Republicans and the Idiot Factor

My mother in law said something about President Bush that I think, really expresses why Barack Obama is leading in the polls and will become the next United States president. As we were discussing the election, voting for Barack Obama, and how registered Republicans like myself are voting for Obama, we mentioned President Bush and all of the crises that he faced as president. She simply said, "President Bush wasn't smart enough to handle the job."

The comment made me laugh, and as I thought of what she said, I decided that surely the majority of Americans feel the same way. It isn't that he was evil, racist, or simply wanted to be known as the worst president in all of U.S. history, chances are he simply wasn't smart enough to handle the job. So here enters what I refer to as the "idiot factor."

John McCain wanted to run his campaign with a clear and separate distancing from President Bush, and who could blame him. As Barack Obama is campaigning with former president Bill Clinton, there isn't a sight or hair of President George Bush. John McCain has emphatically stated that he is not George Bush and if Barack Obama wanted to run against George Bush, he should have run four years ago. But again, there is something that John McCain and the Republican Party overlooked while running this campaign, and that is the "idiot factor."

Many Americans believe that President George Bush is simply an idiot. Though that is a cruel and harsh statement, it is the sentiment that the majority of Americans feel. When John McCain picked a running mate, he needed to choose someone that would wow America with his or her brilliance, wit, and intelligence. Experience would have been a plus as well. However, the Republican Party desperately needed to separate themselves from President George Bush in one area alone, the "idiot factor."

When Katie Couric interviewed V.P. nom Sarah Palin, it was all downhill from there. Saturday Night Live has received record breaking ratings and it is all based on one subject, the "idiot factor." Every comment, every nod, every smile, every wink, every missed interview, every gesture, and every time we hear "I can see Russia from my backyard" the idiot factor is being replayed in the mind of America.

Americans are tired of idiots leading the country. And though President Bush might not be an idiot, it doesn't change the impression he has left in the minds of Americans. As soon as Governor Palin stepped into the "idiot factor" (even though I do not personally believe she is an idiot, just out of her league) I believe it was over for the Republicans. Americans want a government that is led by the best of the best, the first criteria for our leaders is intelligence, and we have not seen intelligence coming from the Republican Party. What astounds me, is that John McCain and Sarah Palin haven't been proactive in reassuring Americans that they are the more intelligent candidates and they haven't done anything to prove that they have the capabilities of leading.

You see, John McCain and Sarah Palin seem to be counting on the fact that they are pro-life and against homosexuals to win the election. But, President George Bush was also against those things. John McCain spends the majority of his time trying to distance himself from Bush, but where he differs from Obama (pro life issues) is where he agrees with President Bush. People voted for George Bush because he was pro life and for Christian values, yet the majority of Americans feel that he was the worst president ever, based on the idiot factor.

The first mistake was choosing a vice president that no one knew. Not only are Americans looking for leaders who are extremely intelligent, they want candidates that they are familiar with. No one knew Sarah Palin, good luck in choosing a stranger for president (should something happen to McCain). Sarah Palin might be a nice woman, but no one knew her. Her troopergate scandals were not a great introduction either. The second mistake has been in choosing a vice president who failed the intelligence test. Maybe Sarah was just having a bad day, I think she is out of her league. Americans want candidates that they can trust to handle the issues. Not candidates who are "quick studies" and ones we hope will cram all night before the debates and tests.

The idiot factor should have been considered when choosing a vice presidential candidate. It should have been considered because it is the number one reason why Americans believe that George Bush has failed as president. Americans are left with the impression that Sarah Palin lacks the intelligence to handle speaking one on one on political issues. You might think that America will vote someone into office despite their intelligence simply because they are pro life, but I beg to differ, America has already been down that road and they don't like where they've ended up.