Blair: Bush is 'highly intelligent'

Imran Siddiqui · May 2, 2003, 01:49

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/...eut/index.html

Quote:

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose closeness to U.S. President George W. Bush earned him praise from Washington and derision at home, says he thinks the American leader's lightweight image is "complete bull."

In an interview with Vanity Fair magazine, Blair said the image was not only "complete bull" but "total nonsense."

He added in the interview with contributing editor David Margolick, "I was about to say, 'He's not someone who will philosophize,' but actually that's not true, because he does. But 'directness' is the best way I can describe it. He has a very, very direct way of stating exactly what he feels about a situation."

Blair added about Bush, "He is highly intelligent, and it's not clotted by so many nuances that the meaning is obscured. The good thing about (Bush) is that once he does really think that an issue has to be tackled he has big reserves of courage for doing it, and he won't really be diverted."

"I trust him, and that is extremely important at our level of politics," Blair, a chief Bush ally in the Iraq war, said.

The British prime minister defended being both friends with Bush and his predecessor, Bill Clinton, saying, "They're very different people, but so what? We all have different friends."

Regarding his and Bush's strong religious beliefs, Blair said, "I can't say it's something we've discussed, but it's something we share." Although Blair denied that he and Bush prayed together, Margolick said that someone close to Blair told him that they probably have.

Blair, who was savaged at home in political cartoons as being Bush's "poodle" for supporting the Iraq war, defended the action. "I think we did the right thing, I think it's going the right way, but I'm now on to the next problem, which is making sure that everything's sorted out in the aftermath."

In the interview Blair called himself a "staunch" supporter of Israel, a minority view in Britain's House of Commons, according to Margolick.

The author then quoted Labour Member of Parliament Tam Dalyell, the longest serving member of the House of Commons, as saying he thought Blair was unduly influenced by a cabal of Jewish advisors. Margolick said Dalyell named Peter Mandelson, a former Blair cabinet member, Lord Levy, Blair's chief fund-raiser and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, an Anglican who has a Jewish grandparent.

Discuss

Shi Huangdi · May 2, 2003, 01:52

Tony Blair has once again spoken the truth.

LoneWolf · May 2, 2003, 01:54

He went to Yale and Harvard Business School. What have all these other geniuses done to be able to all him a "moron" (the current epithet of the day)?

korn469 · May 2, 2003, 01:55

i don't believe anything a politician says so why start now?

Jaguar · May 2, 2003, 01:55

Clearly you are wrong, but I refuse to actually debate you, because I have used a rolleyes to signify that you aren't worth my time.

Ted Striker · May 2, 2003, 01:56

UK!

korn469 · May 2, 2003, 01:56

jw

lol which person was the you?

Jaguar · May 2, 2003, 02:07

I won't dignify that with a response.

(It wasn't directed at anyone in particular.)

Urban Ranger · May 2, 2003, 02:10

Of course Tony Blair would say that W is intelligent. What else could he have said, W is an idiot? What would that make Blair?

Nubclear · May 2, 2003, 02:14

THIS IS SHOCKING NEWS!!!!

LoneWolf · May 2, 2003, 02:16

Hey, the geniuses have arrived. !

TCO · May 2, 2003, 02:18

UKA!

Q Classic · May 2, 2003, 02:57

i don't care.

he's a politician, and thus, not really a good person~

who was it that said that those who seek office are the ones that we should keep office away from?

i mean, bush didn't even refuse twelve times!

Dis · May 2, 2003, 03:44

Is this some sort of joke? we know GW cannot be smart, because the lefties say he is not.

Tingkai · May 2, 2003, 04:27

So Blair thinks GW is highly intelligent.

That says a lot about Blair's level of intelligence.

Tolls · May 2, 2003, 04:32

"He went to Yale and Harvard Business School. "

Prince Charles went to Cambridge University...

Tingkai · May 2, 2003, 04:38

Quote:

Originally posted by Tolls
"He went to Yale and Harvard Business School. "

Prince Charles went to Cambridge University...

Chalk one up for Tolls.

Drake Tungsten · May 2, 2003, 04:42

What school did Blair go to?

