May 22, 2006
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George W. Bush Part 3
I was watching the President talking to an audience on TV recently. I have always assumed that Bush was pretending to be a little more simple to connect to the average American.
Is President Bush a simple man talking to brilliant people or is he a brilliant man speaking to simple people?
Comments (191)
pfft!
Hi Dan
He’s an average man talking to (mostly) below average people.
simple man talking to simple people.
Brilliant
I think he is a smart man, and we the American people just simple, we are the smart Americans as well. No man or woman is better than anyone else.
Clearly he is as simple a person as anyone who actually likes him is. Us brilliant people detest him, and realized all along what a mess he’d make. *giggles*
I don’t think he is the sharpest crayon in the box. The administration underestimates the general public.
VERY simple man…
well, i will admit g.w. bush is smarter than the media leads us to believe (stupid people rarely become president). i will also admit that most americans aren’t quite so erudite.
Hmm, I don’t like either choice. :Þ I’m thinking average to average.
i’m a Bush fan. I think he’s both simple and brilliant.
simple man speaking to a brilliant people
He’s quite smart, but he plays dumb. He knows it’s an advantage.
Not a Bush fan in the least, btw.
He is educated, but most americans function no higher than an 8th grade level
Simple man talking to manipulative people.
i think he is a brillant man speaking to simple people but i have to admit i am no fan of his at all. blah!
He’s a bright, maybe brilliant man and very poor public speaker.
I do think that he makes himself seem a little more simple than he actually is.
I think he is both lol he is brilliant is some ways and simple minded in others.
simple
An intelligent man trying to connect with average people. Newspaper articles are usually written at a fifth grade reading level so it’s really no different.
ANSWER THE GREATEST QUESTIONS EVER OR YOU WILL DIE!
one too many snorts of cocaine will fuck up any brilliant brain. Any brilliance he may have had has probably died – go drugs and whiskey. That and it doesn’t take brilliance to be a puppet
he’s an average man talking to average people
A clever man who puts on a facade of being simple.
Is he any different from Paris Hilton or Jessica Simpson?
Bush is a simpleton talking to a nation of overgrown children, for the most part. Except for me. I’m brilliant.
Dubya is the most powerful man in the world leading the most powerful nation. That being the case I am on his side. I’ll be calling him “friend”.
Bush is smarter than the average American, I think…but that’s not really saying much. He doesn’t speak as well as he thinks, from what I’ve observed. His words aren’t sophisticated, though his thoughts seem to be good…of course, I don’t know if that’s Bush or Bush’s helper people who are doing the good thinking. lol.
That all depends on whether or not he follows your blog. If he does, the I would lead towards brilliant, like the rest of us.
I’m gonna try to get 29th every time, instead of 1st. lol. 1st is for losers…I’m going double-digit!!!
probably both
I believe that he knows how to market himself. This is displayed by the fact that despite there are contrasting opinions here, he got elected as President not once…but TWICE.
both
Oh come on Dan Dan Danny,
Bush brilliant??….don’t make me laugh…..
Candy
He’s simply brilliant. Americans are not exactly dumb either…
I think it’s both…we all have our “simple” moments and we all have our “brilliant” moments. I see him as a regular guy who is smart enough to have gotten to the top of his game to win the Presidency twice.
Oh, I would say he is more brilliant than simple, but compared to other presidents, he is average. What president hasn’t tried to connect with the average American?
The people he’s speaking to are not simple. So what does that leave? Hmmm
How about he’s brilliant in his simplicity? I think he has a brilliant mind but has trouble expressing that with his mouth, which makes him appear simple or stupid. The average American is just that, average…and doesn’t pay attention to the important things.
He’s a pretty simple man talking to pretty simple people.
Silly question with no real answer. Of course we have all kinds of people in this great country, and I believe he is a great man. You don’t get to be President by being a dumb dumb.
I don’t think he’s stupid. The media just likes to portray him that way. Just like they liked to portray Clinton as a huge womanizer and dug up all kinds of sex scandals on him. I think Bush is a slightly above average man in the extraordinary position where people think we all should be thrilled with everything he does all the time, and think that he should make the perfect decision every time. An impossible task for anyone, especially given the things he’s had to deal with during his administration. I think the typical American is of average intelligence, but we have this idea that the president should be perfect and brilliant, and nowadays when we find out he’s just human, we tear him apart, whether he’s a republican or democrat.
