Ben Stein: "Obama's not very smart."

[Zeke]

Obama's not very smart...

I actually respect the intellect of Ben Stein. I find him intelligent, humble, and self-aware.

"Smarter than the average bear," from him (were he speaking of me) I would accept as a compliment. That said, his fawning love of Nixon has always disturbed me.

Why?

1. Yes, Nixon got burnt on a bungled burglary he probably knew nothing about.
2. But he was 100% complicit in the attempted coverup and prior existing political scandal.

I'm not that sanguine with believing all high-level politicians have committed acts of trickery but it is likely. As for coverups -- and I am not a perfect man -- I can't think of a single time in my life I've covered something up (that I didn't do) when I was provably innocent and/or had any deniability.

Nixons issue? Deniability. Why? History. He was just plumb out of "I didn't know," even if he didn't.

It's like a hot girl, falling out of her bikini, walking by you at the pool. You buddy asks, "Man, wouldn't you like to hit that?" OF COURSE YOU WOULD. But what matters is that, even if readily available, you won't because it's who you are. (i.e., you've shown a history of not taking advantage of situations.)

Nixon had nowhere to go but denial that wouldn't be believed or coverup as he had already given the Checkers speech. To have achieved President after that was the most brilliant political thing he ever did.

Should he be unanimously buried? Likely not. Fawning adoration? NO WAY.