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Another great video catch by Jed:

When McCain was asked last year at a Candidates@Google event how his GPA compared to President Bush's C average at Yale, McCain offered up some straight talk, my friends:

McCain: My GPA earned me fifth from the bottom of my class at the Naval Academy status. So, the GPA was based --since that was in the Coolidge administration it was a different measurement, but I can assure you in today's standards it would be barely passing.

For good measure, Jed adds to that a clip from a January interview with Politico's Mike Allen where McCain admits that he's "an illiterate" who lacks the ability to utilize decades-old technology. At least Bush knows how to use "the Google."

One note, if the McCain campaign is going to rely so heavily on his military service to make the case that he's more fit to be commander-in-chief, why won't the media actually take a look at his military record, especially considering he freely admits he placed 894th out of 899 in his class? Oh, that's right. Apparently it's a secret.

When John Kerry refused to release all of his military records before the election in 2004, which he subsequently did, the press relentlessly pushed him to do so. So why is McCain getting a complete pass? Are there any real journalists left in the U.S. who aren't part of McCain's base? Apparently not.

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62 Comments
P.D.'s picture

Oh great, A president DUMBER than Bush! Were doomed!

Attila the Neopopulist, no Stomach for Imperial Adventures's picture

His military record proves he cannot be trusted with government property. Oh, and then there are the dozens of propaganda videos he made for Viet Charley. Jane Fonda eat your heart out.

fry1laurie's picture

I'd like to know about his demerits. One cannot graduate so low in an American military academy without some kind of demerit, like for explosive anger, etc.

Good point, Atilla. If he can't handle one plane, why would we give them ALL to him?

Mickxotic's picture

He is intelligent as he needs to be. All that he needs to do is follow the directions of the corporate cartel that has bought the government. No problem.

Ruthless People aka "The Whiner"'s picture

Maybe it's just me but shouldn't the leader of the free world and the one with his finger on the button of the world's largest nuclear arsenal be bragging about how smart they are not how friggin stupid they are?

After 7 1/2 years of an underachieving Republican I really don't think the nation wants to go down that road again.

Merkin's picture

He'll win, end of story.

Most Americans are stupid. They'll choose one of their own.

P.D.'s picture

Ruthless, I hope you are right. But, then again, I thought Kerry would win in 2004. Maybe Americans are wiser this time.

Udon Nomee's picture

Raises an interesting question:

"Should a certain level computer 'literacy' be required in order to be President of the United States...?"

VietVet8666's picture

Ok, Mcain sucks.

He's awful.

But why does Obama win?

Jerry's picture

Mickxotic @ 5:

He is intelligent as he needs to be. All that he needs to do is follow the directions of the corporate cartel that has bought the government. No problem.

Which is the basic truth.

Merkin @ 7:

He'll win, end of story.

Most Americans are stupid. They'll choose one of their own.

In part you are right, the other part is the pandering to, that americans like to feel superior, (even if it is blatantly false) so choose a stupid leader to feel better about themselves it would seem.

Which is the bit I find ironic about the "elitist" claims against Obama because he's well spoken and educated ..... guess what I would want someone who is highly if not extraordinarily intelligent to run a country I was in.

pinkobait's picture

Mickxotic @ 5:

He is intelligent as he needs to be. All that he needs to do is follow the directions of the corporate cartel that has bought the government. No problem.

Yep-he can look "Presidential" and read a teleprompter.
That's enough.

Involved's picture

Jerry, you are so right. Remember during the campaign, the media trashed Obama, because he was supported by college educated and college students. The cooperation figure this group can think for themselves. They want you to elect the guy you can feel comfortable having a beer with. The stupid ones never stop to think that wouldn't be able to afford a beer.

Jerry's picture

pinkobait @ 12:

Mickxotic @ 5:

He is intelligent as he needs to be. All that he needs to do is follow the directions of the corporate cartel that has bought the government. No problem.

Yep-he can look "Presidential" and read a teleprompter.
That's enough.

I'm not sure he can actually do that to well.

Abbybwood's picture

Merkin @ 7:

He'll win, end of story.

Most Americans are stupid. They'll choose one of their own.

Diebold.

Truly Equal's picture

I'll be the first to admit that you do not have to be a genius to be a leader, though a smart fellow (or lady) is obviously desired. That being said, GPA is not necessarily correlated to being smart, just a measure of how dedicated one is to studying.

It would be nice if we could get someone smart and intelligent to lead the country again (Bill Clinton was a Rhode's scholar), however, it is McCain's actions that puts him back to Bush-league incompetence. His short temper doesn't hurt either.

