Off Topic — HabitableZone

Off Topic » in reply to re: "... raw brains are not always a guideline for... success."

re: a guideline for success
TB — (archived)

"An intellectual is someone who deals with the abstract principles of human society and politics."

To which I would add literature, the other arts, and the sciences...

True enough. I was focusing specifically on political interests, but you could make an excellent case that a politician who also had a good intellectual background in the other fields would be better for it.

I'm a lot less impressed by articulation as a guide to intelligence, although obviously it is important in politics. Politicians, good and bad, have been all over the map on this. I myself sound a lot better in writing, when I can organize my thoughts in my own time, than I would in person.

Bush seems to be lousy at prepared speeches, but a lot better (still not that great) in less formal situations. Well-known Democrats like Ted Kennedy and some others have been spectacular orators with prepared material, but often come off like babbling idiots when talking on the fly.

It will be interesting to see how these theories on articulation and speaking styles survive the 2008 election. Hillary in full cry can bring dead bats dropping from the rafters. Obama has a great voice, but is otherwise pretty much an unknown quantity.

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