Kerry at the NAACP

Is Kerry Learning Disabled?

I’m always fascinated by the popularly held conceit that Democrats are naturally smarter than Republicans.

This legend began in earnest during the Kennedy Administration partly in jealous response to rival Adlai Stevenson’s obvious intellectual edge over JFK who it turns out was a bit of a poser.

From then on every Democratic candidate for national office was portrayed as a fatbrain in comparison to his Republican counterpart. Hell, even Lyndon Johnson is a deep thinker according to DNC lore.

The myth continues mainly because it seems so important to democrats to promote it. Carter was an intellectual.

Mondale, smart.

Dukakis, brilliant technocrat.

Clinton, flat out genius.

Gore, uberbrain.

And now Kerry.

It literally goes without saying the Kerry is blindingly smart. But let me say the un-sayable. Kerry ain’t that bright.

He seems entirely devoid of emotional intelligence, that’s for sure. And I seriously doubt that is able to develop and articulate exceptional thoughts.

First of all, he hasn’t done anything notable in his 20 years in the Senate. Second, he is unable to capitalize on a deeply vulnerable rival candidate. And third, he went to Boston College Law School.

Let me explain that last bit. No offense to Boston College Law School. God knows they’d have never accepted me.

But Kerry applied to law school after Swiss boarding school, after Yale, after service in Vietnam, after the medals/decorations/whatever, after testifying before Congress, after running for Congress himself.

With a resume like that wouldn’t you think Harvard would accept him? Don’t you think a guy like Kerry would prefer to go to Harvard than BC? Don’t you think the only thing keeping him out of Harvard would be poor grades and an inability to gather and express coherent thoughts?

The Kerry campaign says he missed application deadlines for Harvard and Yale because his failed Congressional campaign ended in November. But applications are generally due in January. What was he doing between November and January that so occupied his time? The New York Times says he was building model boats:

In the aftermath of defeat, Mr. Kerry retreated, building model ships and planes and contemplating his options. He took some time off, then got a job as a New England regional coordinator for an arm of CARE, the relief organization.

"That was a sad thing," Father Drinan recalled. "Then he went to Boston College Law School after that. So we all said, 'Good, he's settled down.' "

The thing is, I can picture Kerry really enjoying building model ships and airplanes rather than actually thinking or reading.

I think Kerry is dumb. And I think he’d going to prove it tonight during the debate.