Brilliant is a strong word. I wouldn’t say he’s brilliant, but politics aside, he isn’t as dumb as he portrays himself (or others portray him, for that matter). However, he is still a pretty lousy extemporaneous speaker, at least when compared with other world leaders.
the more i think about this question, which admittedly is not very much, the more i think that i really, really dislike stereotypes. americans range from vastly undereducated but still intelligent to vastly overeducated and no common sense to a wild mix of both. and just cuz i don’t like bush doesn’t mean i think he’s stupid.
Does it matter? He’s still president.
i have noticed with many republicans (well all of those i’ve observed but im not nieve enough to think all of them are like this) that when they address an audience they speak in such a way that confuses people and gives themselves aires so that the people listening are thinking “wow i really dont know anything about this topic they must know what they are talking about” upon which simple contemplation reveals that everything they said is utter nonsense. also, when pres. bush speaks i have notice that he leans on his podium in a “let me tell you” manner… he always seems insulted that he has to address the public, as if he is accountable to no one and how dare anyone question him … heaven forbid we live in a democracy where are leaders are to be held accountable to the people…
just a side note (maybe a new topic) should it be required for a president to have execellent (not just good) public speaking skills? i mean this man is representing our entire country (he’s representing me .. yikes!) to nations and so many important people… do we want the poster boy of america to look like a dumbass? how much room for error do we give the president of the united states? why is it that we impeach a man for having sex (something im sure pres. bush never does) but not for lying to the entire country and violating the constitution even if it is “for our own good” blech
anyways the fbi is here to arrest me so i’m gonna wrap this up and i know these arent profound or new arguments…
my opinion? you dont want it!
Both. I’ve always just thought he wasn’t much of a public speaker.
I’ve always assumed he’s just a blundering idiot that accidentally got elected because of a combination of people who don’t understand the concept behind poking holes in paper and miscounting of votes.
neither. i think he is a simple man speaking to simple people. for one thing, bush is no where near brilliant these days! and one brilliant person does not represent our whole country.
If he thinks we’re simple, I feel insulted.
he needs a speech therapist man.
He’s a simple man talking to simple people.
I think that he isn’t brilliant nor simple. A simple person knows exactly how to be a public speaker w/o seeming “simple” to the audience. A brilliant person does not assume that the rest are not capable of understanding his/her speaches.
I won’t fall in the trap and say he is stupid, because clearly becoming the President of the US does require some skills. But I don’t think he is brilliant either…Nor is the average voter in any country brilliant.
I don’t think it’s entirely either. Like in public school where they have to teach to the dumbest kid, Bush has to speak at a level that even the lowest American can understand.
I believe that President Bush (soon hopefully to be impeached) is an educated dolt who is attempting to present himself as plain-spoken to curry favor with the masses. I find that hypocritical.
THE ANSWER ISNT THAT SIMPLE.
BUSH IS A BEYOND SIMPLE MAN WHO THINKS HE IS FAR MORE CLEVER THEN HE IS THUS HE FEELS IT NECCESSARY TO “DUMB DOWN” HIS SPEECH FOR US LAY MEN. BY DOING THIS HE GIVES TWO DISTINCT VIBES.
#1 WE SEE HE TALKING LIKE A MORON. THUS WE THINK HE IS A MORON. WHICH IS WHY WHEN SOMEONE SAYS “BUSH IS SMARTER THEN HE SOUNDS” I AGREE. NO ONE COULD BE THAT DUMB AND NOT RIDE THE SHORT SCHOOL BUS TO GIVE HIS SPEECH
#2 HE “DUMBS DOWN” HIS SPEECH WHICH MAKES US THINK HE THINKS WERE STUPID AND ARE INSULTED.
THIS IS WHY BUSH SUCKS AS A LEADER. HELL HE AINT EVEN A GOOD PUPPET.
Well, I definitely don’t feel that he’s as stupid as the media makes him out to be.
I feel as though that in order to get people to vote, they take the extensive vocabulary out of his speeches.
~Caroline~
Based on all the publically available information Bush’s IQ is estimated to be around 125-130.
Here’s a detailed article comparing Bush’s and Kerry’s.
http://www.vdare.com/sailer/kerry_iq_lower.htm
The latter.
