# Memo to George W. Bush **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 5, 2000, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074 "2000-09-05T12:57:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/1 "2000-09-05T12:57:11Z")
Takes one to know one, you asshole. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/2 "2000-09-05T13:54:40Z")
Amen. So, was this a careless boneheaded mistake, or a subtle, meticulously-planned Republican appeal to Joe Sixpack of America, who is now expected to think “That Bush boy is one straight-talker! He’s got my vote! He really gave it to that East Coast four-eyed pantywaist New York Times intellectual\*! Called him an asshole! Hyuck hyuck hyuck!” - Jew ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/3 "2000-09-05T16:16:14Z")
Personally I thought it was pretty damn funny. I also think it’s a non-issue that too many members of the media will try to make itno a real issue. So what, so the guy called someone and asshole and someone heard him. How many times have you called a boss or a store manager or someone else an asshole behind their back… big deal, he’s human. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/4 "2000-09-05T16:20:04Z")
it’s all media hype. I personally don’t care. Just shows he’s human. I still recall the time Regan was asked to do an microphone check and his line was “we’ve just outlawed Russia, the bombings start in 5 minutes.” Media had a field day, but I loved the comment. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/5 "2000-09-05T16:29:00Z")
Clymer is a “major league asshole”? When the hell did he get promoted to the big leagues? I don’t think Clymer’s anywhere near ready for the bigs yet. He’s definitely not in the class of Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts. Is there some reason I shouldn’t move this to the Pit? ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/6 "2000-09-05T16:36:30Z")
UncleBeer: > [@](#): > > Clymer is a “major league asshole”? When the hell did he get promoted to the big leagues? Presumably he was promoted at some point during W’s ownership of the Rangers. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/7 "2000-09-05T16:52:00Z")
I notice that when asked about the comment and whether he was sorry for it, in true Clinton fashion, he “regrets that the comment made it to the air.” Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/8 "2000-09-05T17:02:54Z")
…Dubya, he puts the “a” in compassionate ---
**Author:** ![needspeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c2a13f/32.png) [@needspeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needspeed)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/9 "2000-09-05T17:09:58Z")
Dubya at [http://www.angelfire.com/indie/brainingdamage](http://www.angelfire.com/indie/brainingdamage) ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/10 "2000-09-05T17:12:00Z")
did he say this \*\* before \*\* or \*\* after \*\* his speeches promising “Straight talk”?? ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/11 "2000-09-05T17:16:05Z")
Good grief, so someone calls someone an asshole. Who among us hasn’t turned to a friend and said, “you know, so-and-so is a total asshole.” People on this very board say a lot worse. But we sure are quick to condemn it in others. Horrors! A grown man said a dirtyword! Let’s all get a case of the vapors and faint away. I’m not pleased that the comment was picked up by the mikes. Not because Bush shouldn’t have said it, but because I have a big pet peeve about casual public cursing. In this case, Bush’s apology was right on target. He’s not ashamed of voicing his opinion, but feels badly that unintended ears were privvy to it. Why the attitude that a candidate should play nice-nice all the time? I want a guy that’s not afraid to kick some ass! Get out there and speak your mind! Phooey on all this “I won’t go negative” crap. Any candidate that is afraid to get down and dirty is a wuss. ---
**Author:** ![KimKatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@KimKatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KimKatt)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/12 "2000-09-05T17:25:09Z")
I find it far more interesting that in his apology, he referred to his running mate as “Vice President Cheney.” Jumping the gun there just a bit, huh? ---
**Author:** ![SouthernStyle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@SouthernStyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SouthernStyle)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/13 "2000-09-05T19:32:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KimKatt \* > \*\*I find it far more interesting that in his apology, he referred to his running mate as “Vice President Cheney.” > > Jumping the gun there just a bit, huh? \*\* I hope not. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FreakFreely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@FreakFreely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FreakFreely)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/14 "2000-09-05T20:16:50Z")
Personally, I don’t think anyone should make a big deal out of the fact that he called someone an asshole. I think we should rejoice in the fact that he just made a big idiot out of himself. I mean, c’mon, how many times have we seen this in the movies? Y’know, the one where the jackass-public-figure doesn’t realize he’s talking into the microphone? I think we should rename him Dan W. Quayle Jr., or, “Dan Quayle II: Return Of The Bush” ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/15 "2000-09-05T20:45:31Z")
> [@](#): > > I think we should rename him Dan W. Quayle Jr., or, “Dan Quayle II: Return Of The Bush” Uh huh. As we all know, only pearls issue from the snackhole of Al “A zebra doesn’t change his spots” Gore. Whatever. ---
**Author:** ![FreakFreely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@FreakFreely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FreakFreely)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/16 "2000-09-05T20:58:11Z")
Well, to tell the truth, I don’t think Dubya is an idiot. But I think it’s pretty obvious that Al is quite a bit smarter. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/17 "2000-09-05T20:59:47Z")
C’mon, Unc…you should know by now that any missteps made by the candidate _I_ support are the result of dirty tricks by blackguards in the media, working in tandem with the labor unions/NRA/Pope/Trilateral Commission, whereas the candidate _you_ support is merely a blithering ninny. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/18 "2000-09-05T21:54:22Z")
Damnitalltohell. I forgot that again, Uke. I’ve got a great idea though. How about if we go back to the founding father’s intentions and let the electoral college select our president? It’d certainly put end to these boring campaigns. And while were at it, we can go back to letting the state legislatures appoint their senators. All I gotta worry about then is my own representative. In conjunction with this—and we’ll need a couple new constitutional amemdments, but so what—we get the federal government out of the pork barrel subsidy business. Give responsibility for all that shit back to the individual states. Let them fight it out over what kind of benefits/burdens they want to enact for/on their citizens. This would force states compete directly for residents through a balanced package of benefits and taxes. I also propose we outlaw campaign contributions to any candidate you can’t actually vote for. This includes banning donations from corporations, PACS, and out-of-state U.S. citizens. All the feds have left is interstate commerce, common defense, issuing currency and international relations. Hey, doesn’t it already say these are the powers of the federal government in the constitution? ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/19 "2000-09-05T21:55:49Z")
> [@](#): > > But I think it’s pretty obvious that Al is quite a bit smarter. How is it obvious? Because he doesn’t screw up analogies in his public speeches? Anybody that would make out with Tipper in public can’t be that bright. ---
**Author:** ![jcgmoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@jcgmoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jcgmoi)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/20 "2000-09-05T22:09:43Z")
**SPOOFE** said: > [@](#): > > How is it obvious? Because [Gore] doesn’t screw up analogies in his public speeches? Well, that’s one. Knows the difference between billions and trillions too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074.md?page=2)