Presidential Intelligence – A pre-convention review

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– News and commentary from elsewhere covered by Quincy Quarry News

Presidential Intelligence – A pre-convention review presented by Quincy Quarry.

While web crawling for news, Quincy Quarry’s automated newsbot found an online article that ranks United States Presidents by IQ as well presents the IQ’s of some of this years’ presidential candidates.

In turn, Quincy Quarry intelligence assessment expertise assessed this article for its methodological soundness and such.

For example, while the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale – the official name of the IQ rating system – is now widely viewed as a less than comprehensive measure of the full range of intelligence, the Quarry’s in-house assessment expertise views IQ testing as a reasonable enough test instrument to use as a starting point to assess intelligence.

Two Revolutionary Patriots
A Quincy Quarry News photo
Click on image to better see Sam Adams

Conversely, however, as the original IQ test was not developed until 1916 as well as then was not widely used until some years later, this particular article thus had to rely on but estimates of the IQ’s of past Presidents from before the time when the IQ test was inflicted upon children.

Even so, Quincy Quarry’s intelligence desk finds the projected IQ scores for these long dead presidents to be reasonably viable estimates.

For example, Braintree (now Quincy) born President John Adams was assigned an IQ of 142.5, a near-genius level, as well as that statistically he would thus likely be one of around the 3 or so brightest people if he was among a random sample of 1,000 people.

The Quarry also viewed the 168.8 IQ estimate assigned to the top-ranked as well as also Braintree (now Quincy) born John Quincy Adams as sound as by all accounts John Quincy was wicked smart even if IQ test scores are typically not figured down to decimal point levels of granularity.

Smart, wicked smart
An old photo

In any event, statistically speaking, his estimated IQ – if accurate – would indicate that John Quincy Adams would be probably be the smartest person among a random assortment of over half a million people.

Where things become interesting, however, is with those more modern Presidents who were probably actually subjected to IQ testing. 

For example, the second most recently Massachusetts-born President was noted as having an IQ of 158. 

Obviously, the author of the review is not familiar with accepted lore that his father bought him at least West Virginia’s and Cook County’s support in 1960.  

The author also apparently also does not appear to fathom how securing a better IQ score than another as well as much lower score that has long been bandied about would have likely been much less costly for his father to have arranged as well as would have been more readily covered up than one of his brother’s infamous non-test takings.

A young Ensign Carter
A Carter family photo

In any event, the cited IQ numbers for more recent presidents generally appear to be reasonably sound.

For example, Jimmy Carter’s noted IQ of 153.  

After all, he was personally selected by the brilliant as well as even more demanding Admiral Hyman Rickover to be trained and otherwise prepared to become a nuclear submarine captain. 

Had Carter’s father not died unexpected, then Navy Lieutenant Carter could well have risen even further in the ranks to have become an Admiral had he not left the service to run the family peanut business.

Instead, he went on to prove that brains aren’t everything when it comes to being the President of the United States.

Trump stole from one of the best?
An old fortune.com image

Next up, Reagan came into office with a cited IQ of 130. 

In turn, such would indicate that someone who – statistically speaking – would probably be the smartest person among a random sample of 200 people is smart enough to be someone who is ever-increasingly seen as the most effective President during the last 40 years. 

That and so also undercutting those who accused him of being a bit of a dullard.  After all, even merely but a cursory review of his diary clearly indicates that Dutch was no dunce.

The Vision Thing was his thing
An old NBC video still image

George Herbert Walker Bush’s IQ of a 131.1 was a bit of surprise given his extensive résumé, ranging from serving as the US Ambassador to the United Nation, Director of the CIA and his widely respected active role as Reagan’s Vice President. 

Then again, even this Bush conceded that he was not exactly aces on the “vision thing.”

Even so, his score is still in gifted range and indicates that, statistically speaking, he would probably be the smartest person if ranked within a random sample of 200 people.

Happy Birthday!
A Clinton White House birthday card

Next up, President Clinton’s IQ score of 156 is not a surprise. 

After all, he was a Rhodes Scholar, is a Harvard Law School graduate and is easily one of the most gifted politicians of recent times. 

At the same time, it still must be noted that he was disbarred from practicing law in his home state of Arkansas.

That and how IQ does not measure character, much less discern one’s potential for abiding by marital fidelity.

Never frighten the children
A class act in action

George Walker Bush’s 124 sounds a bit harsh for W. 

Even so, such would statistically project him to likely rank him among the several smartest out of random sample of 100 – but no a rocket scientist. 

Even so, he deserves credit for his classy handling of his receipt of word of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks.

Unfortunately, the aftermath of 9/11 proved to be more far challenging.

Barak Obama
A Lauren Monsen photo

Moving along, President Obama’s IQ rating of 145 appears valid.

At the same time, Quincy Quarry is leaving it to at least the next generation of historians to assess his tenure in office as well as that it has no interest in fueling a flaming thread of comments posted to this Quarry story.

The review of presidential intelligence also covered others, including the two presumptive as well as arguably presumptuous 2016 major political party presidential nominees.

For example, Secretary Hillary Clinton’s 140 IQ score appears to have perhaps been determined via a better than average test taking day performance. 

Even so, her score appears to be close enough to accurate for government work.

Oh no, not again . . .
A CJ Gunther photo

At the same time, that her husband’s IQ number is almost two standard deviations greater than hers does go a long ways to explain how he was able to get away with catting around for decades with apparently near impunity

Finally, as for Donald Trump, his IQ score, school transcripts and the like are as closely guarded secrets as are his tax records. 

The article thus could only make a projection that his IQ is perhaps somewhere in the 120 to perhaps 130 range. 

But dad, I did graduate
A Mickey Mouse majors image

The Quincy Quarry intelligence assessment desk, however, finds at least the high end of this range a bit generous.

The key reason?  For all that has been said about his matriculating from the renowned Wharton School (of Business, ed.) at the University of Pennsylvania, the Donald’s bachelor’s degree was in economics and anthropology.

At minimum, it would appear safe to suggest that WWE Hall of Fame member Trump is probably not someone who belongs to any sort of high-minded book club.

QQ disclaimer

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