I had a friend when I was young who told me that he thought he was smarter than 95% of the population of this planet. He was in pre-med so that he could soon become a dentist. By his logic, he was equating having degrees from institutions with intelligence. Saying that a small percentage of the population actually gets degrees from high learning institutions, and a smaller gets secondary degrees, an even smaller percentage get a PhD, that make him smarter by comparison because, well, most of the world is stupid.

I found this a bit far fetched.

Looking at the current political discourse that is happening, I think he had some merit to this line of reasoning. Not the part of equating higher degrees to higher intellect. But in assuming the low intellect of the vast majority.

Now I'm sure the rightwingers will accuse me of being a liberal elitist. The leftwingers will say that I'm callous and cold and espousing hate rhetoric.

Oh well.

I have a decent education, but nothing ivy league. A state funded school that I paid my tuition for with a 50 hour work week while in school and student loans. But I don't really think I am any better than anyone else.

Watching the arguments against both candidates out there makes me truly believe that stupidity is what all people share as a common bond. It seems that when making an argument for a candidate, people seem more reasonable and bright. Saying they believe McCain is a good choice because he has military experience and a family history of Admirals, thus giving our military boys a fighting chance out there is an intelligent argument. Saying that Obama is a good choice because he is a unifying figure who gets people of all walks of life and races and creeds to talk together and fight for a common cause is a sound argument.

When these same people get negative, it seems to lack all logic and intellect.

Accusations of socialism and elitism are ludicrous. Accusations of racism and class warfare are just as stupid.

Accusing one of being less patriotic than the other or casting dispersions on either one's citizenship is profoundly stupid (both of which were arguments against both candidates at separate times).

These are two candidates for president that each believe they have the best way to fix this country because they love this country. How can anyone who wants a relatively low paying job with more stress than most of us see in a lifetime, let alone four years, be looked at as anything less than patriotic? They could each make more money writing books or marrying rich.

Calling Obama's tax plan socialism when it clearly keeps middle class workers' money in their own hands is stupid. Saying that someone who grew up poor and struggled to get an education is an elitist who is out of touch with average Americans is unbelievably stupid.

Saying that McCain is a racist because he is running against a black candidate is borderline braindead. Calling the Republican theory of economics out for being class warfare is stupid.

Each of these candidates truly believes that they have the right plans to fix our country's problems. Trickle down or trickle up, neither plan is perfect. We don't live in a perfect world.

But what do I know, I'm just as stupid as 95% of the population.