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Playinghardball

(11,665 posts)
Fri May 25, 2012, 06:12 PM May 2012

10 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).

<snip>

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
36 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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10 Dumbest Members of Congress (Original Post) Playinghardball May 2012 OP
As a dumb person, I'm offended that my people are always represented by Republicans Bucky May 2012 #1
You should be scared that they're competing to not only get into your "people", but zbdent May 2012 #14
Gee, I'm so proud... 3waygeek May 2012 #2
We made the top 10! Woohoo! BlueToTheBone May 2012 #27
I'm sure Kentucky is proud of their #3 dumbest member of Congress Woody Woodpecker May 2012 #3
I would have thought that Gohmert would top the list.... NRaleighLiberal May 2012 #4
My thoughts exactly northoftheborder May 2012 #13
First one that came to mind here, too jberryhill May 2012 #17
Ah! One of ours! Virginia Foxx....absolutely vile! NRaleighLiberal May 2012 #18
As a Texan DFW May 2012 #25
ROFL! NRaleighLiberal May 2012 #26
He's the one that came to mind for me. JBoy May 2012 #29
Eight of the bottom 10 come from 4 states pscot May 2012 #5
Can't believe that Virgina Foxn (R-NC) did not make this list. JoePhilly May 2012 #6
Wally Fucking Herger (R-CA) either XemaSab May 2012 #22
Sean Duffy and Ron "Sunspot" Johnson, making Wisconsin Teabaggers proud. Scuba May 2012 #7
And his predecessor? TheMightyFavog May 2012 #24
Where are... butterfly77 May 2012 #8
exactly what I was thinking AtomicKitten May 2012 #11
And ... butterfly77 May 2012 #12
Yeah, but South Carolina is duly represented in the dumbness competition... CBHagman May 2012 #28
Ron Johnson (Wisconsin) is a doctor!! Marcia Brady May 2012 #9
What about Michelle Bachmann? ladym55 May 2012 #10
Yeah, I can't believe she's not on there. ballabosh May 2012 #15
The scoring system looks primarily at vocabulary jberryhill May 2012 #19
I suppose that all those cases Jamaal510 May 2012 #31
K & R Scurrilous May 2012 #16
I was sure Steve King of iowa would be the dumbest, I guess he's on the stupidest list. libinnyandia May 2012 #20
Are congresspeople "speaking dumber" because they are increasingly dumber or because hughee99 May 2012 #21
I listened to a few Ron Johnson/Russ Feingold debates. dgauss May 2012 #23
Oh come on...if Raul Labrador couldn't make this list, they weren't trying very hard jmowreader May 2012 #30
I thought it was a 435-way tie scheming daemons May 2012 #32
I'm surprised they could narrow it down to 10! Initech May 2012 #33
I call bullshit MrScorpio May 2012 #34
I thought for sure Hank Johnson (D-GA) would've been on the list... OneTenthofOnePercent May 2012 #35
K&R. Only one from AZ? Kind of surprising... n/t Egalitarian Thug May 2012 #36

Bucky

(54,013 posts)
1. As a dumb person, I'm offended that my people are always represented by Republicans
Fri May 25, 2012, 06:14 PM
May 2012

or overrepresented in the case of this current Congress.

zbdent

(35,392 posts)
14. You should be scared that they're competing to not only get into your "people", but
Fri May 25, 2012, 07:16 PM
May 2012

trying to become your king ...

3waygeek

(2,034 posts)
2. Gee, I'm so proud...
Fri May 25, 2012, 06:17 PM
May 2012

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)
27. We made the top 10! Woohoo!
Fri May 25, 2012, 10:14 PM
May 2012

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)
3. I'm sure Kentucky is proud of their #3 dumbest member of Congress
Fri May 25, 2012, 06:17 PM
May 2012

a Senator, no less.

The other dumbass is Ron Johnson of WI who'll be ousted in '16.



NRaleighLiberal

(60,014 posts)
4. I would have thought that Gohmert would top the list....
Fri May 25, 2012, 06:24 PM
May 2012

always comes across as dumb as a rock (with apologies to rocks).

JBoy

(8,021 posts)
29. He's the one that came to mind for me.
Fri May 25, 2012, 10:52 PM
May 2012

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

 

Scuba

(53,475 posts)
7. Sean Duffy and Ron "Sunspot" Johnson, making Wisconsin Teabaggers proud.
Fri May 25, 2012, 06:31 PM
May 2012

"We don't need no schoolin' to know what's right."

TheMightyFavog

(13,770 posts)
24. And his predecessor?
Fri May 25, 2012, 08:22 PM
May 2012

Russ Feingold, that's right he was a Rhodes Scholar.

I'm this close to asking for asylum in Washington or Vermont...

CBHagman

(16,984 posts)
28. Yeah, but South Carolina is duly represented in the dumbness competition...
Fri May 25, 2012, 10:24 PM
May 2012

...by Mick Mulvaney, who took top (Or is it bottom-most? ) honors.

ladym55

(2,577 posts)
10. What about Michelle Bachmann?
Fri May 25, 2012, 06:41 PM
May 2012

You know, the rocket scientist who didn't know where the Revolutionary War started?

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
19. The scoring system looks primarily at vocabulary
Fri May 25, 2012, 08:05 PM
May 2012

She uses big words.

Not a clue what they mean, but that doesn't stop her.

Jamaal510

(10,893 posts)
31. I suppose that all those cases
Sat May 26, 2012, 01:32 AM
May 2012

of her calling PBO a socialist and a marxist helped her stay off the list.

hughee99

(16,113 posts)
21. Are congresspeople "speaking dumber" because they are increasingly dumber or because
Fri May 25, 2012, 08:09 PM
May 2012

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)
23. I listened to a few Ron Johnson/Russ Feingold debates.
Fri May 25, 2012, 08:21 PM
May 2012

I would have thought he would rank a little higher, he seems like top 3 material. Some pretty serious competition I guess.

 

OneTenthofOnePercent

(6,268 posts)
35. I thought for sure Hank Johnson (D-GA) would've been on the list...
Sat May 26, 2012, 09:18 AM
May 2012

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]

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