I don&#x27;t much like his policies, but I always had a big question mark in my mind when it came to Bush&#x27;s raw intelligence. He spoke like a man who didn&#x27;t know how to speak in public, not like someone who was ignorant or addled. There was a peculiar absent-mindedness to his gaffes (&quot;misunderestimate&quot;, &quot;is our children learning&quot;) and so forth but it had a more &quot;way out of his element&quot; feel rather than coming from a place of stupidity. I doubt I&#x27;d be able to do much better in front of a large and frequently very hostile audience.<p>Part of my problem with American politics is that so few know how to think clearly about the actors involved. I guve Bush considerable benefit of the doubt when it comes to mental capability but I don&#x27;t agree with him. And I dislike Obama for his failure to uphold the values he got elected on, not (as many feebleminded urbane Democrat voters suppose) because of his skin color.