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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group

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To: Mary Cluney who wrote (136712)	6/15/2004 12:02:07 PM
From: carranza2	Read Replies (1) of 281500

I think you might be confusing mental horsepower with political talent. They don't necessarily go together. The art of building consensus, judging others' needs in order to forge compromises, and being able to connect in a manner that doesn't turn people off are skills that we cannot yet measure objectively. There is no Political IQ test. If we ever can, I think you'll find that Reagan and others' PIQ were very high. Presidents cannot be expected to know every detail of the issues they face. They are too variegated and complex. Instead, their skill in this regard is essentially an administrative one--find and hire the best experts in the relevant fields and listen to them, using the various political filters to reject things which are simply not doable. Don't forget that in many respects a President's function is one of communication and inspiration. Carter was a terrible President, despite a very high IQ, because he failed to inspire and communicate his vision. Plus, we are getting increasingly mediocre Presidents because the job is getting incredibly difficult to do. A truly wise person with high PIQ and IQ might very well say--"Who needs this? I think I'll stay in the Senate."

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