tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post2813737300012360036..comments2024-03-28T16:22:14.888-07:00Comments on Steve Sailer: iSteve: Obama's IQ: A Clue from a 1966 Joan Didion EssayUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-77904048363396795892009-08-10T11:18:47.555-07:002009-08-10T11:18:47.555-07:00Is the forum still open? None of my posts have ap...Is the forum still open? None of my posts have appeared.Jacob Israelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03729761746555716522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-86101198821609676842009-08-07T16:25:52.057-07:002009-08-07T16:25:52.057-07:00NO Black ever scored 800 on GRE
The Graduate Recor...NO Black ever scored 800 on GRE<br />The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) represents the highest scoring students in the nation, or at least it should, since it's the test taken by college graduates seeking admission to graduate school. Over the last four decades, 3,961,122 students have taken this test, including 354,228 black students. Blacks are the only students who take this test where females have occasionally scored higher than males. In all that time, NO black student has ever scored 800 on ANY portion of this test, while 2.3% of White students scored higher than 800 in GRE Analytical, 10% of Asian men scored higher than 800 in GRE Quantitative, and 0.1% of White women scored higher than 800 in GRE Verbal.<br /><br />The following analysis of the GRE makes the optimistic presumption that test scores for blacks follow a regular Gaussian Distribution, whereas reality is that very few blacks score much higher or much lower than the median Verbal score of 388 for black women. It accepts carte blanche, without question, the relatively large standard deviation for blacks reported by the College Board. It ignores that some state laws require a person to be counted as black if 1/64th of their genealogy is black. It doesn't compensate for the number of blacks admitted through the now illegal affirmative action programs which permitted Whites to be admitted because they posed as blacks, which is bound to happen under such a fraudulent program, and which this author knows to have happened on at least two occasions. It doesn't consider the academic theory that the reason American blacks have higher IQs than African blacks is their higher proportion of Caucasian genes, perhaps as much as 25%. If this theory is correct, then the 25 who scored higher than 654 in GRE Verbal, the 23 who scored higher than 716 in GRE Quantitative, and the 27 who scored higher than 746 on GRE Analytical, would not be black at all according to other blacks themselves because they would be mostly Caucasian.<br /><br />SAT scores for Blacks lower than noise level<br />The SAT consists of one essay question which can be scored only by subjective means, opening it up to controversy about whether or not it's valid or accurate. The most objective part of the test are the 225 five part multiple choice questions which attempt to measure the probability of a student succeeding in college or graduate school. About 1/4th of these questions can be answered strictly from rote memorization. For simplicity we include the results of the essay question in this part of the test. The other 3/4ths require some form of reasoning or calculation which can be measured objectively.<br /><br />The base score of 200 is assigned when a student signs their name. Of the 600 points between 200 and 800, another 150 points can be gained by knowing the subjects but not exhibiting any reasoning or critical thinking skills, for a total score thus far of 350. If a person were to just guess on the balance of the five part multiple choice questions, he would on average get 20% of them correct just by chance, for another 90 points and a total score of 440.<br /><br />This score of 440 is conservative. For example, in TIMSS physics, which is scored similarly and which has questions of equal validity and depth, the score of 474 for American girls represents a score for students who would have performed better if they'd just guessed on this part of the test.jknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-47010124095876561622009-08-06T12:04:10.855-07:002009-08-06T12:04:10.855-07:00WND publishes now a portion of a
university under...WND publishes now a portion of a <br />university undergad transcript for<br />Stanley Ann Dunham. It appears in<br />high school she was a B+ student<br />and got B's in two of her university courses upon enrollment.<br />Adequate eventual PhD material--but<br />nothing outstanding. Her reach<br />seemed far to exceed her grasp.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-85774200817878209352009-08-04T18:35:15.097-07:002009-08-04T18:35:15.097-07:00Let's look at some other speculations:
It is...Let's look at some other speculations: <br />It is entirely likely that Obama's SATV was higher than his SATM.<br /><br />If Obama had an pre-renorming SAT much above 1200, it would have been leaked, unless the SATM was very low. (the negative impression of that would outweigh any shine from the verbal). Maybe 1250, max.<br /><br />OTOH, it would not be possible to get through Oxxi while drugging and Columbia and HLS even as an AA acceptance, if he were much below 1000. Over valued doesn't mean no value.<br /><br />The absence of evidence is admittedly a slender thing. But the past record of what gets leaked suggests it's likely.<br /><br />So 700/550 max, 600/400 min. Every positive about Obama which can be nailed down shades us toward the upper number. The books? Probable but not nailed down. Speaking off the cuff? Negative. Repeated public bungling of numbers shades the SATM down, but some of that would be recaptured in SATV inching up to compensate in our overall estimate. <br /><br />Just for fun, 640 - 680V, 500 - 540M. IQ 122. Not bad.Assistant Village Idiothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01978011985085795099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-620662957339185242009-08-03T09:47:50.234-07:002009-08-03T09:47:50.234-07:00Again, does anyone think that Obama's writings...<i> Again, does anyone think that Obama's writings are in the same league as those of Adams, Jefferson, Madison et al? </i><br /><br />Of course not. Name the 20th century President who was as important a writer and thinker as they were. It had to do with their times, their era, more than their IQ.<br /><br />The 20th century President with the highest abstract IQ was probably Woodrow Wilson, who was a major academic who was seen as a seminal thinker in his field (public administration). But I don't think anyone would put him among the top five 20th century Presidents.MQnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-41589092299104488082009-08-03T09:40:44.548-07:002009-08-03T09:40:44.548-07:00Wow, a lot of jealous underachieving white people ...Wow, a lot of jealous underachieving white people posting here.<br /><br /><i> His academic accomplishments mean little. His writings are ghost written, his vaunted oratory is scripted, and when he goes off script it does not indicate high intelligence. </i><br /><br />in other words, all the plainly visible evidence for his intelligence is meaningless because it is too threatening to my self-image to believe it.<br /><br />You know, someone can be smart and you can still totally disagree with them. Liberals hated Nixon, saw him pretty much as the Devil, but nobody questioned that he was sharp.<br /><br />Part of this might be the weird racist equation of IQ with wisdom, morality, common sense, etc. that one sees at "race realist" sites. It's like, I don't like black people, there's a black/white IQ difference, therefore high IQ signifies everything I like and lower IQ signifies everything I don't like.MQnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-71501291143102137052009-08-03T06:05:01.822-07:002009-08-03T06:05:01.822-07:00"He just wasn't. " coz i sez so!
Ha ..."He just wasn't. " coz i sez so!<br />Ha ha ha haAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-68459298727853087602009-08-02T20:03:26.139-07:002009-08-02T20:03:26.139-07:00A great idiot test is, "does this individual ...A great idiot test is, "does this individual think that IQ is a good measure of intelligence? Do they invoke it as a vague air of authority when complaining about people they dislike?" Good to know where you fall on that one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-61125921031076822472009-08-01T20:59:29.388-07:002009-08-01T20:59:29.388-07:00Again, does anyone think that Obama's writings...Again, does anyone think that Obama's writings are in the same league as those of Adams, Jefferson, Madison et al?Posecnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-80869491920856978502009-08-01T20:34:56.843-07:002009-08-01T20:34:56.843-07:00Who are all these shrieking bedwetters getting the...Who are all these shrieking bedwetters getting the vapors over the even the idea that Obama isn't the Einstein his leg tingling media image consultants make him out to be? <br /><br />"Shame"? "Steve deserves better readers"? Is there no higher moral law that a human could violate than point to the few objective facts Obama left uncovered which give a good ballpark for Obama's IQ? <br /><br />Who cares about his IQ unless it's insufficient for the task (it isn't).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-55659659704700238622009-08-01T14:59:48.001-07:002009-08-01T14:59:48.001-07:00A terribly accomplished...grade schooler?!?!?!
