First, you have to define "smart". Graduating from Harvard Law usually does it, but you have an even higher standard than magna cum laude. So what is it from your point of view?

Second, in my opinion Obama's genius is demonstrated by his maneuvering himself into the Senate and then into the Presidency. His Presidential campaign was a $700 million organization that ran almost flawlessly. Not quite, but very nearly.

Contrast that with Hillary, who's campaign was in disarray almost from the beginning, or McCain, who nominated Palin, divisive at best.

Obama is genius at listening to others, taking advice, learning. He does have a strong liberal background and is smart enough to realize that he needs to govern for the country, including moderate Repubicans and not follow an ideology. You think he's lost because he doesn't have a blind dogma to which he has to stick. He has more than that, he has principles.

And he's smart enough to carry it off. Face it, we've come though a period similar to other nations ruled blind dogma instead of reason and compromise. Most Americans were left behind, out of the process. Obama seems to be absolutely brilliant at seeing the United States of America as bigger than, more than, the President and the President's President.

You want math smarts? Get a Kacsynski. You want human, societal smarts get an Obama.

That's my definition. And you'd do yourself a favor if you could not equate a blind, staggering obedience to a simplistic view of the world and how it works with "smart".

Arf