Why is Newt often called an intellectual?

[rufus dog]

He says some of the dumbest things I have EVER heard.

I am sure he knows they are complete bullshit and doesn't care and by being referred to as an intellectual he can continue to spout the BS.

[Go2Peace]

1. good point.

And the press fawns over him despite that if you look at his personal life he is a jerk and a mess. Celebrity media?

[jobycom]

2. Same reason the invasion was called Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Calling something the opposite of what it is is a basic brainwashing technique.

[RandomThoughts]

3. Sometimes when I am working through thoughts.

People say it is BS. So it is easy for things to be seen as BS. Also there are some things that are from beliefs or observations, and can be thought differently by other people.

The whole question is does he say things knowing he is lying. Although everyone makes mistakes at times.

[Wilms]

4. Dumb? Sure. But how many conservatives can you name that are smarter?

:shrug:

[unblock]

12. exactly. it's all relative. after all, if he were any smarter, he'd have to be a democrat.

[The Traveler]

5. Because he argues from a consistent logical structure

Newt has a paradigm, knows it well, and knows how to wield it to construct an argument. Make no mistake, this is not a stupid man.

But this paradigm from which he operates ... it is a sucky paradigm. The market collapses of recent years are a direct result of that paradigm in action ... and David Stockman apparently agrees with us on that point. But it is a paradigm. One problem with the left ... we haven't constructed a robust paradigm since Roosevelt. And by and large we are too honest to really pretend that we have. And that makes it harder for us ... we're still trying to figure out what will work. Newt and his stooges are willing to sell something knowledgeable people understand won't work. And Newt is knowledgeable ... believe me ... he knows that, too.

The problem with Newt is therefore not a matter of intellect ... he has that in abundance. Rather, he suffers a deficit of character.

Trav

[rufus dog]

7. I agree with you 100% that he is very smart

I also believe that if he was ever called out as being an idiot for one of his BS statements then he would be much more careful with his statements/deceptions, purely based upon his own enormous ego.

[unblock]

13. "a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds"

having a paradigm does not make one an intellectual.

in fact, often it simply means one is brainwashed.

newt is eloquent, not intellectual, so he is able to effectively brainwash.



theirs is a simple and simplistic paradigm. most democrats could easily fake being a newtonian republican if they were so inclined. it's not hard at all.

[Clio the Leo]

6. He's a Republican with all of his teeth. It's a rare thing. nt

[CoffeeCat]

8. Didn't Newt used to be a history professor?

I think Newt is probably a fairly intelligent man. However, he uses his intellect
to enrich the neocon war machine that is turning our democracy into a joke.

It's ok to admit that Newt is intelligent. He's just not using his brain
for admirable purposes.

There are plenty of people who are evil, greedy or sociopathic--who use their
talents and brains for nefarious purposes. That's the problem with the world
today.

[pansypoo53219]

9. indeed.

he always seemed like a buffoon to me. but i guess the gnews are THAT DUMB. he is understandable pompous.

[nenagh]

10. Newt Gingrich's 1996 GOPAC Memo:"Language:A Key Mechanism of Control"

Tarred and feathered the word/concept "liberal" and is still contributing to that frame today....

My 0.02

He was clever enough and amoral enough to see that published.. :(

[Dulcinea]

11. A direct quote:

"It doesn't matter what I do," he answered. "People need to hear what I have to say. There's no one else who can say what I can say. It doesn't matter what I live."

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_08/025136.php

Newt will say whatever it takes to sell his books & promote himself, and plenty of people believe him. A simple formula. He's not dumb by any stretch, but he certainly isn't an intellectual.

[Recursion]

14. Because he has a PhD in history from Tulane, and is a professor?

If that doesn't make you an "intellectual" I'm not sure what would?

[Canuckistanian]

15. I heard he read Lord of the Rings - twice

And that makes him an intellectual to RWers.

[Exilednight]

16. For the same reason ............

they call Pat Buchanan and Rush intellectuals - no one on the right bothered to look the word up. I tred reading one of Pat's books a while back, I couldn't make it past page 10. And in ten pages he brought up Reagan at least 30 times. I would almost bet that if you gave one of them a coloring book and crayons, many on the right would consider them the new Picasso.

[DailyGrind51]

17. I bet he invented that handle himself!

[gkhouston]

22. Be fair. He may have gotten a sycophant to do it. n/t

[DailyGrind51]

23. Must have been a really "sick" sycophant!

[Joe Bacon]

18. Because his pals in the Mainstream Media call him that.

That's what happens when the corporate owners of our conservative media replace real reporters with asskissing stenographers.

[tanyev]

19. You have to consider where the GOP bar is set.

[rasputin1952]

20. He is one remarkably stupid man considering the education he has...

and he teaches at some college, passing his crap off as he were some great sage. The man is a walking piece of crap.

[opihimoimoi]

24. The POS has legs??? LOL :o)

[rasputin1952]

25. Hi Opi...

Long time no see...:pals:

[opihimoimoi]

33. I refuse to lose to the Cynic Critics and Mimics....all they do is whine

Good to see keeping up the Good Fight....we need all the help we can muster

[rasputin1952]

35. As always, good to see you standing up as well...

I'm always happy to see you around...:pals:

[felix_numinous]

21. Using big words

mixed in with code talk is the way to impress a RW fundamentalist. It's fundeeeelicious!

[mitchum]

26. Because he was an instructor at a community college?

[mitchum]

27. Because he is uncoordinated and bad at sports

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

28. Because the chattering class in our country is even stupider than he is. I mean this

is the same fucking guy who thought it was ok to read Richard Reid his rights because he is "an American citizen" (I know I know he was probably lying but still). :rofl:

[old mark]

29. He is a right wing republican and he can tie his own shoes.

He be SMART!!!11


Fired Up!!11

mark

[CreekDog]

30. Because Newt is smarter than everyone who calls him that (DC Pundits)

really. :think:

[Aramchek]

31. because he's the smartest the GOP has to offer?

[eppur_se_muova]

32. SHHHH!! Don't let on -- you'll blow the joke. nt

[golddigger]

34. Because the average republican has an IQ of 30 and Newts

is hovering around 32.

[Starry Messenger]

36. If you find out, let me know.

Arne Duncan consults him on our Education policies.

[theothersnippywshrub]

37. "Cowardly, anti-American, turd eating, scum sucking, lying philanderer" is considered impolite. n/t

[LWolf]

38. Because his fan club is really stupid. nt

[craigmatic]

39. Basically because he's the only repub that can think up original bullshit as opposed to the rest

who need a bullshit script.

[quakerboy]

40. Same reason a friend of mine keeps insisting

that beneath all the rhetoric, Limbaugh is actually a well researched and reasoned guy.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

41. Because he opposes the Obama Administration...

Newt is a jaw-droppingly ignorant piece of shit. But compared to the other people out there trying to bring down this Adminstration, he's a fucking genius.

Look at the people he leads, those who hate Obama enough to spend their time and energy trying to destroy what he's begun. They're a pack of vicious pricks who hate his government and their country enough to do anything it takes in order to get in power.

[fujiyama]

42. Because he can speak coherent sentences

and use polysyllabic words.