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John Hodgman Asks Obama, "Are You a Nerd?"
Hugh Pickens writes "Watch a video of comedian John Hodgman speak after Barack Obama at the recent Radio and Television Correspondents Association dinner in DC and discuss the central question of our age: "how we can heal the great and shameful division that has plagued our nation for so long — the age old conflict between jocks and nerds" and ask Obama: Are you now, or have you ever been, a nerd?"
...he IS a NIGGER!
He's Jesus Christ himself. ;-)
He is a fascist.
TFA says Obama would be our (the U.S.'s) "first geek president."
Hello? Anybody out there ever heard of Thomas Jefferson?
[Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
I suggest we first define who a nerd is. Otherwise this being slashdot, we'll end up submitting comments about something that is entirely different depending on who is posting.
My submission: I agree with this definition and hope that all of you use it as a bench mark as you post your comments.
In part: "...derogatory connotation or stereotype, that refers to a person who passionately pursues intellectual activities, esoteric knowledge, or other obscure interests..."
Thank you.
When did all of this disrespect for the position of our President start? Must have been around the first Clinton Administration. He tried to appeal to the younger crowd by appearing on MTV, and dressing casually, etc. I'm not talking about necessarily respecting the man, but respect the position. I haven't respected a President since Ronald Reagan, but I do respect the position. The President should not appear on talk shows, MTV, movies, or sitcoms. The President is not our friend or buddy. Discipline is needed to keep respect and authority.
I'm blocking Idle and it's still showing on the main page.
if Obamas a nerd were gonna be ok. All we need is a catchy music montage, a wise crackin sidekick (Joe Biden = YES), maybe a panty raid or two, and we can fix the world economy in no time.
Test me and I will chronicle your pain - The Archivist (Diablo 3)
...mass hysteria!
He's got a wife, doesn't he?
When a reporter asks Obama a QUESTION. One that's relevant to policy, and doesn't open the door to ambiguous bantering or set up another stump speech, or give Obama another chance to be 'lovable look at me I laugh at myself on date night' Mr. Wonderful.
I just think it would be really interesting to see the POTUS discuss policy in a serious way, without this 'nobody messes with Joe! hyuk hyuk' bullshit or a 'we inherited all this not my fault i dont have to solve it' non-answer (just what the fuck did he do as a senator, anyways?)
I know it's of penultimate importance to the average american, but I don't rate 'coolness' all that high when it comes to rating leadership.
I'm glad this got modded up because I absolutely love hearing everything about our deal leader. Are we also going to modup a story about how Obama's shit had corn in it?
As an initial matter: Fire Samzenpus.
Regardless of whether "nerd" is derogatory, the thing that gives me the most heart about the fact that this question is being asked is that we seem to have gotten over our national obsession with having a president who is "one of us." Whether I agree with his policies, I am delighted that our current president did dramatically better in law school than I did, at a somewhat better law school that the one I went to. He engages intellectually with at least some of the issues he faces.
Obama is a lawyer and a politician.
If the internet nerds are so needy and desperate for a role model in politics, they should try to elect a scientist or engineer. Even an MD would be a better nerd than a lawyer.
Note the voting pattern of Hispanics, Asian-Americans, etc. These non-Black minorities serve as a measurement of African-American racism against Whites (and other non-Black folks). Neither Barack Hussein Obama nor John McCain is Hispanic or Asian. So, Hispanics and Asian-Americans used only non-racial criteria in selecting a candidate and, hence, serve as the reference by which we detect a racist voting pattern. Only about 65% of Hispanics and Asian-Americans supported Obama. In other words, a maximum of 65% support by any ethnic or racial group for either McCain or Obama is not racist and, hence, is acceptable. (A maximum of 65% for McCain is okay. So, European-American support at 55% for McCain is well below this threshold and, hence, is not racist.)
If African-Americans were not racist, then at most 65% of them would have supported Obama. At that level of support, McCain would have won the presidential race.
At this point, African-American supremacists (and apologists) claim that African-Americans voted for Obama because he (1) is a member of the Democratic party and (2) supports its ideals. That claim is an outright lie. Look at the exit-polling data for the Democratic primaries. Consider the case of North Carolina. Again, about 95% of African-Americans voted for him and against Hillary Clinton. Both Clinton and Obama are Democrats, and their official political positions on the campaign trail were nearly identical. Yet, 95% of African-Americans voted for Obama and against Hillary Clinton. Why? African-Americans supported Obama due solely to the color of his skin.
Here is the bottom line. Barack Hussein Obama does not represent mainstream America. He won the election due to the racist voting pattern exhibited by African-Americans.
African-Americans have established that expressing "racial pride" by voting on the basis of skin color is 100% acceptable. Neither the "Wall Street Journal" nor the "New York Times" complained about this racist behavior. Therefore, in future elections, please feel free to express your racial pride by voting on the basis of skin color. Feel free to vote for the non-Black candidates and against the Black candidates if you are not African-American. You need not defend your actions in any way. Voting on the basis of skin color is quite acceptable by today's moral standard.
The press made a big deal about his basketball playing ability during the campaign, therefore he is disqualified as a nerd. He is the diametric opposite of a nerd, he is a jock.