Di...A terribly accomplished...grade schooler?!?!?!<br /><br />Did he color outside of the lines?Truthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17286755693955361308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-57030254437390441572009-08-01T08:53:37.973-07:002009-08-01T08:53:37.973-07:00135-140
Really he wasn't a terribly accomplish...135-140<br />Really he wasn't a terribly accomplished grade schooler? That's your clue?COOL BOYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14317743682060144672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-17729584899798568332009-08-01T07:07:04.084-07:002009-08-01T07:07:04.084-07:00Obama's IQ is probably lower than Steve's,...Obama's IQ is probably lower than Steve's, certainly lower than Sigma's but higher than 90% of the people who post here, that much is obvious.Peter Anoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-87767340843036442172009-07-31T23:11:52.198-07:002009-07-31T23:11:52.198-07:00Out of curiosity, would any here contend that Obam...Out of curiosity, would any here contend that Obama, or any president within living memory, exceeds the verbal faculties of an Adams or Jefferson?Posecnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-30656665192137956462009-07-31T22:29:37.315-07:002009-07-31T22:29:37.315-07:00I really, really, really, really agree with the co...I really, really, really, really agree with the commenter who wrote Sailer "deserves better readers". So many people here seem unable to believe Obama may be very smart. Why? Duh.<br /><br />Even if you hate his policy views, look at all he has accomplished. To say "it's all affirmative action" goes far beyond what Sailer says. <br /><br />I read Sailer's book. I read Obama's books. I agree with Sailer. Obama is a far more gifted writer than the great majority of pols. (Especially the first book).<br /><br />What will the people say who think it's impossible that Obama could be very smart? That he had a ghost writer, probably his pastor.<br /><br />This is just so childish and stupid. Rev. Jeremiah Wright was not the ghost writer of Obama's first book, a very graceful and interesting account of his life. He just wasn't. <br /><br />Think about how stupid this claim is -- people are saying that Wright is smart enough to write so well. Really? Wright is smarter than Obama?<br /><br />I don't think Sailer has ever made this argument. Because he has actually read the books.<br /><br />I agree that Sailer deserves better readers, or at least commenters. Many of you people are closed-minded fools with an ugly agenda that goes beyond anything Sailer has ever written.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-85808084456972601622009-07-31T21:44:07.021-07:002009-07-31T21:44:07.021-07:00It is this mind-set of his followers, not just Ste...<i>It is this mind-set of his followers, not just Steve's edgy and fearless comments, that helps get him shunned. He deserves better readers.</i>.<br /><br />Bravo! Bravo!DAJnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-24212989023659487622009-07-31T21:01:46.420-07:002009-07-31T21:01:46.420-07:00SUMMARY:
<136 not National Merit Scholar
>...SUMMARY:<br /><br /><136 not National Merit Scholar<br /><br />>115 beat other black AA candidates out for Columbia (2SD above black mean, his Harvard candidacy was probably due more to his Chicago pol activity and connections than his LSAT)<br /><br />115-120 passed IL Bar (1st try)<br /><br />------------------------------<br />Non-IQ factors:<br /><br />+ Great memory (great with teleprompter and staying on script)<br /><br />+ Interpersonal skills (great smile and camera presence)<br /><br />+ Great verbal fluency (although small vocabulary and very predictable, simplistic and trite folksy sytle)<br /><br />- Poor logic (argues by feeling and authority rather than tight logic well developed themes except when reading his teleprompter or taking scripted questions)<br /><br />- Incurious (does not have access to wealth of knowledge like history, econ, geography and has made Bush2-like flubs when off-teleprompter, Cs in PolySci at Occidental)<br /><br />- Lazy (no pubs as Harvard Law Editor or UC Law Prof which is incredible, many lost keys years of education at Punahoe, Occidental and Columbia - wasted great opportunities to become well-educated, unimpressive work schedule in the Whitehouse so far trying to unseat Bush2's legacy).<br /><br />- Indulged by AA and unaware of his limits (offered full UC Law Professorship WITHOUT a single book or academic paper establishing new hights to AA, very rarely goes off script in speech or press conferences and when does stammering worse than Bush2)<br /><br />-----------------------<br /><br />At 115-120 Obama is on the low end, but would be OK for the POTUS if he was hard working and eager to learn like Bill Clinton and wasn't such a narrow ideologue with many of Bush2's personal failings (incurious, lazy, arrogant - Bush3). <br /><br />Obama's got little experience, curiosity or interest outside the prep school, ivy and his passion for the race hustling racket in Chicago that made up his short unaccomplished life. Obama's main accomplishment seems to be jumping to ever greater titles without ever producing anything of value (unless negative) while in those positions:<br /><br />- not cleaning up asbestos in the projects as organizer<br /><br />- $200M? Annenburg challenge grant to improve Chicago pub schools with 0 effect, not even infrastructure<br /><br />- exactly ZERO academic papers or books published as Harvard Law Editor or UC Law Prof<br /><br />- multi-million dollar study to find cops don't infact race profiling while in IL senate<br /><br />- impressive "present" 2yr Senate legislative record<br /><br />I could see voting for Obama or not voting for McCain's given what the neocons did under Bush2, but I am baffled by people who buy Obama as Chauncy Gardner without irony.