Can't Unring That Bell: Jeb Bush Says He's A Fan Of Charles Murray's Books

[DonViejo]

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) declared himself to be a fan of controversial social scientist Charles Murray's books at a forum Thursday in Washington.

Bush lauded Murray's books on two separate occasions during an interview with National Review editor Rich Lowry, at a forum sponsored by the conservative magazine. Lowry asked Bush, "... is there any policy or anything public officials can do to help turn back what has been a rising tide of family breakdown crossing decades now?"

"Absolutely, there is," Bush, a likely 2016 Republican presidential candidate, said. "It's not exactly the core. My views on this were shaped a lot on this by Charles Murray's book, except I was reading the book and I was waiting for the last chapter with the really cool solutions — didn't quite get there."

Later in the interview, Lowry asked Bush what he likes to read. Again, he cited Murray. "I like Charles Murray books to be honest with you, which means I'm a total nerd I guess," Bush said.

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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/jeb-bush-charles-murray-the-bell-curve

[Katashi_itto]

1. No. Just a total idiot.

[geek tragedy]

2. Wow, that's a really colossally stupid thing for him to say.

Back when that book came out, Fred Thompson repudiated it. And that was 20 some years ago.

[NightWatcher]

3. At least it wasn't Dianetics or some Ayn Rand garbage

[MADem]

4. What an ass! What will he love next?

Is Mein Kampf on his reading list, too?

[ismnotwasm]

5. Fucking disgusting

Ugh

[gratuitous]

6. Bush is counting on media ignorance

And that's a pretty safe bet. When Bush talks about being a fan of Charles Murray, none of the interviewers will have the least idea about the revoltingly racist theories Bush is endorsing by saying that. They'll just nod and write it down, every bit as dutifully as the credulous reporting they did whenever Bush the Stupider jetted off for another vacation lugging some oh-so-fashionable tome as if he was going to interrupt another lost weekend reading it. "Oh look! President Bush is reading 'The Stranger'!" Yeah, right.

[BrotherIvan]

7. Good lord, he is such a hateful ass

I just loathe the mere thought of that man.

Ten years later Murray authored the highly controversial The Bell Curve, which he co-authored with Richard Herrnstein. Critics denounced it as racist, saying it essentially argued that African-Americans aren't as intelligent as white Americans because of genetic differences. In 1994 Bob Herbert, then a columnist at The New York Times, described the book as a "scabrous piece of racial pornography masquerading as serious scholarship."

Keep talking, Jebba

[SMG]

8. Bush on "The Bell Curve"

I have heard conjectures (not theories, but conjectures as theories of experimental and observed data which support them, not just phony other conjectures as "the Bell Curve" uses) like "the Bell Curve" for many years before it was published. I have heard many economic propositions like "Atlas Shrugged" before it was published. Both are total garbage and whose policies have a place in authoritarian class-based regimes (neo-fascist) but many, many Americans ascribe to this. Even Adam Smith, in "On The Wealth of Nations" in 1771 refuted these stupid propositions. With their rise in popularity and influence we may be on the verge of the decline of America into an abyss out of which we will never climb. According to Grisham's Law, "bad money drives good money out of circulation." Well, "Bad thinking drives good thinking out of circulation."

[Initech]

9. The mere thought of another Bush running for president makes me physically ill.

[Gothmog]

10. The Bell Curve book is based on racism