Have you noticed how he’s aged so quickly since he took on the presidency? Poor man.
I think he’s a good president personally. He speaks Spanish fluently and got his MBA from Yale, so I don’t think he’s stupid, like the media seems to think. I don’t think he’s evil either, when judging him by his actions. Everybody was for the Iraq war before it was started, even the Democrats. They just pulled a bait and switch.
He graduated from Yale. When you graduate from Harvard or Oxford you can call him simple. Until then, he is a brilliant man (although we often disagree on things) speaking to less brilliant people. The public is not underestimated- many people could not figure out a xanga site if their lives depended on it. Have you been to wal-mart?
he’s a brilliant man talking to simple people. there is a reason he was elected by the people as pres.
Maybe the person who writes his speeches is the idiot here. Maybe Bush just gets flustered when put on the spot. Whatever the case, it makes him look like a dumbass.
Complete simpleton lacking any great brain cells.
i think we are all pretty simple.
A …. man who misunderstands the people, and the people who misunderstand him, and we all misunderstand a lot of stuff.
So maybe we’re all just very simple?
I think he’s a real man talking to real people.
I think we expect too much from a president. of course he’s going to be a puppet. of course he’s going to fuck up. It’s just a distraction from the real politics.
Grow up, fuck’s sake.
a little of both……but I do not think he’s a brilliant man by any means…but maybe not as stupid as he pretends to be
I think he’s a smart man marred by some shortcoming like some speech impetiments talking to an average level of intelligence audience.
I think the president is much more intelligent than a lot of people give him credit for. His mannerisms & way of speaking are due a lot to his Southern upbringing…. People should be wary of what they assume is slowness of mind……. (insert wry smile here…)
to say he is simple would be giving him more credit than he deserves. he is a tool. and his supporters are sheep.
hmm I would not say brilliant, nor simple..I think he is manipulative and self serving though…and well connected
all = scary
average to average, it seems…………but I can tell that he has been schooled in rhetoric. The persona that he puts out is probably much simpler than he actually is..
Mr. Bush must be highly intelligent. He may speak simply, but would an average American understand him if he spoke with the intelligence he has? I think speaking above people can come off as snobish or aloof. He is better off speaking openly and simply.
he’s brilliant. and he usually doesn’t do what popular, but what’s right.
I think he’s a intelligent guy just trying to connect with average people. He’s not slow are stupid by any means.
I don’t know anyone who would call Bush brilliant.
To keep a C average at Yale, he would have to be an above average person, but I don’t think I would say brilliant.
Considering that most of the things that the president does (any president, not just Bush) are also voted on and approved by Congress, why does no one get mad at the Congress?
brilliant man speaking to average people
For those who are saying he’s a brilliant man playing dumb…why the hell would the leader of the United States of America, a country other nations in the past have looked up to, want to make our nation look stupid??? Seriously, as the most recognizable representative of this country, why would someone want to put this face on in front of the world and play dumb??? That’s the most rediculous thing I’ve ever heard.
I don’t think he’s brilliant, I don’t think he’s a box of rocks either. But when it comes to speaking…yeah, worst president ever when it comes to public speaking.
This coming from someone that disagrees with about 80% of what he says.
I don’t know that you can accredit his persona to his intelligence so much as it is his advisor’s intelligence. I don’t doubt that Bush is intelligent, but his speech writers and his advisors usually do have to do with his complete image building.
But I’d have to say that even if he was an average man he’s doing a good job as the President. But maybe being the average american is what it takes to lead the democracy.
Leah
http://www.hoshnasi.com
has any one proposed that he might be simply brilliant? Or brilliantly simple? Or maybe I’m just being silly.
Seriously, to get where he is, someone had to be quite intelligent. I don’t think Pres. Bush is remotely stupid. Whether I agree with him or not is irrelevant.
As for whether he is going for the simple sound, or if he really is simple – It is much easier to forgive someone for being simple or slow than it is to forgive them for being wrong. The latter is wholly the person’s fault, the prior is rather circumstantial. Therefore, it would be to his advantage to appear more simple than erudite. People are more willing to like him/overlook disagreements.
I think a person of lesser intelligence would probably feel the need to appear smarter. He doesn’t seem to be striving for that. So my answer is that his appearing simple is part of his persona. Whether it is truly representative . . . it leaves us to wonder.