The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
Note the voting pattern of Hispanics, Asian-Americans, etc. These non-Black minorities serve as a measurement of African-American racism against Whites (and other non-Black folks). Neither Barack Hussein Obama nor John McCain is Hispanic or Asian. So, Hispanics and Asian-Americans used only non-racial criteria in selecting a candidate and, hence, serve as the reference by which we detect a racist voting pattern. Only about 65% of Hispanics and Asian-Americans supported Obama. In other words, a maximum of 65% support by any ethnic or racial group for either McCain or Obama is not racist and, hence, is acceptable. (A maximum of 65% for McCain is okay. So, European-American support at 55% for McCain is well below this threshold and, hence, is not racist.)
If African-Americans were not racist, then at most 65% of them would have supported Obama. At that level of support, McCain would have won the presidential race.
At this point, African-American supremacists (and apologists) claim that African-Americans voted for Obama because he (1) is a member of the Democratic party and (2) supports its ideals. That claim is an outright lie. Look at the exit-polling data for the Democratic primaries. Consider the case of North Carolina. Again, about 95% of African-Americans voted for him and against Hillary Clinton. Both Clinton and Obama are Democrats, and their official political positions on the campaign trail were nearly identical. Yet, 95% of African-Americans voted for Obama and against Hillary Clinton. Why? African-Americans supported Obama due solely to the color of his skin.
Here is the bottom line. Barack Hussein Obama does not represent mainstream America. He won the election due to the racist voting pattern exhibited by African-Americans.
African-Americans have established that expressing "racial pride" by voting on the basis of skin color is 100% acceptable. Neither the "Wall Street Journal" nor the "New York Times" complained about this racist behavior. Therefore, in future elections, please feel free to express your racial pride by voting on the basis of skin color. Feel free to vote for the non-Black candidates and against the Black candidates if you are not African-American. You need not defend your actions in any way. Voting on the basis of skin color is quite acceptable by today's moral standard.
I bet Obama knew these, but was too shamed to say so...
First Answer is Shai_Halud
Second Anser is Thumper
Third Answer is Pre-Spice Mass
Say hello to my little sig.
Don't be an ass. He's a jock of the "team captain" type.
Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
He's not. A nerd never never NEVER spoken a bad word about videogames.
... and the article misquoted John Hodgeman.
The article stated:
"also the first geek President"
Sorry to split definitions but we have to agree on the definition of nerd and geek. I don't consider them quite the same. I consider TJ a nerd but not a geek.
Secondly to quote John Hodgeman directly:
"He could be the first nerd president of the modern era."
I don't consider Obama a geek, but he has many nerd qualities, so I would agree with this.
"All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"
I graduated High School in 07, and you old men make me laugh. There's not much difference between the Jocks and the Nerds anymore, now the Jocks are tools and the Nerds are just losers.
Until college no one has school pride.
Thank the 90's.
Has the old saint in his forest not yet heard of it? That God is dead?
If a 33rd degree freemason counts as a nerd, then yes.
F*CK THE NWO!
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that is all.
Obama is far from being anything resembling a nerd. Positions of power, particularly the presidencies, have been filled by people about as non-nerd as you get. The people here saying Obama is a nerd are like most of Obama supporters--projecting their own identity or hopes and dreams into them because they like the man and want him to be like them. If you've seen some of the almost spooky Obama worship going on, this will not at all surprise you.
I don't think he's a nerd, since he never worked for the Willy Wonka Candy Company, and isn't covered in sugar.
You should probably WTFV (Watch the Fucking Video.) :)
Hodgeman makes this point pretty clear... The last administration wasn't an athletic bunch, but they did have that Jock attitude.
Obama is in good shape and plays sports, but really does seem more like the nerd type.
there was a kotaku post about it. http://kotaku.com/5080161/obama-on-all-your-base-are-belong-to-us-bwah
A nerd by definition doesn't do very well socially, since their time is taken up with learning the latest technologies or sciences rather than learning the social interactions that a politician would need to survive.
Confidence is being able to do something and doing it. One can have humility and confidence. The guy in the back of the room who says "I think I can fix your server" and after much discussion, does it, is confident, but humble. The guy who walks up and says "I got your server fix right here!" but has no idea WTF he's doing, fails at it, but blames someone else is arrogant and confident (he probably really believes this). The main difference being competent.
Obama's made a career out of refusing to take a definitive position (see Iran, government run healthcare: he refuses to say he won't sign a bill without a gov't option) until all facts are in, but as a consensus evolves, he's ready to champion the consensus and try and convince or trample over any naysayers. Contrast this with Bush who took a position immediately (e.g. axis of evil) and then defend or refute it even after he's proven wrong (WMD in Iraq).
I think nerds are generally technocratic and fact-based, but are willing to champion the solution against naysayers which the experts (e.g. Bernanke (Fed Chair), Krugman (this year's Nobel Laureate in econ), Summers (Harvard pres) w.r.t economic stimulus) agree on. It's a far cry from making policy and let the experts decide the details.
-- Political fascism requires a Fuhrer.
Thomas Jefferson was a bit nerdy, true, but he was disqualified from being the first nerd president because it's a well-known fact that he ran his own fantasy football league. And we all know that fantasy football is the territory of jocks, not nerds.
It may be true that in the modern day fantasy football is the domain of jocks, but back in Jefferson's time it was the equivalent of video games or RPGs.
Knowledge != Intelligence
Here is a deep link to the part of the video where Hodgman actually starts talking about Obama being a nerd: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW7OPByRGDY#t=7m56s