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Message: <blockquote data-quote="InzeladunMaster" data-source="post: 4491395" data-attributes="member: 9774">I am of the opinion that intelligence and good oratory skill are important qualities to a leader.  Of course there is more than that, though! <a href="http://www.leadership501.com/five-most-important-leadership-traits/27/" target="_blank">http://www.leadership501.com/five-most-important-leadership-traits/27/</a> lists a few traits (including intelligence). Other ideas include Raymond Cattell's list(<a href="http://www.smallbusinessnotes.com/operating/leadership/leadership.html" target="_blank">http://www.smallbusinessnotes.com/operating/leadership/leadership.html</a>). Of course Warren Bennis, the guru on leadership, has his own list as well - which includes an ability to communicate a vision.However, after 8 years of a fairly shallow-thinker with poor speaking skills, I will settle for someone who is intelligent and well-spoken in office.  "I'm also not very analytical. You know I don't spend a lot of time thinking about myself, about why I do things."—George W. Bush, Aboard Air Force One, June 4, 2003Because a lot of conservatives I have spoken to or listened to have said the same thing.  Bush himself has stated "I mean, I read the newspaper. I mean, I can tell you what the headlines are." (Philadelphia, Dec. 12, 2005) and "I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who probably read the news themselves." (Washington, D.C., Sept. 21, 2003 (italics are mine)).  Bush seemingly has made a number of decisions without bothering to really assess actual information ("And Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job.").I've known several conservative Christians who have never read the Bible in its entirety - and I know one extremely conservative Christian who doesn't even own a Bible (she says her pastor tells her what she needs to know, so she doesn't need to read or own it).  I have known a lot of conservative Christians who condemn other religions and/or lifestyles without even studying them, and I know a lot of conservative Republicans who condemn Democrats without really investigating what they actually stand for. I also work with a conservative who does not acknowledge any evidence that runs counter to her opinion.  Ever.  Her mind never changes under any circumstances, no matter what the evidence is. Hmmm.  The second link was a news article.  No, tax cuts aren't certain - but tax cuts aren't always in the best interests of the economy.  As any economist will tell you, a tax hike is an effective fiscal tool to use against inflation.  If that is what is best for the economy, I want a leader who will do it.  Indeed, a tax cut during inflationary times will actually increase inflationary pressures!  Tax cuts are a fiscal tool to fight unemployment, however. Obama's plan, to raise taxes on the wealthy and cut taxes on the lower incomes is designed to help with both measures.  But no, it isn't certain. But I am certain that making Bush's cuts permanent may well remove a fiscal tool to fight inflation from the hands of the government.It wasn't that at all!  I just thought the comment itself was funny, as I have heard similar things said before by conservative friends and students. Here is a sampling of comments I have heard in the classroom: "Well, I don't know much about it, but I know I don't want Obama in the office," or "I haven't really read up on it, but McCain's my man!" or "All I know is that Obama is a radical Muslim who believes the ravings of his Christian minister, so McCain must be better for us" (yes, I actually had a student who thought Obama could actually be a Muslim and yet belong to a Christian church), or "I don't need to read the news to know what is going on," and so on.  I know a few conservatives who believe voting Democrat means we will be attacked by terrorists again for certain - even though Republicans controlled the House, the Senate, and the White House the last time we were attacked (9/11).Your comment just sounded a lot like theirs. It really didn't matter that it referred to some light-weight links that probably didn't need to be read, it was just the sound of the comment and how it mirrored so many similar ones I have heard - and that struck me as funny.I have been told I have a strange sense of humor.  I found it funny.  I still find it funny.  It really wasn't an assumption about you, just that I found it funny.  You basically glanced at the headlines of the links and got a flavor for them from that, then moved on.  A lot like Bush.  (Not that you are like Bush - just that it sounded like something Bush would have said).I really didn't mean to offend.  It just struck my funny bone. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda."— George W. Bush, Greece, N.Y., May 24, 2005</blockquote>

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