Who are smarter, liberals or conservatives?

Jason Richwine over at The American recently wrote an interesting article on whether liberals or conservatives are smarter.

It’s interesting, not because of what’s in it, but because of what’s not in it. Bear in mind as you read the article that The American is published by the conservative think tank, The American Enterprise Institute. Although Richwine takes the position ultimately that IQ is not a good measure of how we think about issues, and he writes in what appears to be an objective look at the subject matter, in truth he’s playing the game that ultimately both political parties have been playing for God only knows how long.

It’s all very well to blame the liberal media for thinking that conservatives are stupid, and that is a real phenomenon perpetrated by many personalities. But conservatives by contrast also play up the notion of intellectual elitism of liberals in order to harness their own “us vs them” paradigm. It’s seen as a plus to be as intellectually deficient as possible, therefore making that person somehow more “real.”

People with brains are so clever that they’re up to something, so don’t trust them. We need to stick together.

Conversely, liberals play up the notion that you are as smart as the smartest person in the room. That only smart people vote Democrat. Prove how smart you are! We smart folks can save the world.

Hence millions of people voting against their own interests. Celebrities voting for Democrats who will raise their taxes, because they get to feel good about saving the world. And the poor voting for Republicans who promise to lower taxes, but it turns out, only for the very rich, but don’t worry, somehow it will magically trickle down to you some day, in a way that’s not defined but didn’t we show them!

What’s the answer? How the hell should I know? I’m just rambling.