I've noticed in my life, although there have been some glaring contradictions to this theory, that people with deep regional inflections to their speaking styles are often down on the intelligence factor from others around them that have more mainstream accents.

For gosh sakes, just watch an episode of the Jerry Springer Show sometime and see the preponderence of the trailer-park-trash accents that come from the hick guests. More than likely those deep distinctions in styles of the unlearned come from the lack of exposure they have to other cultures and ways of talking. Their parents talk like that, their good buddies, the TV shows they choose, the movies they watch, even their choice of music. They tend to stay within their own comfort zone and don't have that drive to explore something outside their borders.

The more intellectual people travel outside their culture and physical location. From the moment they're born they have exposure to various speech patterns. Their parents probably listen to music where the singers are more mainstream in their accents. The TV programs in their households are more likely to be a show like The West Wing than Hee Haw.

Now the Southern twang is not the only style where you find this phenomena. You can also see the same syndrome in the East with the deep grating accents of New Jersey, areas of New York and upper New England. All the accents can add that great touch of personality to an individual and, in small enough doses, make the person sound more intellectual and vital. However, there's that line they cross when the accent becomes so deep that, to me, that red flag goes up and my thoughts go to "what a moron". I'm not sure if that clouds my vision of our illustrious President. His accent is no more grating than that of Ross Perot but at least Perot handled the rules of grammar a bit better.

My wife is a very bright woman with a mainstream America kind of accent even though she was born in Connecticutt and lived many years in the deep South. The only times when either of those accents poke out their heads is when she gets drunk. Amazingly enough though, the one that rises first is the Southern drawl. So maybe George is simply drunk all the time.