He is a simpleton leading a country where the majority of the people are simpletons as well.
Brilliant. But in a simple way. Or maybe it’s simple, but in a brilliant way. I can’t decide.
I think a man, or to be more politically correct a person, who can live simply is brilliant. I still think President Bush is very smart, but I find myself wondering more about the sincerity of his positions over the last year or so. Seems he may be more a political animal than I would have thought him. Shame really, I thought he’d be a good man to have at the helm…
Peace,
Chaz
sometimes i wonder..and believe the that it must be an act..but some of things he says are so plain stupid, i doubt they are sayd to simply connect, as the damage done…
i think he’s very upfront about how he is.
I think Bush is cruel, greedy, and stupid. I think that other members of his administration are the brains behind what actually happen, with dumb ol’ G.W. as the figurehead.
Compared to the majority of the public, he’s brilliant.
Compared to people like you… He’s just simple.
Anyone with as many degrees from the institutions he has them from is brilliant. That does not make him complex however. Simple is not the opposite of brilliant. Dull is. He is a simple, brilliant man who makes up for his lack of intelligence with country charm.
He’s a simple man
simple. simple.
if the people were brilliant… we wouldnt have voted him into office
simple man talking to average people. definitely.
The former.
I think he is smarter than he lets on.
Brilliant man speaking to simple people. And they still don’t get it.
Why does he have to be either? Why can he not just be a man who believes deeply in America, and thus he is doing all he knows to better the greatest country in the world. Democracy is not perfect, but it is th best choice out there. I dare say that 5% of the people who bash the President know less than 2% of Domestic Affairs, and less than 1% of International Affairs. Presidents, all of them, are great for making fun of. That is basically in the Job description; Jay Leno, Letterman and thousands of ‘comedians’ throughout the world will make fun of you. It is part of the beast. How many stupid people Graduate from Yale and Harvard. How many people who bash Bush even know what state those two are in? Yeah, go ahead, look it up and act like you knew all along. That is what most critic do.
well, lets compare him to the last one. for simplicity’s sake lets stick to what has happened on US soil
Clinton: ruby ridge(i believe that was his), waco, world trade center bombing(for those of you who dont remember 9-11 wasnt the first time around. car bombs in the basement successfully detonated but failed to bring them down), oklahoma city. and of course the unobstructed planning and training of the 9-11 terrorists.
Bush: 9-11…. and he reacted, unlike BJ bill, and to date, terrorists, foreign or domestic have been thwarted from hitting the US where we live.
yes it sucks that our men and women are dying over seas, but i say, better those who signed up for it, over there, than civilians over here. soldiers arent victims, they are honorable people who have chosen to make whatever sacrifices neccessary to safeguard the ones they love, so, along those lines, he may not be brilliant, but the truth is simple.
OMFG
ack!!
What a great question. I think the President is actually very intellegent, I just don’t think he has a gift for communicating to people. I was watching Condolezza Rice in an interview the other day and she was explaining and defending the methods and motives of the administration in a clear and concise way. He never does that . . . he just gives these bland writ statements that don’t answer questions. I think he has a solid plan, one that he believes is right and will work, but he’s terrible at getting that across to the average citizen. As far as the intellegence of the public, I think that those who care enough to really listen to what the President says are pretty intellegent.
Good question. I have always leaned toward seeing him as not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. As one of the bigger zircons in the diadim of American politics. I think whatever political smarts his side can claim regarding getting and holding power come from the people behind him, i.e., Karl Rove.
well america (no offense) is full of simple/ below average people. therefore, this is the average here, and bush is just another simple/below average/ average person.
“one too many snorts of cocaine will fuck up any brilliant brain. Any brilliance he may have had has probably died – go drugs and whiskey. That and it doesn’t take brilliance to be a puppet
Posted 5/22/2006 at 9:22 AM by Izly”
Bush’s IQ is estimated around 125-130 based on all the test he’s taken that are public knowledge. This is factual. What have you been sniffing Izly? MTV, CNN …your professor’s pipe?
he’s a simple man.
he’s a simple man.
alhough ,he is not good at communicating with the country through speeches and such.
this makes us see himn in 2 ways:
he seem more human and makes us relate to him better.
or
he seems like an idiot and we think he’s an idiot
personally … i think he’s smarter than the average bear …
Much of the American public is filled with hate for anyone or anything that disagrees with them. Those that call themselves “conservative” tend to view people who disagree with them as immoral. Those that call themselves “liberal” tend to view people who disagree with them as stupid. Both are extremely closed-minded.
