Has Biden read the Constitution?

More about Biden's gaffe at the Volokh Conspiracy.

I guess we now know why Biden graduated at the bottom of the class from a mediocre law school. Obama, magna cum laude from Harvard, would never make such a gaffe.

Biden thinks that the Constitution is not a legal contract whose words should be read, but rather some amorphous idea that always coincides with whatever liberals think it ought to mean. This is why we need to make sure liberals won't get to appoint any more Justices to the Supreme Court. This is why I'm voting for McCain, even though his Vice President is a moron.

Comments

[GrannyJ]

You are making a grave error when you put down Ms. Palin as dumb or a moron. Her achievements put her in at about 115-120 IQ, most likely. About right for managing a small state or successful small business. You don't do that with only 100 points... You are part of the East Coast Verbal Elite, which colors your understanding. For example, you use verbal scores as an IQ stand-in; good for one segment of the Brights, but you are missing out on the more mathematically/scientificly inclined. Their logic, BTW, is usually better than the Verbals' logic; the latter are convinced that word games are the equivalent of achievement.

[Underachiever]

HS, I am going to agree with GrannyJ. Your post about judging people's IQ from their actions and speaking style is largely based upon their verbal scores and ignores the mathematical aspect of g. Perhaps this comes from being Jewish and having a high verbal IQ yourself. Your analysis of how liberal view the Constitution is dead on and your reasoning for voting for McCain is similar to my reasoning for supporting him.
I disagree with GrannyJ though if she means that a 115-120 IQ is the right IQ for managing a small state. Ideally, the governor of Alaska should be significantly smarter than that. However, Palin is probably in (or close to) that range.

[ResidentCynic]

The "Volokh Conspiracy" only has a point by creating a fake scenario where Biden answers a question that was never asked; namely, "Does the Vice President have Legislative Role?"

Biden was never asked *that* question and the quotes in the link were never in answer to *that* question.

Biden is completely correct in his interpretation. But that's not saying much; outside of a few internet blogs and Dick Cheney, Biden's interpretation is the popular (read: only) one. As I mentioned in the previous post, the idea that the President can daily give orders to a member of the Legislative branch who is compelled to follow those orders goes completely against the checks and balances built into the Constitution (thus making the concept unconstitutional).

[what if]

This is funny! He's actually teaching constitutional law at some college unheard of.

http://lawschool.about.com/b/2008/09/06/biden-takes-time-out-to-teach-constitutional-law.htm

[Her?]

Re: Verbal IQ

Maybe you should have some clue about what verbal IQ actually represents before you start babbling on about it's value or lack thereof. With a simple look at the wiki on the WAIS, you can clearly see from the verbal subtests that verbal IQ encompasses a lot more than just verbal expression or vocabulary. It involves the span of short-term memory, facets of working memory, and analogical reasoning. And the divide isn't between mathematical and verbal IQ, it's between verbal and visual-spatial abilities. Mathematics co-opts both forms of intelligences.

As for the lame excuse that Palin's intellect has a visual-spatial tilt to it, please tell us why did she then end up (barely) getting a degree in journalism? Her lousy academic track record, her inability to answer trivial interview questions, and her inability to elaborate on her memorized talking points all make an IQ below 115 seem like a serious possibility. Stop concocting lame excuses and starting dealing with the reality of Palin's incompetence.

[c23]

>Biden thinks that the Constitution is not a legal contract whose words should be read, but rather some amorphous idea that always coincides with whatever liberals think it ought to mean.

Isn't that basically what all liberals think, including liberal Supreme Court justices? Isn't that what judicial activism is all about?

[Underachiever]

I was just saying that judging a person's IQ from their speaking style would obviously tend to overemphasize verbal IQ. The article that HS linked to only showed that it is possible to roughly judge verbal intelligence by listening to people.
Also, I have not seen anything suggesting that Palin was an incompetent governor of Alaska. Although I imagine that running the US would be more g-loaded, luckily McCain is very unlikely to die in office; therefore, it really does not hurt the country that Palin is likely below the 84th percentile in intellect. Although ceteris paribus high IQ is good for a president, I would trust a person with an IQ of 115 with the presidency over a person with an IQ of 135 who is very liberal.

[Underachiever]

Also, judging Bush solely based upon how he speaks I would never have guessed that he has an IQ "in excess of 120". Yet, that is what Charles Murray believes.

[PA]

Palin campaining for Alaska governor in '06. Doesn't sound like an idiot ot me:

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives2/2008/10/021663.php

[ --- "Perhaps this comes from being Jewish and having a high verbal IQ yourself."]

