Talk of the Town - Smart vs. dumb September 23 2000

It may be rather simplistic to reduce the 2000 presidential race to a such a basic issue as "smart vs. dumb." But to me, that simple summation is exactly what we're looking at. Vice President Al Gore, whose sudden and widening lead in the polls has stunned GOP pundits, represents the "smart" part of the battle. Stiff, Ivy League and wonkish, the man has nevertheless demonstrated of late that Americans seem to want someone with extraordinary mental aptitude in the White House — not a mental lightweight with no ability to improvise.
Gore's newfound presidential demeanor involves a lot of fluff, to be sure, but his intellectual resources are not in doubt — even among his plentiful enemies. He is universally regarded to be, if anything, perhaps a little too smart. But in comparison to his opponent's recent missteps, this attribute has suddenly become rather appealing.
Let us examine the demographics of the vice president's growing support base: Women of every ethnic background have turned toward him in overwhelming numbers. African-American voters know that the vice president passionately supports their concerns on a broad array of issues affecting this country, not just affirmative action. Latino and Asian-American voters, turned off by the insincere lip service paid to them during the GOP convention, have turned to Gore because of his unassailable record in support of their causes. Even white men, the last great bastion of Republican dominance, are beginning to realize that Al Gore's legitimate comprehension of America's complex cultural landscape makes him the more intelligent candidate.
Texas Gov. George W. Bush, on the other hand, has suddenly evolved into a national laughingstock second only to the legendary Dan Quayle, whose copious malapropisms have become the stuff of legend. A greater curse could not befall a modern American politician, and yet Bush now finds himself in the impossible situation of being negatively compared to Quayle, who was perhaps the least mentally equipped man-boy ever to sit in the relatively useless office of vice president of the United States.
The difference is that Bush is not standing for VP. He is hustling for the big office, and every time he opens his mouth lately, he proves himself laughably unworthy of it.
And it isn't just Bush that we need to be concerned with. It's his organization (or lack thereof). National Republican figures have publicly questioned Bush's judgement with regard to his campaign's management team, even as the candidate himself seems to be oblivious, firmly believing that all is well — despite the vice president's shiny new 9-point lead in the polls.
Out of nowhere, Al Gore has intercepted the political pass that the media had told us was intended for George W. Bush and is now gracefully tiptoeing to the goal line, with the mental blocking-power of Sen. Joe Lieberman keeping his back safe. Lieberman's nemesis, GOP vice-presidential nominee Dick Cheney, seems to be lamely going through the motions, showing no particular passion for being involved in the process. Americans are increasingly giving the GOP ticket up for brain dead.
So I would suggest that his election can easily be boiled down to the idea of "smart vs. dumb." The vice president has cornered the market on what this country wants in the new millennium, which is essentially an amalgamation of President Bill Clinton's political instincts and Bob Dole's sex drive. And that is the image Al Gore is presenting. He has discovered that despite reports of its demise, intelligence is still alive and well in America.
This is not to say that I have no respect for Gov. Bush of Texas. Indeed, I am certain that he is a well-educated, worldly man who is decent and who cares for his family and loves his country.
But, God bless him, he's just not all that bright.