Maher has talent.
His show didn't suck.
He was oftentimes funny.
But he didn't exude intelligence.
Not because I often disagreed with his views. Because his "facts" were mostly rehearsed.
I don't know the guy. He may be a Rhode Scholar. But to suggest that he is intelligent simply because you agree with him is as insane as your claim to the contrary.
I like Rush Limbaugh. He's entertaining. He's Informative. But you'll not likely hear me referring to him as "smart". Why? Because his IQ need not come into play in that line of work. Not entirely at least.
These show-biz types have all their facts pre-administered before they take the stage.
Perhaps there is some middle ground here: Let's just say that Bill Maher is every bit as intelligent as Dennis Miller...