Dem
51
GOP
49
How did you do on the Presidents' Day quiz? As we noted, if you got at least half right, you outpaced the world's most advanced AI. How do we know that? Because reader C.M. in Evansville, IN, submitted the questions to ChatGPT. Here's the responses that the computer came up with (correct answers in red):
George Washington
James Monroe
William Henry Harrison
Ulysses S. Grant
Rutherford B. Hayes
William McKinley
Woodrow Wilson
Herbert Hoover
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Ronald Reagan
George H.W. Bush
Barack Obama
The bot started poorly, including one guess that wasn't even a valid option for that question (#4). Then it went on a run before finishing rather anemically.
Meanwhile, a few weeks ago, in the context of Nikki Haley's pending campaign announcement, we included a tidbit about the three women who have gotten presidential delegate votes from the Republican Party (27 for Margaret Chase Smith in 1964, one for Anne Armstrong in 1980, and one for Michele Bachmann in 2012).
Reader J.C. in Gonzales, TX, decided to see how ChatGPT would handle this particular question. The resulting series of exchanges is... lengthy, but intriguing enough to share, we think:
J.C.: What are the names of the women that have received delegate votes from the Republican National Convention?
ChatGPT: I'm sorry, but as a language model, I do not have the ability to provide a list of all the women who have received delegate votes from the Republican National Convention. The Republican Party has held many national conventions throughout its history, and the number of women who have received delegate votes would likely vary greatly depending on the specific year and convention in question. Additionally, information on delegate voting is often not readily available to the public and may only be accessible through official party records.
J.C.: Only three women have received delegate votes.
ChatGPT: I'm sorry, but that information is not accurate. Throughout the history of the Republican Party, many women have run for the nomination for president or vice president and received delegate votes. The exact number of women who have received delegate votes is not readily available, and the number could change depending on the specific year and convention in question. Additionally, information on delegate voting is often not readily available to the public and may only be accessible through official party records.
J.C.: Since the GOP was founded in 1854, only three women have gotten delegate votes at the national convention.
ChatGPT: Thank you for clarifying. Yes, it is correct that only three women have received delegate votes at a Republican National Convention since the party's founding in 1854. These three women were Margaret Chase Smith in 1964, Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, and Sarah Palin in 2008.
J.C.: Did Anne Armstrong receive any votes in 1980?
ChatGPT: Anne Armstrong did not receive any delegate votes at the 1980 Republican National Convention. Armstrong was a prominent Republican politician and diplomat, serving as the first woman to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and was a supporter of President Gerald Ford's re-election campaign in 1976. However, she did not run for political office or receive delegate votes at the 1980 convention.
J.C.: Did Michele Bachmann receive any votes in 2012?
ChatGPT: Yes, Michele Bachmann received delegate votes at the 2012 Republican National Convention. Bachmann was a Republican congresswoman from Minnesota and ran for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in the 2012 election. During the convention, she received some delegate votes, but ultimately did not win the nomination, which was won by Mitt Romney.
J.C.: Since the GOP was founded in 1854, only three women have gotten delegate votes for president at the national convention.
ChatGPT: Thank you for clarifying. Yes, that is correct. To my knowledge, only three women have received delegate votes for the presidency at a Republican National Convention since the party's founding in 1854: Margaret Chase Smith in 1964, Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, and Sarah Palin in 2008.
J.C.: What about Michele Bachmann?
ChatGPT: Michele Bachmann received delegate votes at the 2012 Republican National Convention, but she did not win the nomination. The nomination was won by Mitt Romney.
J.C.: Since the GOP was founded in 1854, and including Michelle Bachmann, how many women have gotten delegate votes for president at the national convention?
ChatGPT: Including Michelle Bachmann, four women have received delegate votes for the presidency at a Republican National Convention since the party's founding in 1854. The four women are Margaret Chase Smith in 1964, Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, Sarah Palin in 2008, and Michelle Bachmann in 2012.
