera where millions nationwide will hear what you say. Even presidents get nervous.
Now let’s look at the causes of President Bush’s mistakes. A lot of President Bush’s verbal mishaps are, for those of you that have taken Psych, a Freudian slip. This occurs when there is an error in speech, memory or physical action that is believed to be caused by the unconscious mind. For example, during a September 2006 speech in one of the rooms in the White House, President Bush made this innocent mistake while discussing the Patriot Act:

"The Patriot Act has increased the flow of information within our government and it has helped break up terrorist cells in the United States of America. And the United States Congress was right to renew the terrorist act -- the Patriot Act."

Antagonists would argue that this just proves his lack of intelligence, but everyone has done this on more than one occasion. If others are given a pass and their mistakes are considered “slips of the tongue,” then why doesn’t the President of the United States receive the same leniency?
Also, as President of the United States, one of his most important domestic jobs, especially during times of “war,” is to make sure that he appears calm and in control so us citizens will not panic. So when he’s bombarded with questions in his press conferences, he has to answer them in a way that doesn’t give out too much information, but also in a way in which he appears to know what he’s talking about and that he is in firm control of this nation and the situation at hand. This usually leads to redundant statements. For example, when asked about his recent Iraqi proposal to further speed up the end of the war, he said, “the reasonable proposal we have is…the proposal.” And, in response to one of the many questions based on the war in Iraq, he replied, "If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure." These answers are not accidental. He and members of his Cabinet have sort of a rehearsal before any of his press conferences. He cannot be totally honest in answering the media’s questions; because he would most likely reveal some information that would send the public into mayhem.
So in conclusion, I implore you, do not be so quick to judge President Bush’s intelligence. I’m not asking you to agree with his political theories and strategies, but do not let a few innocent mistakes formulate your opinions on his mental ability. There isn’t a perfect human being on this planet, and becoming famous does not put you on a pedestal above anyone else, nor does it bring you closer to perfection. No, he is not a Rhodes scholar, probably not anywhere close to being one, but everyone makes mistakes. After all, he was elected leader of the nation—twice. But look on the bright side, as President Bush himself once said, “The future will be better…tomorrow.”