I have to disagree with your point that smart people don’t necessarily make better decisions. I think typically they do. Do you know anyone who drives an Escalade or Hummer? If so, are they smart or dumb (our current govenor included)? On the other hand, most people have varying degrees of selfdestructiveness, regardless of their intellegence level, which can impact their ability to make smart decision.

One of the president’s most important roles is that he represents our country to the rest of the world. I was embarrased by our last president. I think he made us all look dumb in their eyes. At least this president represents that Americans are smart, articulate, diverse, etc.

However, I think it’s important not to confuse eduction with intellegence. There are plenty of college educated, even ivy league, dumbasses and many very smart folks with no higher education at all.

As to the charges of elitism at those who supported Obama. The guy comes from a working class family. He put himself through college and law school. On the other hand, McCain, the Bushes, etc, come from deeply entrenched political extremely wealthy families. Which side had the elitist candidate?

Lastly, I enjoy your posts. I see where your son gets his writing talent.

Actually I’m as elitist as the next guy (pardon the gender-specificity). Who isn’t impressed with a President who, quoting Senator Reid, “doesn’t use Negro dialect except when he wants to.” Hey, me neither!

Seriously & non-sarcastically, the problem with preferring smart folks to run things is the historically unsupported assumption that smart folks make better decisions. The fact is that the opposite is often true. I’ve always suspected it’s due to smart folks possessing more intellectual tools with which they can obscure reality & fail to see common sense.

With reference to our incumbent President, I think one of his blind spots is his apparent assumption that things get done by making speeches about them. I get the feeling that he is most comfortable in the role of “front man,” trying to sell the decisions of others, such as his advisors and his party’s senators and congresspersons (non-gender-specific, cause we mustn’t forget Nancy Pelosi fer sure).

But feel free to ignore me. I’m just one of those old guys symbolically yelling “Get off my lawn!”

On another note, sometimes I don’t post on face book because certain people always comment and I don’t want to hear it. But now I realize I always comment on the philter. Bill, let me know if you’d like me to shut my trap.

But as one old guy on Medicare Advantage, I am indeed counting my blessings. It was the “Miracle of Massachusetts” on Tuesday. Now I have hope that my health care plan won’t be gutted any more than it already was for 2010 (since I don’t live in Florida).