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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums10 Dumbest Members of Congress
A new study finds that Congress speaks at almost a full grade level lower than it did seven years ago. Meet the 10 conservatives dragging down their collective intelligence.The Sunlight Foundation just released the results of a study measuring the scholastic grade level of speeches made by members of Congress. The scale uses the Flesch-Kincaid test and is based on the length of words and sentences used. Among its findings are, Congress now speaks at almost a full grade level lower than it did just seven years ago, with the most conservative members of Congress speaking on average at the lowest grade level. The study further found that it is the most extreme members who speak at the lowest grade levels, as well as the most junior.
As you may remember, a major turning point in American politics was the 2010 election that saw a wave of new Tea Party Republicans elected to Congress. Of the 20 lowest scoring members, 17 were Republicans, and 12 of those are in their first term of office. You have to go down to 15th place before you find a Democrat.
There are varying perspectives from which to interpret this study. On the surface it could be viewed as evidence that the intellectual capacity of the Congress is declining, thanks to the new Tea Party members who speak in short bursts of small words. That would be consistent with their shallow grasp of most issues and their tendency to reduce every discussion to a battle between liberty and socialism (drilling everywhere = liberty; clean air = socialism).
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The ten dumbest members are:
1. Mick Mulvaney, R-SC:
2. Rob Woodall, R-GA:
3. Rand Paul, R-KY:
4. Sean Duffy, R-WI:
5. Tim Griffin, R-AR:
6. Todd Akin, R-MO
7. Vicky Hartzler, R-MO:
8. Tom Graves, R-GA:
9. David Schweikert, R-AZ:
10. Ron Johnson, R-WI:
Read more at: http://www.alternet.org/teaparty/155545/10_Dumbest_Members_of_Congress/?page=1
Bucky
(54,013 posts)or overrepresented in the case of this current Congress.
zbdent
(35,392 posts)trying to become your king ...
3waygeek
(2,034 posts)my Congressman made it to #2 in his first term in office. At least he has something to shoot for in his next term.
BlueToTheBone
(3,747 posts)Yep, Tim Griffith is from Arkansas. Fortunately, he's not my rep. Mine is the crazy Steve Womack whose son is a meth dealer!
Woody Woodpecker
(562 posts)a Senator, no less.
The other dumbass is Ron Johnson of WI who'll be ousted in '16.
NRaleighLiberal
(60,014 posts)always comes across as dumb as a rock (with apologies to rocks).
northoftheborder
(7,572 posts)jberryhill
(62,444 posts)Along with that ghastly Fox woman from NC.
NRaleighLiberal
(60,014 posts)DFW
(54,384 posts)I vehemently protest the omission of Louie Gohmert from this list.
NRaleighLiberal
(60,014 posts)I guess I should be just as pissed that Mz Foxx isn't on the list!
JBoy
(8,021 posts)I still remember this ridiculous tirade against "socialized medicine". Made absoutely no sense, and he sounded like a complete idiot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=HHVDR2yRlFM#t=29s
pscot
(21,024 posts)What does that say about the voters in those states?
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)XemaSab
(60,212 posts)Scuba
(53,475 posts)"We don't need no schoolin' to know what's right."
TheMightyFavog
(13,770 posts)Russ Feingold, that's right he was a Rhodes Scholar.
I'm this close to asking for asylum in Washington or Vermont...
butterfly77
(17,609 posts)Louie Gohmert,Virginia Foxx and Joe (you lie)Wilson.They should be at the top of the list.
AtomicKitten
(46,585 posts)butterfly77
(17,609 posts)Joe Walsh.
CBHagman
(16,984 posts)...by Mick Mulvaney, who took top (Or is it bottom-most? ) honors.
Marcia Brady
(108 posts)Yikes!
ladym55
(2,577 posts)You know, the rocket scientist who didn't know where the Revolutionary War started?
ballabosh
(330 posts)Thought she would be number 1.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)She uses big words.
Not a clue what they mean, but that doesn't stop her.
Jamaal510
(10,893 posts)of her calling PBO a socialist and a marxist helped her stay off the list.
Scurrilous
(38,687 posts)libinnyandia
(1,374 posts)hughee99
(16,113 posts)their constituents are? I'm sure if you judged a second grade teacher based on the language used when interacting with students, you'd probably think they weren't very smart either.
dgauss
(882 posts)I would have thought he would rank a little higher, he seems like top 3 material. Some pretty serious competition I guess.
jmowreader
(50,557 posts)scheming daemons
(25,487 posts)...
Initech
(100,076 posts)MrScorpio
(73,631 posts)Because neither Louie Gohmert or Michelle Bachmann has made it to that list.
OneTenthofOnePercent
(6,268 posts)I saw a video last year about him worried that the Island of Guam was going to "tip over" if we sent more troops to it. Tip over, as in... capsize.
I was thinking to myself, "No, f-ing way can somebody sat that and then get reelected.
Wikipedia:
Comments on Guam tipping overDuring a House Armed Services Committee hearing in March 2010 concerning the U.S. military installation on the island of Guam, Johnson said to Admiral Robert F. Willard, Commander of U.S. Pacific Command, "My fear is that the whole island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize," to which Admiral Willard replied, "We don't anticipate that."
[video]