Should there be a minimum grade point average to run for president of the United States?

[apples and oranges]

Rick perry had a 1.9 gpa in college. Don't Americans deserve more?

[Brickbat]

1. No.

[RKP5637]

2. Sadly to some Americans this would be seen as a positive IMO. Frankly, I think

candidates at many levels should have minimal qualifications ... gpa, as well as a certification test to be a candidate.

[Liberal Veteran]

3. There already is.

Unfortunately, the American public is the one grading the tests.

[Lucian]

4. He had a 1.9 GPA??

Did he graduate? If he did, he shouldn't have.

[liberal N proud]

5. How did he graduate college

Most colleges put you on academic probation a GPA below 2.0 and if you don't improve, you are out.

So how did this clown graduate?

But 1.9 sounds like he had a bigger party than bu$h. And the GOP thinks he is the ticket...


:wtf:

[itsrobert]

6. My GPA is 3.92

And I can say G.P.A. has little to do on how well a person performs a certain job.

[wickerwoman]

9. +1.

Not to mention its kind of silly to judge 50 year olds based on how well they did in school when they were 19.

There's lots of good reasons why Rick Perry would be a crappy president and we don't have to go back 30 years to find them.

[CoffeeCat]

14. Yes, I agree...

...but if someone is a complete screw-off toolbag and you learn that they had a 1.9 GPA--all of that information
amounts to *something* doesn't it?

I'd say Perry has been a consistent under performer, relying on superficial charm, good looks and an outgoing
personality to get him where he is.

He sounds like a classic narcissist.

When companies recruit college graduates, GPA is very important. You can't walk into a job interview and say, "Hey,
I know I have a one point nine, but that doesn't mean I won't do a good job!". I high GPA is evidence that someone
worked hard, stayed the course, handed in quality work and was responsible when it came to their "job", which was, to
study hard and graduate.

GPA does matter.

I would argue that, now more than ever, we need intellectuals who actually *think* instead of holding prayer meetings
in stadiums, asking for imaginary friends in the sky to inspire us with cool ideas.

[Philippine expat]

26. As some one who used to hire and fire GPA makes

very little difference

[cherokeeprogressive]

7. Yeah! Let's establish a Poll Tax while we're at it!

That'll kill two birds with one stone... It will keep "undesirables" from running for President, AND it will keep "undesirables" from voting for him/her!

[RC]

8. Not to defend Perry, but there are people that are exceptional at book learning, but

can not apply it to the real world applications. They could take a semester of the intricacies of the 2 D cell flashlight and get straight A's, and still not be able to figure out how to change the batteries in one outside the classroom.

[Ozymanithrax]

10. The Constitution does not allow for that...

One must be native born (whatever that means) and of the right age.

[CoffeeCat]

11. I don't know about a minimum grade point...

...but our President should be an EXCEPTIONAL person who demonstrates skills and abilities at the top-tier level.

Yes, there are many successful people who didn't go to college or who didn't do well in college.

However, the President of the United States needs to be intelligent, responsible and successful in many areas of life
and demonstrate an ability to reason, be responsible and succeed.

Your college record reflects a combination of intellect and commitment. Plenty of brilliant people screw off in
college and graduate with 1.9 GPA. Conversely, many people of average intelligence study their asses of and
graduate with high a high GPA.

GPA doesn't tell you why--but it tells you the level at which someone succeeded in their classes.

Perry failed. That's a D+ average. I think this disqualifies him for the position--because there are many
qualified people in this country who have succeeded across the board. One could argue that Bill Gates didn't
do well in college and left after one semester, but Rick Perry is no Bill Gates. What has the man done? He's
a career politician and he seems like a toolbag. A career politician with a 1.9 GPA. That's an embarrassment.

I'd also like to remind everyone that Sarah Palin also graduated with a very low GPA.

We pick ONE President. If we can't find someone who has better credentials than a 1.9 GPA, then that's really sad.

[Mz Pip]

12. Where did that number some from?

1.9 is academic probation then flunking out. Is this really true?

[formernaderite]

13. does that mean every presidential candidate should release

their transcripts? I'm pretty sure many Presidential candidates and Presidents haven't...

[undeterred]

15. You're assuming college.

We don't even require that, do we?

[Peregrine Took]

16. How about a sanity test? n/t

[RKP5637]

21. Yep, that's a pretty good bottom line. Many of these candidates IMO

demonstrate a few problems.

[Aerows]

17. No but an IQ

and "attachment to the reality of modern American living" test should be given. They should be able to get within 15 cents of the price of milk in the grocery store, within 80 cent/hr of the national wage, and within a $50,000/year budget explain what investments Americans should make to afford health care insurance, plan for retirement, and plan to send their children to college.

As to the last one, any politician that can do that has my vote.

[Philippine expat]

27. Hell milk varies more then 15 cents

store to store in the same city

[Aerows]

28. Okay, then just the last qualification

seriously. If you are going to tout that Americans should do that, you should at least give a well-thought out plan for HOW they can do that.

