Sarah Palin Is Not Stupid (By Brian Dunning)

Sarah Palin Is Not Stupid
Is an ad hominem attack really the best way to express disagreement?
Skeptoid #160
June 30, 2009

Podcast transcript

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Today we're going to delve into the minds of those who actively promote misinformation, political oppression, terror, conspiracies, and anything else that detracts from the public good. What drives them to do so? Are they right in their own minds, or do they know that what they do is wrong? More importantly, what should we know and understand about these people? I'm going to go out on a limb and start with a concept that may seem shockingly politically incorrect to some: I'm going to disagree with the popular perception that Sarah Palin is nuts.

Let me tell you something about Sarah Palin, but first with the understanding that I don't know any more about her than you do; I've never met her either; and I didn't vote for her. Stupid people don't tend to attract contributors, managers, supporters, and electorates. If she'd exhibited stupidity on the Wasilla city council, they probably wouldn't have elected her mayor. If she'd exhibited stupidity as mayor, they probably wouldn't have elected her for a second term. Her appointment to the Oil and Gas Committee by the governor was probably not because she'd behaved stupidly. Finally, stupidity probably does not characterize most successful bids to run for governor of one of the United States. Does she exhibit an almost robotic and uncritical point-by-point support of the Republican platform? Yes. Is she undereducated for her position? Possibly, her bachelor's degree is in journalism. It's arguable that she's demonstrated a clear disdain for, and illiteracy in, science. She gives every indication that her religious beliefs and her party guidance determine her priorities. But welcome to reality: That's the way a lot of people work, including a lot of people on the other side of the political aisle.

<snip>

Look at Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, and consequently the United States' greatest mass murderer of children. To best prepare ourselves to prevent this kind of thing happening again, we have to be sure that we accurately understand the motivations behind it. McVeigh is a guy who lived in a world of conspiracies. The people he surrounded himself with all believed the same thing: That the government was out to get them. When you live and breathe that 24 hours a day, when it's your entire sphere of influence, it's not delusional. It was a vicious circle. The more input he received, the more he sought out such information. Well understood perceptual phenomena like confirmation bias made it normal and healthy for McVeigh's brain to reject information that did not indicate the government was out to get him. Eventually he got to a point where the best move — in the context of what he believed was going on — was to strike back, as violently as possible. We are better prepared to deal with Timothy McVeighs if we don't allow ourselves the intellectually lazy shortcut of "Oh, he was just some nut."

The same goes for Sarah Palin, Ben Stein, Ken Ham, Bill Maher, Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey, and Prince Charles, all people who actively promote bad science or misinformation, and who believe they're doing the right thing. That's an important point that's too often overlooked. With few exceptions, most honest promoters of bad information have good intentions. They're not crazy raving lunatics out to get us. If you want to have an informed, rational conversation with one of these folks, and you want them to be receptive to your statements, approach them as you would any public figure who works hard in the public good. At a fundamental level, they're on our same team: They want what's best for people.

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..... she's obviously an intellectually incurious, ill-informed, shallow person. Again like Bush.

and everyone goes home a winner in this argument.

when it comes to SP, I'd be hard pressed to disagree...

"Stupid people don't tend to attract contributors, managers, supporters, and electorates."

Sure they do. They attract their fellow stupid humans in the form of contributors, managers, supporters, and electorates.

There is a tendency to believe people that are successful do so because they are better, smarter, more favored by god than people that don't succeed. It's a very ancient philosophy that unfortunately doesn't appear to be true. Do stupid people become rich, get elected, get promoted... yes all the time.

she may have raw animal cunning, but she is an intellectual void.

which leads her into doing and saying so many stupid things.

:headbang:

rocktivity

"Let me tell you something about Sarah Palin, but first with the understanding that I don't know any more about her than you do; I've never met her either; and I didn't vote for her. Stupid people don't tend to attract contributors, managers, supporters, and electorates. If she'd exhibited stupidity on the Wasilla city council, they probably wouldn't have elected her mayor. If she'd exhibited stupidity as mayor, they probably wouldn't have elected her for a second term"

Show me any politicuan who can give the people money in their hand and they'll be reelected!

like the rest of the GOP

Her 15 minutes of fame are loooooong gone.

I understand the point about not dismissing such people as " just some nut" (and I agree with it) - but I won't pretend such people aren't dangerous in their ignorance.

Palin was feeding hate at her political rallies - feeding that hate by validating her own ignorance and that of her audience. I don't define that as wanting "what's best for people" or working for the "public good". Regardless of what they tell themselves...

