I would suggest that 1-having, 2-using, common sense is in fact a measure of one's "intelligence". Remember, certain cultures place greater value on certain aspects. I might be book smart and able to run a nuclear power plant, but when it comes to basic life skills like farming, hunting, or fishing, I may be considered dumber than a bag of hammers.
Bottom line, Obama might be educated in certain areas, but in diplomacy, tact, leadership, and pretty much any skill or quality outside campaigning, he's screwed.
Exactly.
Some very intelligent people are, in a sense, very one dimensional. If something is outside of their area of expertise, they can't find their way out of a paper bag...UNLESS, they either have a desire to learn to read directions or they also have some common sense, to be used at the very least to ask for help to get out of the bag.
In your case, Sparky, as evidenced on this board, you are not only very knowledgeable in many things, you also have seem to have a great deal of common sense. Your examples of farming, hunting and fishing are not necessarily applicable because you either have not had the experience, the opportunity, or the desire to learn about them. You also seem to be willing to, and have the desire to, learn other about things.
Contrasted with Obama, he may have a high IQ( I don't know if one has ever been reported), which would put him into the intelligent category so to speak, but he appears to not have much common sense. I base this on his apparent unwillingness to learn, or acknowledge that he is in over his head. I recognize that because he is president, he's not going to publicly admit to not understanding or not knowing what to do in certain situations. But if he had any common sense, he would at least surround himself with people who DO know what should be done.
Obama, like many intelligent one-dimensional people, is convinced he is the smartest individual around and he doesn't need to learn, because he already knows everything. That characteristic, makes him stupid.
I'm sure everyone here, has met someone at some point in their lives, who thinks they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. They don't have to learn from anyone else because they not already know everything, they know it better than anyone else.
Obama is one of those people.
The other characteristic that Obama has which makes him even more dangerous, is is over-abundance of self-confidence. The confidence combined with the know-everything attitude is what got him elected. Take those dominant characteristics, along with his age and his general persona - looks, physical fitness, age - add in the husband/father with perceived "hard-working wife" rather than a wealthy socialite and two cute young daughters, he appealed to the younger voters more than any other prior candidate or elected president in a long, long time. Perhaps even more so than Clinton, simply because Obama, being "black" (
) supposedly brought more black voters to the polls than ever before.
It's those characteristics, that may get him reelected. Which is really scary.
The GOP is going to have to find someone equally charismatic to run, and pray to God, someone who is not only intelligent but with common sense and some worthwhile experience, or despite his incompetence, Obama will get reelected.
If the GOP candidate is another old fart politician, worthy experience or not, we're screwed. So far, we aren't doing so good since Romney is, according to the polls, the front leading candidate. He comes across like a used car salesman....slicked back hair, phony smile, and a somewhat shaky track record.