Half Sigma strikes me as having a very unspectacular verbal IQ. Compare his writing with Mencius Moldbug, Roissy, or Michael Blowhard. He can't hold a candle to those guys.

HS's averageness is evident in his stubborn-sounding, simplistic, declarative little statements that rarely develop into sustained arguments, and usually remain at the "because I said so" level of persuasive technique.

[Peter]

"luckily McCain is very unlikely to die in office"

To return to my favorite theme, McCain quite likely has one foot in the coffin already. Heredity is an important part of one's expected lifespan, and given the way Dad and Granddad the admiral both dropped dead many many years too young, John McCain's heredity is in serious doubt. He'd better hope he takes after Granddad Archie the oil driller, who made it to 95.

[Half Sigma]

"the idea that the President can daily give orders to a member of the Legislative branch who is compelled to follow those orders"

It doesn't say anywhere in the Constitution that the VP is compelled to follow anyone's orders. The VP's vote in the Senate is his own vote and he's free to vote against the wishes of the President.

[Underachiever]

If he is president, he will get incredible health care. Also, from what I have read, war really hurt his dad and grandfather. Also, his mother is still alive at 96.

[dearieme]

"115-120 IQ" - the JFK range, in fact. I suppose your two most intelligent Presidents in the last 100 years were Hoover and Nixon, who aren't all that good an advert for intelligence. And if Wilson had an IQ like theirs, he's an even worse advert.

[Underachiever]

From what I have read, war may have dramatically shortened the lives of both McCain's father and grandfather. As the President, McCain would receive excellent health care. Also, his mother is alive at 96. Now, McCain might get assassinated, but he is unlikely to die from health reasons.

[Frank]

Nah, Obama wouldn't make a gaffe like similin' Joe's. The chosen one would make gaffes like these:

http://obamasgaffes.blogspot.com/

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MWZjY2YzZWVkMjdkMDEzMGQ0MjJkNTUyN2FkNmMzYTc=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGMQ5DpVVTM

But remember this is all because of that highly introspective mind of a jet-fueled +3.5 sigma mind.

[AllenM]

RS once again you do not source your points.
As I stated before, the potential exists *still* for the Vice President not to be elected with the President.

Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelfth_Amendment

Boring stuff, but gee, you might learn something about how it *really* works to elect somebody.

You confuse conventional wisdom with what can be given the *actual* current law.

In other words, candidate A could be elected, and through some strange, but not impossible outcome, their VP pick could still fail and lose in the House of Representatives.

This change made in the 1804 12th amendments merely *tends* to align the Presidential and Vice Presidential electoral votes, but does not guarantee it.

Further, once again, as HS pointed out, the Vice President's duties and oath are legislative in nature.

Not Executive. The modern evolution of the co-presidency is quite questionable and dependent on a fickle supreme court.

Without biting precedent, one could say that Cheney's position is correct, and the VP is not an executive position, as long as the VP does not accept any delegated executive powers.

Technically, the vice president's political power is insignificant. John Nance Garner's assessment is still accurate. Cheney's power comes from Bush's inaction and indecision and influence from Cheney filling the vacuum. Not from any inherent Vice Presidential power. LBJ say nearly impotent on the sidelines during much of JFK's presidency.

[M]

Biden's gaffe was obviously embarrassing, particularly in the context of chastising Cheney for what he "doesn't know," but it's not nearly as bad you're making out. Unlike, for example, the nonsense that Sarah Palin dribbled out, it was at least clear what he was TRYING to say, and he did have an actual point.

I also find it particularly ironic that it's Biden you're associating with an overly liberal interpretation, when in fact his whole point was that Cheney twisted the Constitution far beyond original intent. And he is right - Cheney isn't just claiming to be part of the legislative branch. He's claiming "both and neither" status, i.e. whichever is convenient at the time, i.e. an extremely obvious violation of separation of powers. And yet you (HS) still insist that only liberals try to twist the Constitution to their own purposes, and in fact make it a chief rationale for supporting a party overrun with authoritarians, government-expansionists, and religious nutjobs.

I am a pragmatic libertarian, and I'm voting for Obama. And I think that if you didn't have so much personal animosity towards liberal culture, you'd do the same.

[ObamaVoter]

Voting for McCain is so prole.

[Peter]

"From what I have read, war may have dramatically shortened the lives of both McCain's father and grandfather. As the President, McCain would receive excellent health care. Also, his mother is alive at 96. Now, McCain might get assassinated, but he is unlikely to die from health reasons."

That war-stress theory doesn't hold water. Sure, Granddad McCain experienced all sorts of tension and stress during WWII, but so did *everyone* at the time. What's more, millions and millions of people faced constant high risk of violent death, which Granddad did not. As for Dad, whatever stresses he went through as a result of Vietnam surely couldn't have had any bearing on his death, as he died several years after war's end. One more thing - if stress puts members of the McCain family in coffins, that doesn't bode well for John McCain as President!

