-Caveat Lector-
The Boston Globe
September 7, 2000
GORE'S DUBIOUS SCHOOL RECORD
By JENNIFER C. BRACERAS
When will the liberal media stop treating left-wing ideology as a
proxy for intelligence? For months the press has questioned the
intellect of Republican candidate George W. Bush, while
describing Al Gore as "serious," "intellectual" - even "wonkish."
The basis for the media's unfair attacks on Bush's intelligence
is his 30-year-old Yale College transcript (purloined last fall
and published by The New Yorker). Yet The Washington Post's
subsequent revelation of Gore's unimpressive academic record has
done little to alter the media's false portrayal of Gore as "the
smartest kid in the class." It is a record that is worth
reviewing, if only to debunk the myth of Gore as a serious
student.
Gore's undergraduate transcript from Harvard is riddled with C's,
including a C-minus in introductory economics, a D in one science
course, and a C-plus in another. "In his sophomore year at
Harvard," the Post reported, "Gore's grades were lower than any
semester recorded on Bush's transcript from Yale." Moreover,
Gore's graduate school record - consistently glossed over by the
press - is nothing short of shameful. In 1971, Gore enrolled in
Vanderbilt Divinity School where, according to Bill Turque,
author of "Inventing Al Gore," he received F's in five of the
eight classes he took over the course of three semesters. Not
surprisingly, Gore did not receive a degree from the divinity
school. Nor did Gore graduate from Vanderbilt Law School, where
he enrolled for a brief time and received his fair share of C's.
(Bush went on to earn an MBA from Harvard).
But whereas the liberal press has described Bush's college days
as a time of misspent youth, media accounts of Gore's
undergraduate years are grossly fawning. (The New York Times: "As
Mr. Bush was frolicking around Yale, a young man named Al Gore
was studying at Harvard"; "Harvard nurtured the part of [Gore]
that is in love with the world of ideas." The New Republic: "At
Harvard, Gore set himself formidable intellectual challenges."
And then there is the laughable October issue of Psychology
Today. As part of a cover story entitled, "Gore and Bush on the
Couch," the magazine reports the results of a spurious "analysis"
of 10 of the candidates speeches and/or interviews. The authors
claim that the study "verifies" the popular stereotype that "Bush
is not as deep a thinker as Gore."
Two pages later, readers will be shocked - shocked! - to learn
that the magazine's (no doubt scientific) study of the
candidates' facial gestures reveals that Gore is the "more
serious, constrained, controlled, weighty, ponderous, [and]
dominant of the two candidates." More ponderous, perhaps . . .
but, please, spare me the pop psychology.
Biased reporters, however, are not the only ones to blame.
Indeed, the vice president himself has cultivated this genius
persona (one of many). Thus, he did not correct PBS News anchor
Gwen Ifill when she referred to him as a graduate of Vanderbilt
Law School. Even more significant was the line in Gore's
convention acceptance speech in which he stated, "I know my own
imperfections. I know that sometimes people say I'm too serious,
that I talk too much substance and policy." Poor Al, he's just
too smart for the job.
Of course, the stereotyping of conservative candidates as dumb
and liberal candidates as "brilliant" is nothing new. During the
1950s, the media lionized Democrat Adlai Stevenson as an
intellectual, while ridiculing Republican Dwight Eisenhower as an
ineffectual simpleton. Back then, the members of the press knew
full well that Stevenson attended Harvard Law School and, yet,
had not received a degree. But the media gave Stevenson a pass.
(Sound familiar?) Had resourceful journalists investigated, they
might have learned (as we now know from Stevenson's biographer
John Bartlow Martin) that Harvard Law School Dean Erwin Griswold
had hidden Stevenson's transcript in a locked cabinet in his
office. What was he hiding? Stevenson, the so-called "thinking
man's candidate," had, in fact, flunked out of Harvard Law.
In the end, neither intellect nor academic performance is an
especially important criterion by which to judge our presidents.
Ronald Reagan and Harry Truman were no scholars, but they rank
among the best presidents in our country's history. And what
about many liberals' favorite president - Franklin Roosevelt?
Social, popular, and famously unserious as an undergraduate at
Harvard, FDR had an undistinguished academic record. Yet, later
in life, Roosevelt's charisma and his ability to persuade,
compromise, and lead helped him to become a "reformer with
results."
This election is not an I.Q. test; it is about which candidate
has better judgment. And that is why, despite the media's love
affair with the celluloid image of Al Gore the policy-wonk, it is
the affable, authentic, and sensible Bush who would make the
better leader.
Jennifer C. Braceras is an attorney and research fellow at
Harvard Law School. Her column appears regularly in the Globe.
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