IQ Test For Presidential Candidates?

As a nation we count on our leaders to be among the most intellectual and educated members of the electorate. After eight years with a President who confuses everything from the presence of weapons of mass destruction to southern proverbs regarding shame and foolery, we should be a little more concerned about the intelligence of our Commander in Chief. Yet even George W. obtained degrees from both Harvard and Yale, despite an SAT score that would prove difficult for admittance to many state schools. Clearly, intelligence isn’t the number one factor voters consider in November, but wait, shouldn’t it be?

McCain, of course, is a graduate of United States Naval Academy and was ranked 894 out of a class of 899. At the age of 73 he remains intimidated by the concept of email (like most grandparents) and continues to confuse the former country of Czecholoslovakia. I hoped he would at least choose a running mate that made up for this lack of knowledge in important areas. Someone who could be an educated reminder on the differences between Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims: a concept McCain has struggled with. However, Sarah Palin’s educational background shows that it appears to have taken her almost six years to complete college at six different schools. She began her studies at Hawaii Pacific, transferred to a two-year school in Northern Idaho, and eventually earned a degree in journalism from University of Idaho in 1987.

In contrast, Obama attended the University of Columbia followed by Harvard Law School where he graduated magna cum laude and served as the President of the Harvard Law Review. Joe Biden also obtained a law degree from Syracuse University and the two currently serve as law professors at respected universities. As the next possible law enforcer of our nation, it should be reassuring to voters that both individuals have extensive legal knowledge. But then again, this is America.

Throughout this campaign, Republicans have used Obama’s status as an Ivy League graduate in an attempt to portray him as elitist. I thought attacking someone for being smart and educated stopped after middle school. Don’t we want our President to be one of the smartest and most elite members of our Nation?

In the recent past, Democrats have nominated educated individuals to take on Bush and the GOP. The problem was that, although intelligent, Al Gore had trouble energizing a room, let alone a nation, and to this day no one could tell you the main message from the John Kerry campaign. Also back then, Americans preferred a President that they could drink a beer with rather than the capacity to lead a college classroom. I hope we have learned from our naivety because now we are now faced with a similar choice. Do we pick the maverick and hockey mom, who, despite their weak educational backgrounds promise to shake up Washington, or do we go with the analytical professors, who we know will think critically and carefully before they change up Washington.