# 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:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**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, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/21 "2000-09-05T23:43:47Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, that’s one. Knows the difference between billions and trillions too. So Al Gore’s smarter because he can talk better? Okay, how’s this… who’s smarter, Jim Carrey or Stephen Hawking? Hawking can’t talk at all, so he _must_ be a complete idiot, right? ---
**Author:** ![Whammo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/22 "2000-09-06T00:15:22Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by SPOOFE Bo Diddly \* \*\* > [@](#): > > Hawking can’t talk at all, so he _must_ be a complete idiot, right? \*\* He can communicate though… thats the point, if you can’t communicate what you are thinking effectivly what good does it do you? Communication. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/23 "2000-09-06T01:57:27Z")
I find of at least equal interest the way various media outlets choose to tell the story…see below [http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000905/pl/campaign\_remark\_dc\_2.html](http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000905/pl/campaign_remark_dc_2.html) ---
**Author:** ![jcgmoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@jcgmoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jcgmoi)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/24 "2000-09-06T02:17:23Z")
Actually, by US standards, Hawking probably does not understand _billions_ either, being a Brit and all. So for Professor Hawking and Governor Bush here’s a crib. Professor: In the US, a _billion_ is 10[sup]9[/sup], despite the best British efforts to make it 10[sup]12[/sup]. Governor: Think of it like this. State debts are made of _billions_, national debts are made of _trillions_ . For reference, _millions_ are what Poppy’s friends gave you. Now they’re your friends too. ---
**Author:** ![jubei2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@jubei2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jubei2k)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/25 "2000-09-06T02:28:17Z")
Screw Bush. He’s the one who wants to “bring civility back to politics” and all this other horseshit. I’ve got no problem with him calling someone an asshole, but don’t try to act like you’re above the fray. He’s a hypocrite. ---
**Author:** ![FreakFreely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@FreakFreely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FreakFreely)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/26 "2000-09-06T13:37:59Z")
C’mon, is there really any doubt which one is smarter? Al Gore wrote a book. Dubya probably couldn’t even **read** a book. 'Nuff said. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/27 "2000-09-06T15:59:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FreakFreely \* > \*\*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. \*\* I’m not so sure of that, her’es a comment from Gore’s address in Seattle last week: “If I am simultaneously criticized for being a populist and attacking big oil, big pharmaceutical companies, big insurance companies, big tobacco companies and HMOs (health maintenance organizations) and at the same time I’m attacked for not attacking them, maybe I’m doing something right,” Um… WHAT??? ---
**Author:** ![tradesilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tradesilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tradesilicon)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/28 "2000-09-06T16:08:41Z")
This is truly fun, a debate about Al Gore and George Bush, and who is smarter? Al Gore wrote a book? He probably sorry that thing ever saw the light of day - the drivel in that book can cover the world twice over - but of course anyone who is in favor of ‘doing away with all cars’ would point to it as an accomplishment. C’mon Freak, any other signs of life you can point to in old Al? I’m not sure what George Bush would bring to the office, but Al Gore, Jr. is a sure bet to add nothing, and maybe take away a bit of sanity - he is just a loon! George Bush called a reporter an asshole? Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Lyndon Johnson, John Kennedy have all done much worse. Who cares, let’s see what they’ll do for any of us. Oh, since Al invented the internet (while he was pickin’ tobacco [and ‘hoeing’ it too] right before he got all that money from the big oil companies and right after he moved his huge stock holdings to his oversees account and right before he hugged the redwood tree), can he help with the latest memory bug on the Intel platform? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/29 "2000-09-06T16:24:57Z")
**UncleBeer** : You want the Federal government to restrict themselves to what’s in the _Constitution_? Why, why, that’s downright UnAmerican! **BurnMeUp** : I had no trouble parsing that quote from Gore. **Personal to GWB** : All mics are hot unless you are specifically told otherwise. And even then they probably are. ---
**Author:** ![FreakFreely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@FreakFreely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FreakFreely)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/30 "2000-09-06T16:41:39Z")
Sure, you can make fun of the fact that Al makes claims to his achievements and hasn’t actually done much. But Dubya is constantly toting Texas (possibly the most fucked up state in this country) as a good example of his success even though he hasn’t done **anything**. In the Texan constitution the governer is given virtually no power whatsoever, to the point of being virtually nil. And that’s the only position he’s ever held. So far as I’ve seen, Dubya hasn’t succeeded in anything that his name didn’t give him on a platter. > [@](#): > > He probably sorry that thing ever saw the light of day - the drivel in that book can cover the world twice over - but of course anyone who is in favor of ‘doing away with all cars’ would point to it as an accomplishment. I’m not sure I see your logic here. It’s kinda like saying “My shoelaces are frayed. But I suppose that, since you’re pro-choice, you probably see that as a good thing” Besides, I have to disagree, I think he had a lot of valid points. Now, I may not agree with him whole-heartedly, but it’s obvious (at least, to me) that he’s got some brains. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/31 "2000-09-06T16:54:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pldennison \* > \*\ ***UncleBeer** : You want the Federal government to restrict themselves to what’s in the _Constitution_? Why, why, that’s downright UnAmerican! > > **BurnMeUp** : I had no trouble parsing that quote from Gore. > > **Personal to GWB** : All mics are hot unless you are specifically told otherwise. And even then they probably are. \*\* I’m not saying there is trouble parsing it but the message is “If i am disliked for attacking big companies, while at the same time I am disliked for not attacking these same companies i am doing something right by confusing people” ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/32 "2000-09-06T17:10:18Z")
**BurnMeUp** : I took it more as Al saying, in his stiff, mannered, robotic way, “Look at me–I’m pissing off everyone! I’m making waves! I’m a rebel!!” As if. One of my favorite Al Gore digs was from “The Simpsons,” when Lisa bought a copy of “Earth in the Balance”: Officer: Mr. Vice President! Someone finally bought a copy of your book, sir. Al Gore: Well, this calls for a celebration. _[puts on a Kool ‘n’ the Gang record: “Celebrate good times…”]_ I will. _[continues to sit stiffly at desk]_ ---
**Author:** ![FreakFreely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@FreakFreely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FreakFreely)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/33 "2000-09-06T17:32:46Z")
Or it could be that Al was making a joke. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/34 "2000-09-06T17:48:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FreakFreely \* > \*\*Or it could be that Al was making a joke. \*\* Actually from the context of the speech he was using it as an example of what’s going right about his campaign and why he will win. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074/35 "2000-09-06T18:19:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jcgmoi \* > \*\*Actually, by US standards, Hawking probably does not understand _billions_ either, being a Brit and all. So for Professor Hawking and Governor Bush here’s a crib. > > Professor: In the US, a _billion_ is 10[sup]9[/sup], despite the best British efforts to make it 10[sup]12[/sup]. > > \*\* [hijack] Most British media outlets have now thrown in the towel and refer to 10[sup]9[/sup] as a billion. [/hijack] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memo-to-george-w-bush/32074.md?page=1)