Which candidate do you think is the most intelligent?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

I would say that Obama is the most intelligent, refreshing.

I'm not sure about the rest?

what do you think?

[havocmom]

1. They are all very intelligent

They have different areas of strengths.

[AtomicKitten]

2. mine, of course

;-)

[DaveJ]

3. Although it's impossible to know for sure...

I think intelligent people can have a disregard for intelligence, and vice versa. I agree that Barack appears to convey his intelligence more than others.

[shrdlu]

4. Richardson... n/t

[brazos121200]

5. They are all quite intelligent but based on his

position on the issues I would have to say that Kuchinich is the most intellectual. Gravel not so much so.

[Mojambo]

6. They are all quite competent. Well above average.

It's impossible to know for sure because it's tied into how well they communicate, which isn't really determined on intelligence at all.

Dodd strikes me as a bit of an egghead.

[Rabo Karabekian]

7. Dennis is Wicked Smart

I'd have to go with Kucinich (and not just b/c he's my candidate), but I'd put Obama a close second, I'm going to go with a darkhorse candidate for third, Biden. But maybe I think Biden's so smart because he's far ahead of them all as far as knowledge of foreign policy.

[Think82]

8. Biden, if you watch the debates, it's clear. if Obama had the sameknowledge on all issues maybe him

They're all pretty damn smart, though. Gotta say.

[kad7777]

9. JOE BIDEN

Stands head and shoulders above all the candidates. Dem or Rep. in my view.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtGCaqOdIJ4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUC8LeZ1hM4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HcXkLbRIWw

[RichGirl]

10. Hillary Clinton

I love Obama...and loved his book. But, compared to hers it's somewhat amateurish.

IQ wise I don't know who is higher of the candidates. In "Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus" John Gray says that women's brains are wired different than men's, which is why it is so hard for us to communicate. A man can only think of one thing at a time, whereas a women can think of four things at once. Men are often accused of not listening when in fact they just aren't taking the information in as quick as the women. This has nothing to do with intelligence. Hillary sees many sides to an issue....because she can.

[Mother Of Four]

11. Intelligence is nice...

But it's nothing without common sense to go with it.

I'm going to refrain from saying who I think has the most common sense...just wanted to throw that out there.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

13. common sense

I think O has common sense especially where foreign policy is concerned

[democrat2thecore]

12. Biden & Obama -nt

[slackmaster]

14. DK followed closely by Obama and HRC

They are all highly intelligent people.

[ginchinchili]

15. I think you first have to take a stab at defining "intelligence"

For example, some academics are very bad in social situations. Someone who eeks out a meager living, chooses the right mate, figures out how to acquire a nice little house in a nice little neighborhood, and doesn't let things get to him or her could be considered very intelligent, even if the didn't go to college.

I was talking to a woman I work with one time about our worst "cringe" moments. She said hers was one time when she was in a car load of friends and she inexplicably proclaimed that she was the smartest one in the car. She proceeded to tell me how she wished she could have taken it back as soon as it left her mouth, but then she went on to explain to me that she really was the smartest one in that car and she made that argument to her friends, and, of course, they all got pissed off at her. But it struck me that she didn't seem to have learned from the experience, not right after the words left her mouth, and not since, because there were many times when she displayed that attitude at work. In a way she is smart because she knows her stuff at work, but in another way she's kind of dumb because her attitude prevents her from keeping or making friends. I know this because I know her well.

Point being, if we're going to try to establish who is the most intelligent, we'd better be careful about the criteria we use. Personally, I think it's an exercise in futility. They're all pretty smart in their own way. It would probably be more useful to discuss who know the most that would benefit them as POTUS or to discuss their qualities in general.

[mtnsnake]

16. People are smart in different ways. Some of the most intelligent people are dumb in many ways.

My father taught me that a long long time ago, and he has sure proven to be correct on that philosophy.

Years ago, he told me that to me after I had asked him why my sister's boyfriend in high school, who I told him was perhaps the smartest guy in the school scholastically, could act like such a lamebrain in certain ways if he was so damn intelligent.

"Well, son, even the smartest people aren't always smart in all ways."

[ecstatic]

17. A tie between Clinton and Obama, because you have to be 10 times as good

as a racial/gender minority in this country (they were both minorities in their respective academic programs).

[BeyondGeography]

29. I don't disagree

[monmouth]

18. Biden has the smarts, wit, and experience. A lethal combo....

[LWolf]

19. They are all intelligent.

Some are more intellectual than others, and some are more principled than others.

