[djcapelis]

Why do you think smart people can't make stupid decisions now and again?

I doubt he's getting full and accurate data and I doubt he's really had time to spend on the issue that this needs given the other major issues that need to be dealt with.

[patrickk]

Two words: Special Interests.

He's probably only getting one side of the story, as the anti-piracy lobby has the money, power and influence to be able to bend the ear of those high up enough to make a difference. Spend enough time listening to one side of the debate, and you have the VP eventually making dumb comments like the Tiffany's quote.

Richard Stallman probably would probably not clear White House security checks (joke)

[edanm]

You know, there's the off chance that: 1. He is smart. 2. As the President of the United States, he is getting all the data he needs. 3. You're the one who's wrong.

I'm not saying it's necessarily true, but it sounds a little funny to say "yeah he's either stupid or ignorant" about someone who is very likely neither. It's possible he just disagrees with you, despite being smart and knowledgeable.

[djcapelis]

Of course that's a possibility.

I merely stated my own personal doubt that inside the echo chamber he was seeing the same things we see and that alone could explain the decision.

I didn't say that was the only possibility. I just mentioned it was the one I thought most likely.

I think it's always important to remember smart people can make stupid decisions based on flawed data. I was reminding the poster I was replying to about this possibility.

I did not actually say that Obama necessarily did this here. Though I do think it likely actually... but it's hard to tell, I don't have lunch with the guy.

[loewenskind]

It doesn't have to be one of:

a) Stupid b) Ignorant c) Wrong

It is most likely that Obama has different motivations then we do so his "right" is different than ours.

[edanm]

Yep, that definitely seems more likely than him being stupid or ignorant.