[TlalocW]

18. No

I got out of high school and college with 4.0s or close to it and felt unqualified for any jobs in my majors (though I probably wasn't - just the only job at the college office looking for graduates in one of my degrees - math - was Hormel, who thought we would make good overnight foremen at the meat grinding places), and I've known people who were poor students but through hard work and grit have taken a skill and built a successful business around it like my brother-in-law who runs a successful flooring company and was smart enough to see a niche to be filled by opening up a store that sells high-end supplies to other flooring companies who all were trading and borrowing between each other until their latest shipment from 200 miles away could come in.

I saw, see how hard they are to work for something and maybe give them aptitude tests like figuring out they have to stack boxes in order to get the banana hanging from the ceiling.

TlalocW

[TexasTowelie]

19. Double-check the math

I was curious about Gov. Cragface's GPA so I examined the transcripts that were on Huffington Post and did the math for myself. Based upon a 4.0 scale, the governor had a 2.21 GPA while at Aggieland. The only semester that Texas Towelie came close to that low GPA, I was running with the kids from South Park.

You can't rely on the point totals on the transcript because the first year that Perry was at eATMe the grades were not calculated on a 4.0 scale.

I've spent many hours in College Station with students. Their #1 priority is to find the next kegger, not worrying about their GPA.

Americans do deserve more--that's why President Obama has my vote in 2012.

[Liberal In Texas]

20. Hey neighbor, welcome to DU. n/t

[Redford]

22. Let's not lump A&M students in the Perry pile

I spent 4 years getting a degree in Agriculture at Texas A & M and I could not disagree more with your "kegger" comment. A & M graduates some of the best engineers, teachers, veterinarians, farmers, and accountants in the world. The kegger comment should be reserved for the Texas Tech crowd - apparently all you have to do to get in there is open the door.

[TexasTowelie]

34. Apology

You are correct of course--I should not have been "all inclusive" with that statement. There are plenty of Aggies who don't drink or drink responsibly--I even love and respect some of them! My comment was based on personal experiences at keggers where I saw a large group of students that didn't know how to handle their liquor.

I am also aware that keg parties are a normal occurrence with the students living off campus. Looking at those grades, it would be naive to think Perry wasn't upholding the traditions of college life along with a cold, frosty mug.

I heard a couple of stories about Texas Tech that mentioned keggers, but it would all be hearsay since I never hung out in Lubbock.

[tammywammy]

40. As someone that also lives in Texas

I would say the kegger comment should either be about SFA or Tech. :P

[apples and oranges]

24. Sorry but no...

http://www.scribd.com/doc/61684192/Rick-Perry-s-Texas-A-M-Transcript

[TexasTowelie]

37. Yes, that was the transcript that I saw.

Or at least the first page of it. Did you see the second page?

I worked out those calculations about a week ago and have since threw away my calculations. I based my calculations on the standard A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1 and F = 0 system. I think that I remember Perry taking 144 hours which seemed like a lot for a bachelor's degree (my degree required 120 hours). In hindsight, I may have made an error in the calculations by not including the hours for the "F" that he made in organic chemistry.

Maybe we could agree to call him "Mr. 2.2"? Don't you think it has a ring to it?

[Wounded Bear]

23. What would be the point....

all of the schools will be profitized in 10 years anyway.

Grades are getting more and more meaningless.

[Philippine expat]

25. NO

[Critters2]

29. Holy crap! 1.9?!! At my undergrad, I think you could get a 1.9 just by registering! nt

[amborin]

30. given ongoing grade inflation...even a 4.0 is nearly meaningless

[no_hypocrisy]

31. No, it's constitutional for stupid people to run for President.

Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

[fishwax]

32. no, but yes

No, there shouldn't be a minimum GPA. But yes, Americans deserve more than Rick Perry.

[Waiting For Everyman]

33. No, but it *should be* a dealbreaker to any responsible voter.

But incompetence is "in" with the party that outsources its thinking to any availabe RW authority figure.

[TheKentuckian]

35. Nope.

[WinkyDink]

36. No, since there isn't one for voters! :-)

[Motown_Johnny]

38. No, but a public IQ test as part of the debates would be nice

[former9thward]

39. Where is your link to that?

[former9thward]

41. Link to his transcript.

His GPA is around a C to a C+. He had some Ds but a number of Bs and As also. The GPA would have been higher than 1.9. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/05/rick-perry-college-transcript_n_919357.html

[TexasTowelie]

43. Now I've Rechecked My Math - GPA is 2.16

I found the calculations that I worked on about a week ago. Perry earned 318 points and took 147 credit hours (including the F in organic chemistry).

[Zebedeo]

42. No. If there were such a requirement, Pres. Obama

would have to release his grades.

[pipi_k]

44. Oh I dunno...

People with high GPAs can be stupid too.

And what someone was...or did...in college isn't necessarily what he'll be or do later in life.

:shrug:

[Redford]

45. Not defending him but

he was just planning on going back to the farm and farming......somebody looked at his hair and pointed him toward Austin. He was a democrat for a little while until he turned to the dark side.

[JackRiddler]

46. No, there should be a maximum income.

[madinmaryland]

47. No. AND UN-RECCED.

[blkmusclmachine]

48. 1.9, that's a "D":

A job worth doing is worth doing well. Texas has outgrown Perry; he struggled against Bill White in the last election. I still wonder about the fire that destroyed many voting machines down in Houston (Bill White's stronghold) just before the election.. Guess we'll never really know..