Nada's picture

Abbybwood @ 15:

Merkin @ 7:

He'll win, end of story.

Most Americans are stupid. They'll choose one of their own.

Diebold.

Not to mention the non stop onslaught of lies that faux and the main stream pentagon propaganda press feed to the dumbest portion of the population. Their army of stupid has never let them down yet.

VietVet8666's picture

Many here think Kerry was attacked unfairly and incorrectly.

Kerry had himself filmed in Viet Nam.

I knew no one who did that.

Have never trusted Kerry. Have always thought of him as a person with political ambitions.

Jerry's picture

Nada @ 17:

Abbybwood @ 15:

Merkin @ 7:

He'll win, end of story.

Most Americans are stupid. They'll choose one of their own.

Diebold.

Not to mention the non stop onslaught of lies that faux and the main stream pentagon propaganda press feed to the dumbest portion of the population. Their army of stupid has never let them down yet.

I have $100 on with a friend for a 51%-49% win for McCain, that will get called by CNN before all the votes are *cough* counted *cough*.

And yes Diebold will work their cunning magic again.

Jerry's picture

VietVet8666 @ 18:

..........Have never trusted Kerry. Have always thought of him as a person with political ambitions.

He ran for president, of course he has ambition ! sheesh

MountainMan23's picture

Off Topic

but ..

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/16/usa.iran
After 30 years, US to send diplomats to Iran

The US is planning to establish a diplomatic presence in Tehran for the first time in 30 years, a remarkable turnaround in policy by president George Bush who has pursued a hawkish approach to Iran throughout his time in office.

The Guardian has learned that an announcement will be made in the next month to establish a US interests section in Tehran, a halfway house to setting up a full embassy. The move will see US diplomats stationed in the country.
..
The news comes at a critical time in US-Iranian relations. After weeks that have seen tensions rise with Israel conducting war games aimed at Iran and Tehran carrying out long-range missile tests, a thaw appears to be under way.
..
Creation of a US interest section would see diplomats stationed in Tehran for the first time since the hostage crisis that began when hundreds of students, as part of the Iranian revolution that led to fall of the Shah, stormed the US embassy in 1979 and held the occupants until 1981.
..
..the establishment of an interests section undercuts one of the main planks of foreign policy advocated by the Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama, who argues for direct negotiations with Iran. The White House has been working in tandem over the last month with Obama's Republican rival, John McCain.
..

VietVet8666's picture

Jerry at 20

A question, nothing else.

Should ambition toward a goal trump good thinking, morality and judgment?

arminius's picture

Am I the only one here who noticed this bit?

that was in the Coolidge administration

Coolidge, as in 'the one after Woodrow Wilson'? Oh boy. This guy is seriously OLD.

web_geek's picture

VietVet8666 @ 18:

Many here think Kerry was attacked unfairly and incorrectly.

Kerry had himself filmed in Viet Nam.

I knew no one who did that.

Have never trusted Kerry. Have always thought of him as a person with political ambitions.

Bull.

ysbaddaden's picture

Flashback: McCain Admits He’s Dumber Than Bush

Yeah, he's a real twit.

(Change the middle vowel.)

False Dmitriy's picture

I grew up a couple of houses down from a guy who finished in the top ten of McCain's class. This guy is a loony neocon who hates everyone, but no one so much as John McCain, who he railed about as a dumbass who got himself shot down. I gotta wonder who he's gonna vote for; I sorta think his head might just go ahead and explode on election day.

james rock's picture

[Still banned from commenting here. Site Monitor]

justabill's picture

james rock @ 27:

most over used over asked question on C&L

"why is mccain getting a pass from the media?" (or some variation of it)

The main purpose for C&L's existence -- it's mission, if you will -- is to combat bias and misinformation from the "crooks and liars" in the media.

That is NOT an overused or over asked question as long as as McDumbass continues to get a pass from the media on anything.

constituent's picture

james rock @ 27:

most over used over asked question on C&L

"why is mccain getting a pass from the media?" (or some variation of it)

may be the same question but never the same answer
that in itself brings some interest.........

skycypher's picture

Dumber than W? This isn't happening!

Jack Damage's picture

I guess that about puts him on a par with a box of rocks... All apologies to boxes of rocks.......JD

Carol's picture

Not much difference between Bush and McBush, except the Media made McBush into this big Hero, which he is not!

