We need an IQ test for politicians. “…ignorance and incompetence are on regular display among our political class. Its members are good at what they do — but what they do, really, is raise money and win elections. There’s no particular correlation between those skills and any other kind of competence. In fact, given their record of passing increasingly dumb laws, if there’s any correlation at all, it’s a negative one.” Well, if they had any real talent for anything useful, they’d be doing honest work somewhere.
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Could any of them make it into single digits?
If they use a cheat sheet...maybe.
We generally compel them to perform in debates.. no laws required (just the will of electorate and media). At the very least, i'd like to see most politicians tested on budget math. I think it'd make for great ratings
Further testing on economics and science would be desirable.. but tricky to nail down all the right answers
Can you imagine the cries from the left if we demanded intellectual and psychological competence from our elected officials as an electorate? Plenty of Republicans would likely fail but the Dems would go ballistic if people like Hank Johnson or Joe Biden were held to some sort of competency standard and couldn't meet it.
It would make for such great television that the masses might get interested and produce significant shift in the electorate.. Let the critics cry. Imagine it done in the style of poker championship or gameshow. Innumeracy would be immediately apparent and comedic. Most everyone agrees it has no place in (at least) budget politics
I can dream at least..
Or Obama ( da dun DAH!) the genius consitutional scholar that can't figure out how many states we have.
Live on C-Span, no scripted Qs, no aides, no cheat sheets? We're gonna need more popcorn.
Bring Diet COke for me and drb.
I have joked for years, you have to have an I.Q. test before you can become a lawyer, you can vote, you can drive a car, you can have children or you run for office. It has to be a three digit I.Q. and the first two can not be zero's.
Could we all just ignore the troll? No replies, no thumbs up or thumbs down. I know it's hard and I've fed it a time or two, but maybe if we ignore it, it will go away...forever.
No, no, no... I need to td the idiot. I have a strong suspicion he is the stalker and even if he isn't you can't deny me the td. I agree though that we should try to ignore more, but he is so stupid.
I don't think he's the TD'er. More likely a lurker.
I don't even get TD's for my nasty posts to him.
Wanna bet? :P
Just a suggestion, Kimmy. In the beginning it was entertaining and even comical, but now it's like a Jim Carey movie, stagnant and predictable.
I just delete his posts if they say "corporate greed." I've been thinking about expanding to anything about Ron Paul.
Oh, oh, Federal Reserve GOLD© too, a 3fer ;)
If we had an IQ test for pol's, there would be no one to run for office...
OK, so how do we get this ball rolling?
Ron Paul would run uncontested.
Ron Paul would still be living inhis 2 bit town in Northeast Texas and would never have been elected to begin with, because even if he managed to get on the ticket via bribery or whatever, no intelligent, educated voter would have given hom the time of day. Wrong again.
Crowley why don't you run...out into traffic...
For dog catcher, yep.
Sorry I think we need an IQ test for voters first. I'll use Creepy Crawly as proof positive this is correct.
The IQ test would be best, make them explain any of the ballot initiatives, get it wrong, no vote!
I agree. I am also begining to think we also need a qualifications test to be able to vote. Since, by law, only Americans are allowed to vote why is voter I.D. such a big problem for Democrats? The answer is simple, illegal immigrants. Here in New Mexico they are allowed to get a drivers license so don't tell me they also don't try to vote.
I am also begining to think that anyone who works for the government in any capacity should not be allowed to vote. Since their wages comes from the taxpayer most will vote for the person who promises to keep their nest feathered. The only exception to this rule would be anyone in law enforcement and the military. They put their lives on the line every day for us and deserve what they can get.
Welfare patients? No way should they be allowed to vote. They don't pay taxes, they do not contribute to the betterment of our society in any way, shape or form, so they should have no say in how our cities, states or country is run.
To cut it short I am thinking that only working, taxpaying, American citizens should be allowed to vote. We are paying the bills, we should be able to say who gets elected to take care of our interests.
THe founding Fathers originally set it up where only landowners and business owners could vote, not just anyone. They felt one needed to be educated to participate in a Democratic Republic and most people weren't.
I'll buy that, can we add "comprehensive background checks" (with a reasonable waiting period) for candidates and sitting pols too?
Absolutely! I m trying to fget a contract job reveiwing children's medical records for a large family servie organization, to ensure they are getting the medical recommendations in the classroom, shot records are up to date etc and I have to pass a background check. Mu daughter had to pass one to work in a day care for $8/hour. It seems the least we can do with politicians. At least we would know what they got caught at. And they pay the cost of thebackground chest, not their party, not the taxpayer.
At this point I'd settle for Voter ID laws that require a picture ID.
Yeah, that would be great in itself.
There already is, except it is used to make sure they remain as ignorant and incompetent as possible.
1+1=eleventy
PASS!