I would argue that neither side is particularly stupid and, if anything, the intelligence of politicians is often downplayed in order to appeal to the voting public.
I've come to learn that nothing that happens in politics is straightforward and, also, that nothing happens by chance.
As much as we like to criticize people who don't share our same political opinions for being foolish or stupid, the truth is that the game of politics is all about strategy, lobbying, vested interests and backroom deals.
No-one survives in that kind of environment by being dumb; politics is a cut-throat world, and those that rise to the top and earn the right to "represent" us don't just fumble their way into power and wealth.
Take, for example, George W Bush.
He was portrayed as a buffoon in the media, ridiculed for his public gaffes and pretty much turned into a caricature.
But look what he managed to achieve: He took the US into two wars with little to no evidence (contrast that with Obama's current struggle to gain backing for a strike against Syria).
Bush stabilised oil prices through pipeline deals and control of the supply chain, and pretty much successfully completed Gulf War I and all the objectives that George Bush Sr and his republican cronies had laid out to achieve decades earlier.
But while this was all playing out, we were all on YouTube having a great time watching clips of him slipping up in diplomatic situations
It took the spotlight off shady deals with Halliburton and the various other companies he had a direct interest in...
His relationship with the Saudi regime wasn't put under any scrutiny (despite Saudi citizens masterminding the biggest terrorist attack in US history on his watch), and all the other indiscretions like his history of DUI and cocaine abuse were all swept under the rug because he was "Geroge Dubya"... Too dumb to harm a fly.
So, call me a cynic, but I think calling a politician stupid (whether republican or democrat) is pretty dangerous, because it means you lose the ability to judge them on their actions and true motives.
