[argonaut]

1. I don't judge his intelligence by how he spoke at speeches or how he presented himself. I don't usually watch Obama's speeches either. But I judge him based on his record, which was flat out abysmal.

I actually supported the Iraq War, believe it or not, no matter whether there were WMD's (I'm of a slightly interventionist bent when it comes to foreign policy) - but Bush's handling of that war and the War in Afghanistan was absolutely dreadful.

Don't get me started on economic policy or Katrina.

2. As someone pointed out, this judgment of intelligence based on speech doesn't just apply to southerners, it applies to foreigners as well.

[leephillips]

I agree about Obama's abysmal record, and yet he gives every impression of being highly intelligent. Maybe Obama and Bush, therefore, are in the same category, probably along with many others: smart and capable, but somehow, as presidents, producing lousy outcomes because of a process of political compromise that leads to bad decisions.

[argonaut]

Uh, I was talking about Bush's record. I actually think Obama has a fine record, speaking as someone who is economically liberal but somewhat neoconservative on foreign policy,