How Stupid Do They Think We Are? I Dunno. How Stupid Are We?

That nasty schoolyard adjective, the "S Word," "stupid," has returned to the national discourse right on schedule, as politicians, pundits, and celebrity political hobbyists from both sides accuse their opponents of trying to pull a fast one on the American Public. It's intended to belittle by suggesting that the other guys are not just con artists but lousy con artists, at that. We might fall for a more complex, craftier lie but, come on, how stupid do you think we are?

But behind the bluster lies a fear: maybe we (and, by "we," we mean you) really are stupid enough to fall for the other side's blatant attempts to manipulate us. After all, Democrats have spent the last two weeks trying to educate the public at large about Sarah Palin's record and to expose her as a political cavewoman. Those calling for Palin to be exposed would never admit that they think the public is stupid, just that it doesn't know as much as we do. And yet Palin's popularity has only increased. It may be just a matter of time before the soft elitism of "the public just isn't sufficiently informed" gives way to the harder line of "what the hell's the matter with people??"

Of course, it's possible, indeed likely, that politicians have a pretty good idea how stupid we are and tailor their messages, their distortions, and their running mates accordingly. While "how stupid do they think we are?" may be a rhetorical question, it deserves an actual answer. Since we can only guess what others think, let's start by asking the more basic question: "how stupid are we?"

Not all of the 170 million registered American voters can be geniuses. Some, about half, undoubtedly have intelligence that is technically, mathematically below average. But being below average isn't really the same as being stupid. "Do they really think our intelligence is below average?" isn't a question you often hear on the campaign trail. It doesn't have quite the same ring.

To narrow the stupid pool down a little further, we can look at a standard psychometric bell curve, which would predict that about 15% of us are pretty stupid. But, still, knowing how many of us are stupid doesn't tell us much about how stupid we are collectively or even in large voting blocs. Furthermore, I think most of us would agree that intelligence is rarely uniform and not necessarily inversely proportionate to gullibility. Thus, even college professors may find themselves sending their banking information to the widow of a recently-assassinated Nigerian Finance Minister from time to time. "How gullible do they think we are?" is really closer to the heart of the matter, though again it lacks the polarizing potency of "stupid."

According to an admittedly controversial study done by Drs. Richard Lynn of the University of Ulster and Tatu Vanhanen of the University of Tampere in Finland and published as "IQ and the Wealth of Nations," in terms of estimated average IQ the United States ranks only 22nd among the 81 countries for which reliable data was available or could be extrapolated. So, one answer to "How stupid do they think we are?" could be "not as smart as China, Austria, or Hungary." As for the 59 countries Lynn and Vanhanen say we are smarter than (including Canada, Peru, and Barbados), perhaps their politicians don't ask their voters the same questions ours do.

But again, which countries we are smarter than, even if accurate, will always be a relative, and thus inconclusive, measure.

No, at the end of the day, "how stupid are we?" is a question that each of us must answer for ourselves according to the view through our own subjective periscope. Speaking personally, the public never seems smarter to me than when it agrees with me, and absolutely idiotic when it doesn't. I think you're pretty stupid when you get all worked up about a movie or a song or a political candidate that I think is highly overrated. And I suspect that I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Comments

[research]

carry registration forms with you.

Ask every likely obama supporter if they are registered.

It's fun.

[chookychook]

this is, as all previous US elections have been, an election based on stupidity. i am completely dumfounded that even a small proportion of americans want these two clowns palin and mcain in office. mcain is weak, old, increpid and unknowledgable. palin is just frightening. yet she is a celebrity. any populace that goes for celebrity over substance, intelligence and tact and associating a name to terrorism just reeks of stupidity.

we will see if stupidity prevails once more in november. my feeling is that it will.
what is wrong with america?

[Rule Of Law]

Stupid or smart, neither has a thing to do with the leaders we select.

What makes a people vote against their own best self interest again and again, is conditioni­ng--brainw­ashing--an­d it begins in our schools and is reinforced daily by the MSM--especially television.

When news paper Magnate, Hearst led the country into war against Spain with his "Remember The Maine" lies, the people reacted with a predictable knee jerk rush to arms. Primed with only well chosen information, they really had no other choice.

And each successive war we have fought has been sold to us on the same basis, including this one in Iraq. We aren't any stupider than 100, or 50, or 30 years ago, and we are inundated now with even more slanted, government approved lies and distortions that begin at childhood and end with a bullet in the head while patrolling the streets of Fallujah, or in a soup line, starving to death to pay for the bailouts of the criminals who are looting this country.

People believe in the dammmdest things. They want to--need to--believe in something. I may be a hardwired psychological need, but it certainly isn't a matter of stupidty. A lot of very smart people have made very bad decisions--read the business page--and no one is discussing their IQ's.

[TheQuestion]

"what the hell's the matter with people??"


My feelings exactly !

[Herrington]

Bush's popularity numbers are deceptive. And this bears on how stupid the Democratic party is. Does anyone know in what proportion the public dislikes Bush because he is NOT conservative enough? The instant popularity of Palin indicates that that number is likely to be a very high one.

In focusing on Bush, the message is then politically ineffective. Everybody hates Bush already but for different reasons. It is the reasons he is disliked that should be the message.