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-90699219815942262382009-07-31T20:04:56.135-07:002009-07-31T20:04:56.135-07:00it's hard to believe there are multiple people...it's hard to believe there are multiple people arguing in favor of the idea that barack obama is brilliant. it is so obvious, it is so screamingly evident that this is not the case, that this thread is more a testament to the power of the mainstream US media to brainwash people than it is to any kind of evidence that this average, underachieving lawyer is some kind of singular genius.<br /><br />the instant, the very moment he is not reading from a teleprompter, he is no longer glib. his ability to deliver an extemporaneous and intelligent dialog on almost any topic is virtually nil. he cannot improvise any insight, develop any original thoughts on the spot.<br /><br />any time he veers into numbers or math, something that the president must do at least a few times a week, he reveals just how not smart he really is. he must be, easily, the least mathematically facile president in history. barack obama literally said there were 57 states. the few major policy initiatives he has devised so far are sheer lunacy, devoid of any sense and fully detached from any reality that an economist or a physicist could describe.<br /><br />again, this guy just has no idea about anything beyond the narrow range of his professional and recreational interests, and that he cannot rapidly pick up on new topics shows how very, very not true it is that he is brilliant. quickly picking up a decent grasp of new topics is one of the first signs of very high intelligence, and he doesn't show it.<br /><br />i'm sure i'm smarter than him, and i'm not brilliant. it's no major feat. millions of people have science degrees and are professionals in technical fields, and they're all smarter than most presidents were too. being elected president is about charisma, not brainpower.jodynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-45350424220409779322009-07-31T18:56:39.663-07:002009-07-31T18:56:39.663-07:00Not anonymous said:
"The first time I posted ...Not anonymous said:<br />"The first time I posted about McConnell, I included this: <br /><br />"According to a professor at the University of Chicago, Douglas Baird, he got a call, or got a note, from Michael McConnell, who ... was definitely an alumnus of the University of Chicago Law School, saying, "I encountered this really remarkable, brilliant guy at Harvard Law Review when they were working on my piece, and you should have this guy on your radar." And so it was this very conservative legal scholar who brought Obama to the attention of the University of Chicago.""<br /><br />Hmm. This might be on par with Biden's "clean and articulate remark." McConnell may have been bowled over to meet a fairly competent black law student.<br />The subtext may have been, "I encountered this really remarkable [thing, a black law student who isn't a complete incompetent] from Harvard Law Review when they were working on my piece, and you should have this guy on your radar [because reasonably competent blacks are so hard to find, so if you want to fill you faculty quota you should check this guy out]."<br /><br />Maybe your accepting McConnell's words on their face is the correct reading, but with AA so pervasive, how can we know?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-76140372605494203702009-07-31T17:43:27.474-07:002009-07-31T17:43:27.474-07:001) Punahou school was HUGE (3500 kids!) at the tim...1) Punahou school was HUGE (3500 kids!) at the time Obama attended. They undoubtedly had ability grouping with many classes for each grade level. The fact that he fit right in with his classmates means nothing.<br />2) His classmate remembers him as somewhat who could finish writing assignments very quickly. This could be a function of his arrogance (people who don't think that they are "good enough" at writing are more likely to suffer from writer's block) and his laziness ("get it done and turn it in"). He may also have benefitted from an informal sort of affirmative action, even at the elementary level.<br />3) I agree with the above posters who have noted that politicians tend to have very superior memory skills. This would have helped him a LOT on both law school exams AND on the bar exam, where a moderate amount of knowledge NAILED DOWN gives you an advantage over the brilliant person who has studied harder and longer, but has tried to remember too many things and can't spit it out fast enough during a timed test. Obama may also have had enough Chicago connections to ensure that he passed the IL bar on the first try.<br /><br />4) Obama has admitted that he was an underachiever at school, he turned down the chance to clerk for the Supreme Court (a position which requires BRAINS and an ability to endure TEDIUM and PRODUCE papers on somebody else's timetable.) IMO, Obama never wrote anything while teaching law because he knew that not producing anything wouldn't hurt his career, while producing something shallow, or with a mistake in it, would hurt his reputation for brilliance. Obama is a schmoozer who constantly showed up late for meetings when a legislator, producing little. He was a natural as a community organizer and political candidate. It is common knowledge that he doesn't write his own speeches, he just reads them. People who love to write and who know that they are good at it would usually insist on at least editing what the speechwriter wrote.