As for Bush himself, he is neither a great leader nor a simpleton. Whatever anyone believes about him depends on what they are told to think, so I guess that would make us a simple people.
He’s certainly not the brightest candy cane on the christmas tree…but then again, neither am I.
I don’t think he is particularly smart.
He is simply a rich kid riding on the waves of his father’s success
the last thing I would call george bush is brilliant….either way he doesn’t impress me with what he is *trying* to be…never has and never will
I don’t want toi say hes simple, but I’d go for that one.
Although his vocabulary may lead some to think that he’s unintelligent, I believe that Bush is very intelligent. I don’t agree with all of his decision, but for the most part I support his position. And for the rest of us, we are mostly average to below average in intelligence (why else would many people’s opinions change simply because those in the media tell us things are going good or going poorly?).
neither, and yet both. President Bush is a Texan. Go Texas! And not a big city Texan, which kind of makes him more of a simple person that your average stuck-up no-good rotten politician. On the other hand, I do believe the man is pretty brilliant. I think he can play all parts….simple talking to simple….simple to brilliant….brilliant to simple, and brilliant to brilliant.
simple. maybe average. certainly not brilliant.
simple man talking to brilliant people
i think he is a simple-minded man talking to average people
He is a simple man talking to simple people.
he’s a below average man talking to flat out dumb people.
VERY simple man….and anybody who is stupid enough to believe the crap coming out of his mouth must be pretty simple too…
I think he’s just a simple man speaking to us simple people. x] Just your average guy (except the fact he’s the most powerful person of the free world).
Look at his education, and you’ll have your answer.
I think he connects with people because they can envision themselves as him. I can see myself sitting down and drinking a beer with him…I cannot think of another major politician that I can envision that with.
Simple man talking to simple people, who think they are brilliant.
Eva.
Simple man talking to simple and brilliant people.
We’re not all retarded…
he’s deceptively clever, but still dumb, yet surrounded by evil, brilliant people. and americans are retards. period.
stupid man talking to average people.
simple man to slightly less simple people. But not by much.
I think the simple-minded demeanor he conveys is just for show…He is really much smarter than that…just not a great speaker.
He is an extremely simple man speaking to all kinds of people, but only convincing the simple ones.
Our problem is that the simple ones make up over half the country.
A simple man talking to simple people.
I think he’s a robot trying to talk to the Walrus. The Walrus, of course, is Paul trying to talk to a robot.
3 words…i hate bush…end of story…i have no opinion on him
Manipulative man talking to idiot people.
He’s a monkey talking to us. Or maybe a parot doing what he is told. He could be peanut butter too.
He makes simple light up and shine.
Ooh! God I hate him.
I also agree that this nation is full of idiots, a few people mentioned that. They make even incredibly dumb people powerful, simply because they are incapable of using any mental facilities whatsoever.
Bush is a decent man who speaks simple language so even the media and liberals with their pea brains can understand him.
He is just an idiot…..simple truth!
He is stupid. Period.
Either. I don’t care.
Now that you think about it, a lot of Americans are pretty dumb. Not to stereotype or anything, but we are the most ill-mannered and lacking in education.
Maybe he does pity us. T_T
It makes you think- how stupid ARE we?
he a hick…my sis worked for him years ago. true story
Bush beats around the—-and so maybe he is just someone talking to no one. Nobody’s really listening?
I think he is an able politician speaking to people who aren’t necessarily “simple” in all respects of their knowledge/experiece. Rather, the majority probably are somewhat lacking in sophisticated comprehension when it comes to subjects relating to the higher affairs of state. In that sense one could say that the knowledge of the majority is often at a “simple” level with regards to the subject matter Mr. Bush is often required to publicly address. If he is putting on airs of simplicity, I’m sure it is primarily an affected ruse similar to the playful tone one might address a small child in. I’m sure that he is a far more intelligent and complex person than his detractors have led us to believe.
He is an IDIOT talking to average and above average people.