[mtnsnake]

20. You nailed it, LWolf. nt

[dsc]

21. None of them are stupid by any means

Hillary was valedictorian at Wellsey, Obama law review at Harvard, Kucinich went to seminary with Jesuits (and has a wicked memory as I can attest from personal experience), I am less familiar with the rest but the accomplishments are real.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

31. none of them are stupid thank goodness

a better selection than the GOP have

[asdjrocky]

22. All candidates...

And I mean ALL of them are very intelligent, very decent people. As someone that has watched trial lawyers for years, I know you don't get far in a courtroom, or going after major corporations, without a quick and nimble mind. Edwards has the ability to look ahead, and think on his feet. That being said, I think, and I've said it here before, DK has a once in a generation mind.

[baldguy]

23. All of the Dems

None of the 'pukes.

[Czolgosz]

24. If his strategy of holding off Iowa TV ads while others ran theirs in July - October works, Edwards

will be rightly hailed as a genius. If Edwards wins in Iowa, he gets my nod as smartest candidates in a pretty smart field

If Edwards' strategy doesn't pay off for him in Iowa, I'm going to say that the first black Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Law Review wins my nomination for brainiest candidate.

[saltpoint]

25. If these candidates were finalists to hire to run your company, you'd have

8 good choices.

It's an impressive field.

[nancyharris]

26. Actually, none of them have ever run a business before

They are all, for the most part, career politicians.

[saltpoint]

27. Government is the business of the people.

[nancyharris]

33. True, but not relevant to running a commercial business.

The Democratic candidates are extremely well qualified (with the possible exception of Congressman Kucinich) but let's face it, there is very little business acumen there. None of them have faced the pressure of having to meet a monthly payroll, realize a profit for their investors or pay social security taxes for their employees or corporate tax on their company's profit. None of them have ever had to set up health insurance or retirement accounts for their employees, never had to grant family leave or be faced with the task of having to lay-off employees because the economy took a turn for the worse. They are intelligent world leaders, but business people they are not.

[saltpoint]

34. One connects the "intelligence" dot from the original post to the

"capacities and skills" dot for executive temperament.

That was the point.

[FredScuttle]

28. "intelilgent"? "refreshing"?

What is either "intelligent" or "refreshing" about welcoming an "ex-gay" clown to host your fundraiser and spew homophobic filth and then defend this clown?

[mvd]

30. Biden or Kucinich

I can't be sure. There are things I don't like about Biden - too many to be my candidate, but he has strong points. No one can explain an issue like he can. His way with words comes because he's intelligent. If he doesn't get the Presidency, maybe Secretary Of State? Kucinich is right about most of the issues IMO and I'd like to think great minds think alike. :-)

[rufus dog]

32. based upon IQ

I would guess Hillary, Barack, Kucinich, and Biden are very close. Richardson, Dodd, and Edwards right behind. And then all of the Repub candidates bringing up the rear over 10 points behind. That being said some people can be too smart without people skills or the ability to connect with the general population. Kucinich may fall into that category, too smart for people to get! I along with 10 to 20% of the population can get by the way he looks and give him credit for his insight, others see him as a kook. Biden to some extent has the same problem, being a bit too loquacious. Hillary and Barack walk a fine line, balancing their intelligence against coming across as too cerebral for Joe Q. Public.

[usregimechange]

35. Biden

[calteacherguy]

36. Honestly I think they are all very intelligent. nt

[JohnLocke]

37. They are all very intelligent, Dodd and Edwards most of all.

[Basileus Basileon]

38. Off the top of my head here,

Biden, Richardson, Obama, Clinton, Kucinich, Edwards, Dodd (don't really know about him, so just guessing randomly), Gravel.

None are stupid, and all seem fairly close to me. I wouldn't be shocked if my list were completely backwards (well, maybe a little, but still).

[balantz]

39. The one who is most intelligent

would be the one who engages our intelligence to be inspired to join talents to make a greater nation. I would say that one is John Edwards.

[Apollo11]

40. Biden is smartest because he can think and talk at the same time.

You can see it in the way he deals with questions and his years of experience of doing live TV interviews. I never saw him fumble his words or trip up on a tough question.

Obama is also a very smart guy. No doubt about it.

Hillary is intelligent in a certain calculating kind of way.

Edwards is no dummy. But he is more of a talker than a thinker.

BIDEN OBAMA 2008 B-)

[Perry Logan]

41. They can't be as smart as they seem--if they want to become President.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

42. LOL!

you may have a point!