Dana's picture

He's just an all around dumb fuck.
McDumbFuck

Marcelo's picture

arminius @ 23:

Am I the only one here who noticed this bit?

that was in the Coolidge administration

Coolidge, as in 'the one after Woodrow Wilson'? Oh boy. This guy is seriously OLD.

That's what I thought when I read it. Coolidge? Really? And we're in the 21st century? Sheesh.

Arrest Rove's picture

Maybe after 8 years of hell; we've finally learned what happens when you elect a congenital idiot and give him the keys to the Presidency. Are there still some haven't learned this lesson?

WE ALL LOVE A LITTLE BUSH's picture

once again the RETHUGICANS are putting up their BEST AND BRIGHTEST...

........can't help it that they ain't learning

Andy K's picture

arminius@23 & Marcelo@34

Actually, that's kind of funny.
------

Does anyone know if that ranking is based solely on GPA? Seems to me that, at one time, the class rankings at both West Point and Annapolis were based on a combination of grades and "demerits"- the "demerits" made on a more-or-less behavioral-based objectivity.

Billy Shears's picture

I suppose the obvious larger question is why has this country had so many ignorant, uneducated and incurious presidents, particularly in the past 30 years?

It's happened often enough in the recent past that you have to think that a whole bunch of the people that vote for these boneheads actually place some kind of value on ignorance.

This is certainly one of the areas of American life that explains how we got to where we are today.

Nathan's picture

arminius @ 23:

Am I the only one here who noticed this bit?

that was in the Coolidge administration

Coolidge, as in 'the one after Woodrow Wilson'? Oh boy. This guy is seriously OLD.

Uh, guys... it was a joke. Being in the Naval academy when Coolidge was President would make McCain 100 years old. Which he obviously isn't. It was a pretty funny bit of self-deprecating humor. I laughed when he said it, and it actually makes the bottom of his class bit less likely to be true... he could just be making fun of himself again.

Bill W.'s picture

Nathan @ 39:

arminius @ 23:

Am I the only one here who noticed this bit?

that was in the Coolidge administration

Coolidge, as in 'the one after Woodrow Wilson'? Oh boy. This guy is seriously OLD.

Uh, guys... it was a joke. Being in the Naval academy when Coolidge was President would make McCain 100 years old. Which he obviously isn't. It was a pretty funny bit of self-deprecating humor. I laughed when he said it, and it actually makes the bottom of his class bit less likely to be true... he could just be making fun of himself again.

That's why I linked to that, because it IS true. He was in the bottom 1% of his class (actually he would have been sixth from the bottom if he was 894th out of 899, so more likely he was 895th out of 899, but whatever).

John McCain: TIMELINE

Aug. 29, 1936: Born on a military base in Panama Canal Zone.

Summer 1954: Graduates from Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va., and enrolls at U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.
Summer 1958: Graduates fifth from the bottom of his Naval Academy class and is commissioned as officer. ....
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=caucus&template=detail&candidate=mccain

And yes, coolidge was meant as a joke, or maybe he just doesn't remember correctly anymore.

Bill W.'s picture

Andy K Jong Il @ 37:

arminius@23 & Marcelo@34

Actually, that's kind of funny.
------

Does anyone know if that ranking is based solely on GPA? Seems to me that, at one time, the class rankings at both West Point and Annapolis were based on a combination of grades and "demerits"- the "demerits" made on a more-or-less behavioral-based objectivity.

Well, I think McStupidass answered that with his "barely passing" admission that his grades were barely a D-, but there has been quite a bit written, true it may be, that he was a complete screwup in the navy.

aarrgghh's picture

the new talking point from mcWorse:

"george bush might know something about "the google", but i know far less!"

targitted's picture

"Why I Won't Vote For John McCain" from military.com by a POW who arrived two-years before McCain.

http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,164859_1,00.html

sassafra's picture

mccain can't be dumber than bush, he just can't. if that were true, how the hell is it that he remembers to breathe?

GG's picture

The MSM is McCain base because they want a do over-let's all forget about backing Jr. in 2000, I mean he has done such a bang up job. They love the McCain of 2000 now (not then), so they don't want to look too close but as McCain makes more and more reveiling statements it is going to be harder and harder for the MSM to ignore them as much as they want to.

99Luf Balloons's picture

My dog is smarter than booosh, thererfore Mcfloppity (boy he sure is fucking old) is stupider than my dog.

99Luf Balloons's picture

“Why I Won’t Vote For John McCain” from military.com by a POW who arrived two-years before McCain.

http://www.military.com/opinio....._1,00.html

"I furthermore believe that having been a POW is no special qualification for being President of the United States. The two jobs are not the same, and POW experience is not, in my opinion, something I would look for in a presidential candidate."

