Dumb Ignorant Evil Geniuses

Much of the world, and virtually all of the American left, thinks Bush voters are fools. Novelist Jane Smiley titles a recent diatribe: "Why Americans Hate Democrats—A Dialogue: The unteachable ignorance of the red states."

Hmm. A "dialogue" that begins by defining one of the participating groups as unteachably ignorant. I guess Jane missed the class on irony when she was in novelist school.

What really puzzles me is how the blue staters can believe that red staters are ignorant Gomers while simultaneously lamenting their domination of the nation's intellectual debate through conservative and libertarian think-tanks, and bemoaning the preternatural prestidigitations of dark lord Karl Rove.

Do they think red staters are idiot savants who are brain dead when it comes to choosing presidents but who have somehow come out on top in our country's intellectual discourse and political machinations?

Here is a question on which to stew: If you averaged the IQs and SAT scores of Bush and Kerry voters nationwide. Which group do you think would come out on top?

To ensure the results are representative, let's say we throw out each party's super-human genius. I guess that would be Karl Rove for the Bushies, and for Democrats it would of course be... umm... er...

UPDATE (10:33am PT):
I just saw Q and O's take on the Smiley article. If you want to read a full-scale fisking, I highly recommend it. Here's a taste:

You see, it has to be said. The real problem is not that the Democratic Party’s offerings are unpalatable to a majority of the citizens. The real problem is that majority of citizens, with their sloping foreheads and heavy brow ridges, don’t grasp the scintillating brilliance of progressivism. No, instead, they sit around their caves, banging two rocks together in a futile attempt to make fire, while muttering, "Grog not see how giving Grog’s money to government helps Grog. Grog not understand why Grog must do things to make France happy."

(Update posted by Deus ex Macrame)