Some Republicans dislike the war. Others dislike the economy. Still others dislike tinkering with the Constitution. Most dislike taxes and deficit spending. While Bush is responsible for much calamity, it has not been illustrated that it is not Bush's doing but the doing of the Republican ideology and Bush is just the messenger. Bush can be of use, but as a lens through which to view the Republican agenda.

Bush thinks deficit spending is a good thing. Do you?
Bush thinks staying in Iraq for a hundred years is a good thing. Do you?
Bush thinks public education is good enough. Do you?
Bush thinks free trade is fair trade. Do you?

ETC.

[Looplinker]

VERY!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!

[Overd0g]

The question is irrelevant. The proper question is from a politicians perspective is: what combination of true believers, narrow beneficiaries, party hacks, and idiots can I cobble together to get elected so that I can get elected and become an automatically millionaire ( if I'm not one already). Generally, I don't think you need too many idiots. Lots of people simply vote party line because they are lazy, not necessarily stupid. Most people don't live or die by political pronouncements, because they realize they are most lies that are carefully constructed for a certain constituency with plausible deniability built in.

[OgreDaddy]

It is clear that nearly half of the voters really are that stupid, but many are victims of
a massive disinformation campaign designed in every way to manipulate human nature
with fear and deception.

The Republican campaign is breaking new ground in dirty tricks.

Something very serious is being ignored.

There are millions of displaced voters who have lost their homes due to the mortgage crisis
and now even more through natural disasters.
Many of these voters are poor and of ethnic minorities.
They do not realize that they must re-register or apply for absentee ballots.

The Republican campaign will do all they can to purge these displaced voters and attempt
to prevent them from voting at all.

Students who will be away from home during the elections must also make sure that their votes
will be counted.

These two voting blocks could make all the difference in November and the Republican campaign
will stop at nothing to weaken the effect of these groups.

[JoeBlows]

How stupid are we? Well, "we" "elected" bush twice.
Enuff said.

[vippy]

The elections were stolen!

[TheImpaler]

If so, why did we allow it to be stolen? Because we are so smart?

[AnotherTry]

The people don't decide anything, stupid or smart.

The politicians put on a show and then the media explain to us how the elections were plausibly won or lost. Reality has no impact on democracy. Don't believe it? Repeat after me: Governor Schwarzenegger.

[AliLiz]

For decades educators have been saying there is a 'dumbing down of America." We had our head in the sand...some said , "Bring back God and the paddle in the Public Schools and all will be fine!"

No one said, "Let's have longer school days, go longer than 180 days a year, demand the homework be completed, etc." No...we stood on soap boxes and talked silly-talk. Now we see the results...a society beliving lies, half truths, and having distrust with those of darker skin.

Sad, isn't it...but, we were given facts that we were getting academically slow and slower, and we did nothing about it. We deserve to topple...and we will. How sad!

[qtpi410]

Someone on these blogs talked about how much government should and should not play a part in people lives.
The Republicans want to tell every women not to have an abortion even in the case of rape or incest (current VP candidate).
I think that if very meddleson. Every women should have a choice with regard to her body. A decision to have an abortion is a very personal and private matter. It can be very traumatic and I am sure in most cases a very difficult decision.
Pro-Choice!

[Aaror]

HuffPost's Pick

There is a historical corrilary to all this...
A large, industrial, powerful nation, humbled by a lost war, bankrupt and owing huge sums of money to it's enemies (in our case, China). A leader emerges, saying that the only reason we lost the war was that we gave up on it. People want to have a positive belief about their nation. The leader realizes that he needs to tell "the big lie," to get people to belive him. Sounds a lot like 1930's Germany...
Wonder who our Hitler will be, McCain is kinda old, you think Palin is up for World War 3?

[Krikkit]

How stupid are we is the wrong question to ask. Rather, how gullible are we might be better, or better still, how susceptible are we to repeated propaganda and double think?

[srikantm]

how does COMPLACENT sound? Half the nation or more is convinced that they are on the right side of everything­...includi­ng God. So one party is as good as the other. What's Next is not a question occupying the majority's mind right now. And whoever promises cheaper fuel does good for most. COMPLACENCY.

[ALC]

The re-election of Bush-Cheney in 2004 answers the "stupid" question easily. A "stupid" electorate could very possibly hand this country to that old cadaver from Arizona and his Betty Crocker running mate AND THEN spend the next four years bitching about it. Same as it's been since 2004 so yes America is definitely stupid enough to do it again. Oh and you "big-government" attack dogs keep this in mind, Bush and Co. continually bailing out their crooked big boy s on wall street with MY MONEY and yours too is called, get this-COMMUNISM. Funding by the federal government which you all say is so taboo. At least in Europe and Canada most of the money makes it back to the people in some form instead of some wall street crook's pocket. Also want a real laugher? Go to smartvote.com and check out McCain's miserable voting record on veteran's bills. A real war hero!

[Overd0g]

Yeah, and he also signed the mortgage bailout to save greedy citizens and screw renters who have been waiting for housing to get affordable. Once again, the honest, prudent savers get screwed. So much for "responsibility" at any level.