Yes, Palin isn't stupid...but she is ignorant. Dangerously so...Willfully so (like many of her fans)

and find her to be refreshingly intelligent, witty and knowledgeable.

:sarcasm:

oh, girl dumb.

I prefer stupid in my elected officials.

There's no question in my mind that Sarah Palin is not only ignorant (a condition that can be remedied), but yes, outright stupid (for which there is no cure). However, she's cunning and quick to exploit any advantage to herself, so she can come across as superficially quick on her feet. For that reason alone, I will agree that she's potentially more dangerous than Dubya, who was just plain stupid.

And such people do attract followers and hangers-on - some who are just as stupid as their idols and so are kinded spirits, and others who make use of the opportunity to manipulate and be a power behind the scenes.

I've known a lot of people who I am sure have lower IQs than Palin who get through the day without saying or doing the stupid shit she does.

What is the practical difference between being a stupid person and being a smart person who does stupid things?

ignorant and devoid of intellectual curiosity. Beauty fades, but stupid is forever ( I borrowed that from another DUer)

sort of person. They like rigid authoritarian thinking.

Abstinence?

Sure it works! Promote it! Despite evidence to the contrary.

edit: typos.

Next they'll be equating her with Einstein!

Bimbo = Genius squared.

... to having a reasonable dialogue with her, and also to U.S. Americans who she would like to talk with, but also can't find too on a map.

reasonable dialogue... with Palin...

you're killing me.

She's not stupid in that she has "street sense", kinda like Bush, but.....	marmar	Jul-01-09 10:33 AM	#1
Willfully IGNORANT, not stupid	hlthe2b	Jul-01-09 10:38 AM	#5
we can each define stupid how we like	Teaser	Jul-01-09 10:39 AM	#6
...	hlthe2b	Jul-01-09 11:19 AM	#21
"Stupid is as stupid does." -- Forest Gump n/t	Ian David	Jul-01-09 11:25 AM	#24
I have to disagree with this part:	Contrary1	Jul-01-09 10:36 AM	#2
nailed	Teaser	Jul-01-09 10:38 AM	#4
Ditto	Butch350	Jul-01-09 10:54 AM	#14
I agree	Johonny	Jul-01-09 11:07 AM	#18
Or people just attracted to them because they're charming, attractive or powerful. n/t	Ian David	Jul-01-09 11:26 AM	#26
she is a stupid fuck	Teaser	Jul-01-09 10:37 AM	#3
No, she's not nuts, but she IS excessively self-serving and overambitious	rocktivity	Jul-01-09 10:40 AM	#7
Like "W"?	walkaway	Jul-01-09 10:42 AM	#8
They reelected her because she gave everybody oil money!	napi21	Jul-01-09 11:05 AM	#16
Man, compared to her supporters calling in to CSPAN today, she's an Oxford don.	billyoc	Jul-01-09 10:46 AM	#9
Just chronically self-absorbed	C_U_L8R	Jul-01-09 10:46 AM	#10
Poor, poor Sarah....	Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel	Jul-01-09 10:50 AM	#11
Ignorance can kill and there is nothing well meaning about that.	Solly Mack	Jul-01-09 10:51 AM	#12
I love that we can compare her to W	sui generis	Jul-01-09 10:53 AM	#13
You might be just a little "naive". Not much just a tad.	Butch350	Jul-01-09 11:02 AM	#15
Yes, she is.	ellie	Jul-01-09 11:07 AM	#17
No, but she's dangerous.	Vickers	Jul-01-09 11:08 AM	#19
Meh...	Javaman	Jul-01-09 11:12 AM	#20
Stupid and cunning can go together just fine.	InvisibleTouch	Jul-01-09 11:20 AM	#22
Yes She Is, by Political Heretic	Political Heretic	Jul-01-09 11:23 AM	#23
In the words of the immortal Forrest Gump, 'Stupid is as stupid does.'	RaleighNCDUer	Jul-01-09 11:25 AM	#25
she is a self absorbed bimbo,	JitterbugPerfume	Jul-01-09 11:43 AM	#27
Undereducated, rigid theocratic, Governor of a State, like dumbya - repugs love this	bluedawg12	Jul-01-09 11:57 AM	#28
Beauty Queen runner-up cunning masks for brains?	Generic Other	Jul-01-09 11:58 AM	#29
I think a key point is that even if she really is stupid, calling her stupid is counter-productive..	Ian David	Jul-01-09 12:49 PM	#30
good one!	western mass	Jul-01-09 02:17 PM	#31
Stop being such a political smarty-pants. With your gotcha questions, like "what do you read." n/t	Ian David	Jul-01-09 02:23 PM	#32