It's all well and good that Mom has lived so long, but I wouldn't imagine it means too much for John McCain, given the fact that women are healthier than men and live longer.

[Kara Chase]

Why do you claim to be "Neither Republican, Democratic, nor Libertarian" yet still manage to advertise McCain in your sidebar? I tried reading a few of your entries but stopped when I realized you are not the "politics of common sense" but rather another misinformed McCain-follower.

[Ray Midge]

"Biden thinks that the Constitution is... some amorphous idea that always coincides with whatever liberals think it ought to mean. ... This is why I'm voting for McCain, even though his Vice President is a moron."

Well, duh. This is the ideological dilemma presented in every presidential election. Did this just recently come to your attention? Did you just recently realize that Stevens is 88 years old, Ginsberg 75?

If the Supreme Court was your litmus test (as it is for me) all along, why all the Palin IQ sturm and drang? Sure she's not super smart (though I really disagree how much that matters given parrty ideology drives decision trees) but "intelligence" isn't of fundamental importance.

There's no question Ginsberg is higher IQ'd than Palin, but who do you want picking Ginsberg's replacement?

[j.d.]

i guess it's more important to know nothing about a constitution than knowing a substantial amount and making an error (which here is apparently debatable).

Asa Republican, I am more than terrified that my party continues to pick the bottom of the barrel.

McCain wasn't a conservative in 2000, and he sure as hell isn't one now.

[The Undiscovered Jew]

Sigma,

Are you going to put up a post about the financial meltdown?

[Atheoagnostic Jew Rocket Scientist]

The constitution is just an annoying nuisance to be dealt with as soon as we get enough power. It looks like Obama will have a go along congress that will help him pack the courts the way we've always wanted them packed.

Get ready to get stomped on, middle america. Because it doesn't really matter what Palin's IQ is. It is whatever we say it is to keep us in power and people like her (and you) out.

[Her?]

"I would trust a person with an IQ of 115"
"115-120 IQ" - the JFK range, in fact.

And it's not clear at all Palin's IQ reaches the low bar of 115. Her academic record alone suggests she is pretty average in intelligence, and her dismal responses to simple interview questions only lends further weight to this judgment. From what we know of her there is nothing to suggest she is anything more than near the right end of the normal range, 90-110. Others can correct me if I'm wrong here, but from what I recall reading the dull, normal, bright, superior IQ demarcations do reflect significant thresholds concerning what sort of information people in those ranges can process and assess. It is ridiculous to even have to contemplate that someone with this minimal level of intellect could be in line for the presidency. I'm optimistic McCain would not die in office if elected (in fact the status boost from being president might actually extend his lifespan a few years, something like the nobel effect), but it's just as ridiculous have only this flimsy reassurance to fall back on, and it's certainly cost McCain any chance of my vote.

[j.d.]

btw, did anyone miss this quote from Palin's 'interview' on Fox?

here, i'll quote it for you:

""As we send our young men and women overseas in a war zone to fight for democracy and freedoms, including freedom of the press, we've really got to have a mutually beneficial relationship here with those fighting the freedom of the press, and then the press, though not taking advantage and exploiting a situation, perhaps they would want to capture and abuse the privilege. We just want truth, we want fairness, we want balance."

Biden might get mixed upon Article I and II details, Palin doesn't even know what the hell the First Amendment is.

I really wish I could see the silver lining in the clouds, but I stopped believing in supernatural dieties and interventions a long, long time ago. I don't see how....someone can keep defending her.

Sure, Biden might have some bad stuff on him. But pointing at Palin and saying she's better is exactly the opposite of what you should be doing.

One day, I hope the economic and intellectual conservatives steal the GOP back from the wacko fundie social neocons.

[Frank]

"Are you going to put up a post about the financial meltdown?"

Most of these players have I.Q.'s in the +3 to 4 sigma too. Yet talk to any +1 sigma main streeter and they could have told you that housing is in a bubble 2 years ago.

[chazzmacelroy]

HELLOOOOOO! Guess what, of course Biden is an idiot. I've been saying it since, hmmm, last year. And Obama, as well. But, Gov. Palin is not an idiot. She is more experienced than Obama and Biden combined, as she actually worked with and for the people of Alaska. She has fought corruption in the state, and has repeatedly put the needs of her state over those of herself. [Half Sigma: I can't tell if this commenter is serious, or being sarcastic.] Shame on all who side with Obama, because you're asking for a radical idiot with no guts to be our leader