Kerrys grades actually worse at Yale than Ws

[Lyion]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washi ... nt?mode=PF

Yale grades portray Kerry as a lackluster student

WASHINGTON -- During last year's presidential campaign, John F. Kerry was the candidate often portrayed as intellectual and complex, while George W. Bush was the populist who mangled his sentences.

But newly released records show that Bush and Kerry had a virtually identical grade average at Yale University four decades ago.

In 1999, The New Yorker published a transcript indicating that Bush had received a cumulative score of 77 for his first three years at Yale and a roughly similar average under a non-numerical rating system during his senior year.

Kerry, who graduated two years before Bush, got a cumulative 76 for his four years, according to a transcript that Kerry sent to the Navy when he was applying for officer training school. He received four D's in his freshman year out of 10 courses, but improved his average in later years.

The grade transcript, which Kerry has always declined to release, was included in his Navy record. During the campaign the Globe sought Kerry's naval records, but he refused to waive privacy restrictions for the full file. Late last month, Kerry gave the Navy permission to send the documents to the Globe.

Kerry appeared to be responding to critics who suspected that there might be damaging information in the file about his activities in Vietnam. The military and medical records, however, appear identical to what Kerry has already released. This marks the first time Kerry's grades have been publicly reported.

The transcript shows that Kerry's freshman-year average was 71. He scored a 61 in geology, a 63 and 68 in two history classes, and a 69 in political science. His top score was a 79, in another political science course. Another of his strongest efforts, a 77, came in French class.

Under Yale's grading system in effect at the time, grades between 90 and 100 equaled an A, 80-89 a B, 70-79 a C, 60 to 69 a D, and anything below that was a failing grade. In addition to Kerry's four D's in his freshman year, he received one D in his sophomore year. He did not fail any courses.

''I always told my Dad that D stood for distinction," Kerry said yesterday in a written response to questions, noting that he has previously acknowledged that he spent a lot of time learning to fly instead of focusing on his studies.

Kerry's weak grades came despite years of education at some of the world's most elite prep schools, ranging from Fessenden School in Massachusetts to St. Paul's School in New Hampshire.

It is noteworthy, however, that Kerry received a high honor at Yale despite his mediocre grades: He was chosen to deliver his senior class oration, a testament to his reputation as a public speaker. He delivered a speech questioning the wisdom of the Vietnam War, in which he would soon see combat.

Kerry gradually improved his grades, averaging 81 in his senior year. His highest single grade was an 89, for a political science class in his senior year. Despite his slow start, he went on to be a top student at Naval Candidate School, command a patrol boat in Vietnam, graduate from law school, and become a prosecutor, lieutenant governor, US senator, and presidential candidate.

In his Navy application, Kerry made clear that he spent much of his college time on extracurricular activities, including the Yale Political Union, the Debating Association, soccer, hockey, fencing, and membership in the elite Skull and Bones Society. Asked to describe nonschool training that qualified him for the Navy, Kerry wrote: ''A great deal of sailing -- ocean and otherwise, including some navigation. Scuba diving. Rifle. Beginning of life saving." He said his special interests were ''filming," writing, and politics, noting that the latter subject occupied 15 hours per week.

Gaddis Smith, a retired Yale history professor who taught both Kerry and Bush, said in a telephone interview that he vividly remembers Kerry as a student during the 1964-1965 school year, when Kerry would have been a junior. However, Smith said he doesn't have a specific memory about Bush.

Based on what Smith recalls teaching that year, Kerry scored a 71 and 79 in two of Smith's courses. When Smith was told those scores, he responded: ''Uh, oh. I thought he was good student. Those aren't very good grades." To put the grades in perspective, Smith said that he had a well-earned reputation for being tough, and noted that such grades would probably be about 10 points higher in a similar class today because of the impact of what he called ''grade inflation."

Bush went to Yale from 1964 to 1968; his highest grades were 88s in anthropology, history, and philosophy, according to The New Yorker article. He received one D in his four years, a 69 in astronomy. Bush has said he was a C student.

[Lyion]

Sheesh, look at the pic they ran for Kerry..



Outside of the Unibrow, W looks like a bit less dorkish

[Narrock]

And he's uglier than W, and his wife is uglier than W's, and his daughters are uglier than W's.

lol

[Yamori]

And he's uglier than W, and his wife is uglier than W's, and his daughters are uglier than W's.

lol

Kerry's daughters were better looking... And much, MUCH smarter.

[Lyion]

Kerrys Daughters were 10+ years older. Both pairs are decent looking. Both seem relatively smart.

For a truly ugly child, just take a glance at Chelsea. Poor girl.

[kaharthemad]

If I had a dog as ugly as Chelsea I would shave it's ass and walk it backwards.

[Wrath Child]

And he's uglier than W, and his wife is uglier than W's, and his daughters are uglier than W's.

lol

Kerry's daughters were better looking... And much, MUCH smarter.

vs



I see what you mean....

[Lyion]

I think you are confusing smart with skank.

[Narrock]

And he's uglier than W, and his wife is uglier than W's, and his daughters are uglier than W's.

lol

Kerry's daughters were better looking... And much, MUCH smarter.

OMFG HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA



The Bush family definitely takes the win for smarts and looks.

[Tossica]

They are all ugly.

[Captain Insano]

If I had a dog as ugly as Chelsea I would shave it's ass and walk it backwards.

bwahaha!


Chelsea=

[Captain Insano]

And he's uglier than W, and his wife is uglier than W's, and his daughters are uglier than W's.

lol

Kerry's daughters were better looking... And much, MUCH smarter.

vs



I see what you mean....

hmm.... bush's daughter on the left I would definitely slang my cock across her dental work.

The other two bitches can get lost.

[Darcler]

See? Every picture of Laura is cracked out...

[Tossica]

She is so coked up she can hardly stay in her skin.

[Narrock]

I can't decide whether Kerry's daughter is a manface or a horseface. It's kind of a combo of both.

[Jennay]

total manface.

[Ginzburgh]

It's John Kerri's head placed on top of a hot body. Disturbing to say the least.

[Azlana]

Chelsea Clinton had the misfortune of going through puberty in the public eye. She doesn't look quite so horrible these days.

[Lyion]

I'll disagree. Even dolled up she is not at all attractive.

[Ginzburgh]

All e-standards aside, she's not THAT bad looking. She is probably pretty smart too. That's just a guess though.

And come on...who wouldn't want Wild Bill as a father in law.

[Azlana]

That's still not a really current photo. She has straight hair now, and it looks a lot better.

[Lyion]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. She's not an attractive woman to me, even in recent photos. and all these are with a lot of makeup and cosmetics.

Maybe she'll become more attractive with age.

[The Kizzy]

OH COME ON!!! If she showed up at your door ready to go, you ould do her!!! All you internet guys are the same.


*sarcasm off*

[The Kizzy]

In all seriousness, wasn't there a picture at one time of Chelsea as a young girl and Gore's daughters were mocing her behind her back? I felt so bad for her.

[Ironfang]

Kerry's wife is far more attractive than W's, after all she has the Heinz fortune behind her....