99Luf Balloons's picture
John A Tandlich's picture

John McCain was intelligent enough to get into the Naval Academy, which is infinitely more rigorous than any other institution of higher learning in this or any other country. I'd like to see one of you fat ass, pot smoking, coke snorting, loud mouth, left-wing, fifth columnists get accepted into one of the service academies.

justabill's picture

John A Tandlich @ 48:

John McCain was intelligent enough to get into the Naval Academy, which is infinitely more rigorous than any other institution of higher learning in this or any other country. I'd like to see one of you fat ass, pot smoking, coke snorting, loud mouth, left-wing, fifth columnists get accepted into one of the service academies.

Annapolis is most definitely is NOT "infinitely more rigorous than any other institution of higher learning in this or any other country." ROFLMAO!! You could not be more mistaken, and McStupidass would never would have gotten in (and you don't even need to graduate high school to get in, and all they recommend if you did go the H.S. is to try to have a 2.0 or better GPA. It's classified as a "more selective" school, as compared to most second tier colleges in the US, as opposed to "most selective" like most any above average college you could name.) the naval academy if it hadn't been for his daddy and grandpappy, both who were admirals and went to Annapolis before him.

justabill's picture

McCain admitted he's too stupid to even find this post, watch the video, or comment on this thread.

He actually boasted that he was dumber than Bush.

Just think about that for a minute.

Epinnoia's picture

The media makes money from their ratings. That much is obvious. And they have EVERY incentive to keep this race close. More people are likely to tune in to watch a close race, rather than one where the winner is a foregone conclusion. Therefore, it's pretty obvious why they won't cover McCain's faults -- it will hurt their ratings in the long run.

They're in the business to make money, not to inform the public. And that's the problem. And it's a problem that won't go away any time soon.

uk visa's picture

Nobody else is that dumb.

Jay's picture

If memory served, Kerry had a lower GPA at Yale than Bush did....

In the end what the hell does it matter?

neverbeenfooled's picture

Dumber than dumb?

DBrown's picture

McCain is dead wrong.
His 'low' GPA was still a fully passing and real grade of 2.0 or better AND the course that man took were heavy duty that required a great deal of hard work, study and real mastering of a subject to pass.

I know of the courses (science and engineering ones) and personally knew two instructors at the Navel academy and there is no way in hell you pass because you show up. Yes, it isn't a top tier program but it is a real college level academic program that provides a good education. The program also requires engineering courses up through junior level.

The puppet king bushwhack didn't need to show up, write papers or even try to pass an exam in order to get his fake C's. Kerry was held to a real level of learning and to compare a non-elite man's grades to a golden spoon up his ass bushwhack is ridiculous.

Once more, someone is trying to show the average dumb republician that they can try and be as dumb as these 20 percenters (Well, ok, not a real word so that makes me not too smart, either.)

Bokonon's picture

McBush to his base:

To be dumb is to be American. I'm dumb like you and proud of it. Make me your leader.

justabill's picture

Jay @ 54:

If memory served, Kerry had a lower GPA at Yale than Bush did....

In the end what the hell does it matter?

It matters because you only remember that because the media actually did stories on it.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/06/07/yale_grades_portra...
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/06/07/politics/main700170.shtml
http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/11/02/educating-kerry/
and so on.....

And look who won.

Hell F-in yeah it matters.

Phillip's picture

Both of these guys would not have graduated if it was not for some help from their professors and their family backgrounds.....

Anotherwords these guys are both dumber than a door knob!

Great candidates for the very complex job of being President....

We can already see the results of putting and idiot in the White House...

Is this the best America can do??? the rest of the world continues to laugh at us...

cf's picture

that's pretty damb dumn.

Nicky Babs's picture

If you want to work at Google I hope you remember your college GPA too, only 3.5 and higher are accepted. Sound elitist? That's because it is, but hey! everyone just loooooooooves Google!

Don't be evil. Speak no evil. See no evil.

Tim Shullberg's picture

As you can see, I'm an AOL-er and the "political commentary" posted by users there can be right out of FoxsNews. So I just put the URL for this clip up on their "boards". But, if you want a laugh (and a shudder), go to AOL.com and click on anything pertaining to Barack Obama in the news and read the comments. One guy actually suggested that the KKK was going to shoot him; another that it would be good if a sniper got him in Afghanistan.
Now I know why they're Red States....

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