Do Republicans care about integrity, or is it a nuisance?

[Lorizael]

Heaven forbid we have an educated president.

[Wezil]

It wasn't his education the media commented on young one.

It was his image.

[Wezil]

Ivy league prep boy was coming out from under Reagen's shadow.

[Lorizael]

It wasn't his education the media commented on young one.

It was his image.

Yes, his image as an educated individual. It irritates the hell out of me that we do that. I don't want an aw shucks down to earth kinda guy running my goddamn country. I want the most brilliant person available.

[Wezil]

No no and no.

It had nothing to do with his education, it was the worry he wasn't tough enough (the Russians were still a threat in those days...).

Do they not have preppies anymore?

[Lorizael]

Okay. I'll accept your analysis of the political situation given that I was barely alive during Reagan's time. But I do believe we (Americans, at least) are often critical of a candidate's education in more or less the same way that jocks bully nerds in high school. It's kind of ridiculous.

Yes, we've still got preppies.

[kentonio]

Okay. I'll accept your analysis of the political situation given that I was barely alive during Reagan's time. But I do believe we (Americans, at least) are often critical of a candidate's education in more or less the same way that jocks bully nerds in high school. It's kind of ridiculous.

Yes, we've still got preppies.

You're right about the American shift towards being critical of education, but the prep school thing is not about education, it's the same thing we have here where public school boys (I.E. private school) are seen as privileged rich kids. People are less likely to vote for someone who they don't think can relate to the problems in their lives. It's also one of Mitt Romneys flaws. How does a guy from a rich family who has a personal fortune of about $250m relate to the problems of a blue collar worker struggling to feed their family?

[Wezil]

Okay. I'll accept your analysis of the political situation given that I was barely alive during Reagan's time. But I do believe we (Americans, at least) are often critical of a candidate's education in more or less the same way that jocks bully nerds in high school. It's kind of ridiculous.

Yes, we've still got preppies.

We share some of the same (perverse) attitude. Our current Conservative government doesn't have much use for education or facts.

[DaShi]

QFT

He is quoting you, afterall.

[DaShi]

We share some of the same (perverse) attitude. Our current Conservative government doesn't have much use for education or facts.

Ours too.

[rah]

It's also one of Mitt Romneys flaws. How does a guy from a rich family who has a personal fortune of about $250m relate to the problems of a blue collar worker struggling to feed their family?

Considering how much money it takes to run a presidential campaign these days, I doubt any candidate can truly relate. By the time they reach the point of running they are already quite wealthy. Maybe not $250 mil wealthy but more than enough that they have long since not worried about their family's next meal.

[DaShi]

Roosevelt did!

[rah]

Yes, that kind of sums it up. Look how far back you had to go. Every candidate since has had the same flaw as Romney. I just find it a funny they make such a big deal about his money. Obama is not poor.

[Lorizael]

I am almost as disdainful of the whole too rich to relate thing as I am of the too smart to relate thing. Here are my ideal qualifications for president: >= 35 years old, natural born American citizen, hasn't been president twice before, ridiculously smart, able to negotiate with Congress, able to negotiate with foreign powers, honestly desires to serve the country, obeys my telepathic commands.

[kentonio]

Yes, that kind of sums it up. Look how far back you had to go. Every candidate since has had the same flaw as Romney. I just find it a funny they make such a big deal about his money. Obama is not poor.

Obama did not spend his whole life wealthy. There's no need to elect someone poor to the Presidency but having a leader who has actual experienced a normal lifestyle makes them a lot more likely to understand how real people live.

I am almost as disdainful of the whole too rich to relate thing as I am of the too smart to relate thing.

There was a super-rich woman on the news yesterday who had inherited her fortune and decided to announce that poor people just weren't working hard enough. This is not an uncommon syndrome amongst people who have never had to struggle in any way.

It might not matter to you in the slightest, but it matters to many, many millions of voters who are first and foremost voting to elect a leader who will represent their best interests.