I agree with justwandering
he, and his pals are only interested in a total rape of
what he thinks is an undeserving middle class. I do not
believe that middle class americans are simmple! Perhaps a bit
lazy in their political attention to details in recent history
however come november that opinion may well have to be updated.
peace-
he’s a brainwashing man talking to simple people…
i think he’s both simple and brilliant at the same time. he knows a lot- he just plays the dumb factor just a little more.
A simple man talking to simple people.
He’s a retard talking to twisted people.
Neither. Although Bush is a smart man, he is also a man of convictions, and he doesn’t back down from them. When Bush talks to an audience, he is dressing down his convictions a lot, to make them more palatable to ordinary people who haven’t the courage of their convictions, most of the time. If we all had the same courage to go with our convictions, Bush wouldn’t have to do this.
He is a simple man talking to simple people. Simple people that have chosen not to think.
Simpleton talking to simple-to-brilliant people, depending on who’s watching.
When Bush ran for congress in Texas way back in the late seventies, he lost because he was regarded as being too “ivy league”, intellectual, and out of touch with the rural population. Nowadays, he’s now pandering to his troglodyte evangelical base by speaking and acting like a blubbering buffoon. Clearly, it’s working. Bush, or at least his political advisors are political geniuses. They’ve figured out that a presidential candidate can win an election simply by carrying the evangelicals while ignoring other groups that were tradionally considered vital in order to win, such as the Catholics.
neither
I never have liked the expression on his face. I am sorry to say it but he just looks stupid. Someone should help him with this.
I think he must be at least reasonably intellegent to have worked up to such a position. However, even if he was incompetent, he is still the President and it is our job to listen and show respect for someone in such a position.
Even if we hate his politics.
i do not believe W to be a simple man, but a man living a convoluted life in a complicated family. imho he is a simpleton, and all his degrees do not mark intelligence but are merely an indication of his ability to persevere. he is an average joe trying to do a job that requires more.
How about a lil bit of both.
Bush, Clinton, Gore, Daschle, Kennedy … they are all politicians and politicians speak out of an orifice south of their mouth.
i think hes smart enough but not actually intelligent. cunning, but not intelligent.
I do not like him, so i can’t say.
brilliant man to a VERY simple people
Average man talking to average people ?? lol
He is not brilliant, that much is for sure, but I don’t think he’s as stupid as everyone thinks he is either. He is a puppet, so it doesn’t really matter if he is smart. The people who actually hold the power are smart, and that’s why they have such a simple man representing them.
His is a simple man trying to be simple and failing.
L,r
The president is wonderful, a good public speaker and a brilliant man.
He’s a dumbass talking talking out of his anus. That, or he’s the mastermind behind some great plan to conquer America and/or the world, knowingly or unknowingly. He’s more simple than brilliant, or brilliantly simple. Or Simply Brilliant. Ha. Who knows? We should ask him who writes his stuff and when he’ll start acting respectful instead of like a jackass and a man who plans to become an absolute ruler.
i think it depends on what town hes speaking to. if its the whole country a semi brilliant man speaking to semi simple people.
lol i rock and i know it
simple……….
a little below average in iq (though he has leadership skills) talking to mostly slightly above average americans
below average people don’t generally have the attention span to listen to the whole speech
Definanty the former.
Brilliance is only by comparison, and even then it’s a matter of perception. Whether he’s “intelligent” or not, I perceive our president as oblivious (and thus dangerous) to the common American.
Abstaining from overcomplexity is a way of opening one’s language to wider attention; however, deliberate stupidity speaks for itself.
…Enough said.
Simple!
Bush has the lowest IQ out of any of the presidents. His IQ is 91.
“one too many snorts of cocaine will fuck up any brilliant brain. Any brilliance he may have had has probably died – go drugs and whiskey. That and it doesn’t take brilliance to be a puppet” ~ Izly
Hmmm…. thats interesting… Also interesting, President Clinton’s half-brother, Roger Clinton said on tape, that Clinton, “Had a nose like a Vacum Cleaner.”
Perhaps you should look at every President who has snorted the coke.
Oops, I forgot to edit out the “f” word from Izly
he is an “idiot”
Bush is an unwise man talking to roughly 50% ignorant people, and another 40% apathetic people.
He’s not too bright, and his speaking skills make him look even worse. But I don’t think the average American could do much better.
He’s a simple puppet talking to Americans. Americans have this odd tendancy to range from absolutely brilliant to unbelievably dim.