Robert Plomp · May 2, 2003, 04:46

C'mon, don't take the only weapon the leftish have out of their hands!
If they disagree with someone they must be allowed to say things like "he's a stupid moron".

any other form of argumentating is far beyond their leages

The Mad Monk · May 2, 2003, 04:47

I don't think Bush is stupid.

That said, I know enough about "Ivy League" schools to not let attendence of them by someone influence my opinion of their intelligence either way.

Urban Ranger · May 2, 2003, 05:01

Quote:

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
That said, I know enough about "Ivy League" schools to not let attendence of them by someone influence my opinion of their intelligence either way.

It's dirt easy if:

1. Your family is rich
2. Your family is influential
3. A memeber of your immediate family is an alum

Otherwise you do need to be intelligent.

Drake Tungsten · May 2, 2003, 05:02

Quote:

C'mon, don't take the only weapon the leftish have out of their hands!
If they disagree with someone they must be allowed to say things like "he's a stupid moron".

They'd still have the more popular "he's evil" line. They'd be fine.

Robert Plomp · May 2, 2003, 05:22

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger

It's dirt easy if:

1. Your family is rich
2. Your family is influential
3. A memeber of your immediate family is an alum

Otherwise you do need to be intelligent.

Thus you say that everyone who:
- was born in a rich family
- was born in an influential family
- has an immediate family member who is an alum
is plain stupid?

At least that's another good reason to be plain stupid

I wish I was plain stupid, but unfortunately I'm not stupid enough to call everyone who disagrees with me stupid.

Tolls · May 2, 2003, 05:33

"Thus you say that everyone who:
- was born in a rich family
- was born in an influential family
- has an immediate family member who is an alum
is plain stupid?"

Reading comprehension helps here...hint: that's not what he said.

Urban Ranger · May 2, 2003, 05:41

Cybershy,

It appears that you can use a course or two in critical thinking.

Robert Plomp · May 2, 2003, 06:44

Quote:

Reading comprehension helps here...hint: that's not what he said.

hint, I was not serious.

Quote:

Cybershy,

It appears that you can use a course or two in critical thinking.

I think I'm doing fine voicing fine critics against your simplistic leftish way of argumentation.

But I should understand that you mean 'critical thinking against the rightwing guys' when you say 'critical thinking'

critical opinions against leftish is not a part of it of course

Because, leftish people are superior.
I'm sorry for being that stupid to forget that all the time.

Spiffor · May 2, 2003, 06:44

Did you notice the lovely passage where Blair says Bush doesn't know nuance ?

Quote:

"He is highly intelligent, and it's not clotted by so many nuances that the meaning is obscured. The good thing about (Bush) is that once he does really think that an issue has to be tackled he has big reserves of courage for doing it, and he won't really be diverted."

And this :

Quote:

Regarding his and Bush's strong religious beliefs, Blair said, "I can't say it's something we've discussed, but it's something we share." Although Blair denied that he and Bush prayed together, Margolick said that someone close to Blair told him that they probably have.

In short, if I translate this depiction, Bush is a guy who has more balls than brains and is highly animated by zeal. If you consider an "intelligent" leader has to be pragmatical, I wouldn't call Bush "intelligent" at all after reading this depiction.

Demerzel · May 2, 2003, 07:16

Quote:

Originally posted by Tingkai
So Blair thinks GW is highly intelligent.

That says a lot about Blair's level of intelligence.

It's diplomatic speak, as someone else remarked - he's not going to say he's a fool is he?

Doesn't mean anything, politicans like to pat each other on the back more often than your arverage american :P

Robert Plomp · May 2, 2003, 08:49

Quote:

It's diplomatic speak, as someone else remarked - he's not going to say he's a fool is he?

Doesn't mean anything, politicans like to pat each other on the back more often than your arverage american :P

That's BS.
If Blair would think Bush is an idiot, he would ignore the topic rather than shouting out that Bush is highly inteligent.

If I think someone is very very ugly, and this person is the topic of our conversation, I would claim that this person has a good character.

But again, if people want Bush to be stupid,
everything that is said about Bush' inteligence is wrong or corrupted as long as it doesn't match their opinion.

Clear Skies · May 2, 2003, 09:24

Bush didn't have the SAT scores to get into all those posh places, it was the fact that his daddy gave them lots of money to let him in.