Friday, April 02, 2010

Is being a constitutional law professor a liability for a President?

Sarah Palin thinks so.

 In these volatile times when we are a nation at war, now more than ever is when we need a commander-in-chief, not a constitutional law professor lecturing us from a lectern.

This looks like anti-intellectualism to me. Dang those pointy-headed academics.


17 comments:

Anonymous said...

it just "looks like" anti-intellectualism?

Anonymous said...

Or anti-"intellectualism". As in, one man's intellectual is another man's hack.

steve said...

Victor,

If you're going to take another swipe at Palin's intellect, it might be more impressive if you ran the title of your post through a spellchecker first.

Victor Reppert said...

Thanks, I have made the correction. Can any real argument be made that having been a constitutional law professor is a liability? Does this claim have a basis?

steve said...

That depends, in part, on his judicial philosophy. It also depends on whether he views warfare in legal terms rather than military terms.

Of course, Palin is an easy mark.

Victor Reppert said...

Yes, Palin is an easy target, and a good reason why she shouldn't be the public face of conservatism.

Obviously what you object to is not the education, but the actual beliefs with which they come to the Presidency. John Yoo's career as an academic is not something, I take it, you would hold against him if he were to be otherwise politically capable of being President.

Unknown said...

What we really need is a soccer mom as a President...

I couldn't resist, and I'm conservative.

steve said...

Victor Reppert said...

"Yes, Palin is an easy target, and a good reason why she shouldn't be the public face of conservatism."

True...Chuck Norris would be even better.

"Obviously what you object to is not the education, but the actual beliefs with which they come to the Presidency."

Agreed.

"John Yoo's career as an academic is not something, I take it, you would hold against him if he were to be otherwise politically capable of being President."

Agreed.

Victor Reppert said...

A hockey mom, Martin, a hockey mom.

bossmanham said...

It's not so much that he's a law professor, it's that he's a communist law professor.

Anonymous said...

Bob Prokop writing:

I think Bosmanham does not know the definition of "communist" (unless he's being facetious).

Unknown said...

Barack Obama was only a part-time lecturer at the University of Chicago and wasn't hired with the idea that he would turn into an academician, but that he could run for office and if he succeeded it would help the university (cf. Mark Levin's interview with John Lott about his acquaintance with Obama when they were at the U at the same time). Lott says that Obama did not want to engage with people with whom he disagreed, which is unusual for an academic.

Before crediting Obama with academic creds I think he should disclose way more of his records, starting with his SAT scores.

The interview runs about fifteen minutes and is well worth hearing.

Blue Devil Knight said...

She just lobs the pitches right over the plate, doesn't she?

In a sounds-stupid contest, she and Dan Quayle would be a wonderful battle (note I said 'sounds-stupid' because I don't think either of them are stupid).

Oh, lest I forget:
GO DUKE!

Blue Devil Knight said...

James: He was president of the Harvard Law Review, and you want to see his SAT scores? Really? Are you still in High School or something? It would be a tad less silly (though just a tad) to mention his LSAT scores.

Mark said...

I, for one, will not be satisfied until I receive his Hawaiian birth certificate listing his SAT score.

Victor Reppert said...

BDK: In your sounds-stupid contest, where would Michelle Bachmann fit?

Blue Devil Knight said...

Mark LOL

Victor I don't know who that is :)