<br /><br />5) Despite having lived in a foreign country for several years at a young age, and despite having had every imaginable educational advantage growing up, Obama admits that he does NOT speak a foreign language. I don't think he reads anything beyond magazines and the internet, either. Not everybody with a high IQ loves to read books, but Obama is not a natural intellectual.<br /><br />6) The ability to write a good paper or speech is NOT the same skill set needed for debating. The guy in my law school class who had the most natural talent for becoming a trial lawyer was not anywhere near the top of the class. Not only do people suffer from stage fright, but being interrupted, and having the debate take directions you had not anticipated, having new information thrown in your face DURING the debate, being under time constraints, etc., is entirely different from researching a topic and then writing a heavily footnoted paper. Being great at one definitely doesn't mean that you will be great at the other. Obama has a very pleasing manner, a very mellow voice, and a fantastic smile, etc., and all of these things can help you in a debate, as the judging is so subjective. Obama likes to be in front of a camera or a crowd because he knows that he is very good at that.<br /><br />7) My guess is that his IQ is at least 115 since he had to beat a lot of other top blacks to get an AA slot at Harvard, and his grades weren't good. He probably strikes a lot of people as "brilliant" because he has been very expensively educated and he is verbally fluent.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-90113854416680488812009-07-31T17:07:29.781-07:002009-07-31T17:07:29.781-07:00This discussion is all based on conjecture. What ...This discussion is all based on conjecture. What purpose does this serve? <br /><br />It reminds me of the fools who argue about whether Arnold Schwarzenegger is 6'0 or 6'2":<br /><br />http://www.celebheights.com/s/Arnold-Schwarzenegger-177.htmlMr. Freerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10711945966349109298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-7164449141667705012009-07-31T16:06:54.914-07:002009-07-31T16:06:54.914-07:00Sorry to stay on this topic, but you did miss some...Sorry to stay on this topic, but you did miss something. The first time I posted about McConnell, I included this: <br /><br />"According to a professor at the University of Chicago, Douglas Baird, he got a call, or got a note, from Michael McConnell, who ... was definitely an alumnus of the University of Chicago Law School, saying, "I encountered this really remarkable, brilliant guy at Harvard Law Review when they were working on my piece, and you should have this guy on your radar." And so it was this very conservative legal scholar who brought Obama to the attention of the University of Chicago."<br /><br />I later posted a different link about McConnell to point out who he is.not anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-24862428746424579092009-07-31T15:52:54.187-07:002009-07-31T15:52:54.187-07:00"I think that Mr. Sailer will verify that,sta..."I think that Mr. Sailer will verify that,statistically,the offspring of an intelligent, mixed race, couple will have an IQ substantially lower than the parents. <br /><br />I don't think he will. The tendency is for offspring to regress to the mean. It's an average, not written in stone (and not limited to "mixed" people).<br /><br />~Svigor<br /><br />7/31/2009"<br /><br />Going for brevity I didn't phrase it as well as I should have.<br />How about this:<br />I've read that, statistically, the offspring of an intelligent, mixed race couple (black and white) will have a lower IQ than if the exact same couple were both white, STATISTICALLY.<br />Is that better, and accurate?<br /><br />And I still think he will.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-56163768522796250532009-07-31T15:38:07.265-07:002009-07-31T15:38:07.265-07:00"I did post the opinions of conservative lega..."I did post the opinions of conservative legal scholars who think Obama's brilliant.<br /><br />Michael McConnell:<br />http://www.law.stanford.edu/news/pr/116/"<br /><br />OK, I read the link. Somehow I overlooked the quote on Mr. Obama's brilliance. In fact I overlooked the word "Obama".<br />I did manage to find an article from May of 2008 that had a reference to Mr. Obama and Judge Michael McConnell, circa 1990:<br /><br />"Federal Judge Michael W. McConnell, who was nominated by President Bush and has frequently been mentioned as one of Bush’s potential Supreme Court nominees, recalls receiving one such letter and call in early 1990 for his article “The Origins and Historical Understanding of Free Exercise of Religion.<br /><br />McConnell told Politico, “A frequent problem with student editors is that they try to turn an article into something they want it to be. It was striking that Obama didn’t do that. He tried to make it better from my point of view.” McConnell was impressed enough to urge the University of Chicago Law School to seek Obama out as an academic prospect."<br />http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=B1993498-3048-5C12-00FA3C486359EF70<br /><br />Apologies to those following these comments.<br />The list of conservative scholars who think Mr. Obama is brilliant is below:<br /><br />Michael W. McConnell<br /><br />The proof is in the above Politico article. To "seek someone out as an academic prospect" is code for "BRILLIANT".<br />I was wrong.<br />Thankfully I remain anonymous.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-5313462310191419152009-07-31T15:36:28.448-07:002009-07-31T15:36:28.448-07:00I see wintermute is at it again. What a crazy dude...I see wintermute is at it again. What a crazy dude.<br /><br />And troof is flinging feces.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com