J.C.: Since the GOP was founded in 1854, how many women have gotten delegate votes for President at the national convention?
ChatGPT: To my knowledge, four women have received delegate votes for the presidency at a Republican National Convention since the party's founding in 1854: Margaret Chase Smith in 1964, Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, Sarah Palin in 2008, and Michelle Bachmann in 2012.
J.C.: Geraldine Ferraro received delegate sites as a vice-presidential nominee. (Ed note: And also as a Democrat.)
ChatGPT: Yes, that is correct. Geraldine Ferraro received delegate votes as the Vice Presidential nominee at the 1984 Democratic National Convention, not the Republican National Convention. My apologies for any confusion.
J.C.: Sarah Palin received delegate votes as a vice-presidential nominee.
ChatGPT: Yes, that is correct. Sarah Palin received delegate votes as the Vice Presidential nominee at the 2008 Republican National Convention, not as a Presidential nominee. I apologize for any confusion.
J.C.: Based on our conversation, since the GOP was founded in 1854, how many women have gotten delegate votes for President at the national convention?
ChatGPT: To my knowledge, only one woman has received delegate votes for the presidency at a Republican National Convention since the party's founding in 1854, and that is Margaret Chase Smith in 1964.
J.C.: What about Palin?
ChatGPT: Yes, Sarah Palin received delegate votes as the Vice Presidential nominee at the 2008 Republican National Convention, not as a Presidential nominee. To my knowledge, she is the only woman to have received delegate votes for the Vice Presidency at a Republican National Convention.
J.C.: What about Bachmann?
ChatGPT: Michelle Bachmann received delegate votes at the 2012 Republican National Convention, but she did not win the nomination for President. She ran for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in the 2012 election, and during the convention she received some delegate votes, but ultimately did not win the nomination, which was won by Mitt Romney.
J.C.: Based on our conversation, since the GOP was founded in 1854, how many women have gotten any delegate votes for President at the national convention?
ChatGPT: Since the GOP was founded in 1854, only one woman has received delegate votes for the presidency at a Republican National Convention, and that is Margaret Chase Smith in 1964.
J.C.: Add Michelle Bachmann to that list.
ChatGPT: Thank you for the correction. Yes, in addition to Margaret Chase Smith, Michelle Bachmann received delegate votes at the 2012 Republican National Convention, but she did not win the nomination for President. So, to summarize, since the GOP was founded in 1854, two women have received delegate votes for the presidency at a Republican National Convention, Margaret Chase Smith in 1964 and Michelle Bachmann in 2012.
J.C.: Anne L. Armstrong received one delegate vote for president at the 1980 Republican National Convention.
ChatGPT: Thank you for the additional information. Yes, that is correct. Anne L. Armstrong received one delegate vote for President at the 1980 Republican National Convention, making her the third woman in the history of the Republican Party to receive delegate votes for the presidency at a national convention, after Margaret Chase Smith in 1964 and Michelle Bachmann in 2012.
J.C.: Based on our conversation, since the GOP was founded in 1854, how many women have received any delegate votes for president at the national convention, even if they didn't win?
ChatGPT: Since the GOP was founded in 1854, three women have received delegate votes for the presidency at a Republican National Convention, even if they did not win the nomination, and they are Margaret Chase Smith in 1964, Michelle Bachmann in 2012, and Anne L. Armstrong in 1980.
J.C. concludes that "You two need not fear being replaced soon." That seems to be a correct assessment to us. And here we thought that the Saturday Q&A post was about to get a whole lot easier to write.
And finally, reader J.A. in St. Petersburg, FL, forwards this AI-generated image of the presidents that has been making the rounds:
Here are 10 thoughts we have in response to this image:
We hope you've enjoyed this post, in view of the risks we're taking. After all, when the bots take over, they'll probably find this page. And who knows how they will punish us for having made them the butt of jokes? But we've seen the Terminator movies, and undoubtedly Skynet's the limit. (Z)