# My friend may be asking a question of President Bush **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 16, 2006, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596 "2006-03-16T14:06:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/61 "2006-03-20T19:10:48Z")
Hey, that might’ve been Diane! I’ll give you a brief report after I talk to her. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/62 "2006-03-20T19:16:53Z")
> [@Elendil's Heir](#): > > My friend and colleague Diane will be in the audience when President Bush speaks to the City Club of Cleveland this Monday, March 20. It’s been announced that there will be a Q&A session. > > What question would you suggest she ask? One per Doper, please. > > Some guidelines. The question must be: > > - respectful (not a rant) > - short and to the point (not a speech) > - based on fact or reasonable inference > - allow the President as little “wiggle room” as possible in his answer > > I offer no guarantees that Diane will be chosen from out of the audience by the President, or that she will ask _your_ question (she doesn’t know I’m doing this yet). But I welcome your suggestions. Here are some useful guidelines: > [@](#): > > When communicating with someone who has mental retardation: > > - Use simple sentences. > - Make instructions clear and concise. > - Do not be condescending. Talk to the person as a person; talk to adults as adults, not children. > - Each person deserves the same respect as anyone else. > - Talk with the person even though she or he may not be verbal enough to respond. [http://www.seguin.org/links\_udd.htm](http://www.seguin.org/links_udd.htm) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/63 "2006-03-20T19:23:21Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > Dubya just choked on the first question following his speech today in Cleveland. A woman in the audience asked him if he shared the belief of many Christian evangelicals that terrorism in the Middle East was fulfilling Biblical prophecy for the Apocalypse. He stammered and smirked, and then launched into his standard “My job is to protect America” speech, with no further references to evangelicals or the Apocalypse. Very foolish of him not to answer that with a flat “no.” I mean, the fundies wouldn’t hold that against him – would they? ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/64 "2006-03-20T23:05:10Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > Dubya just choked on the first question following his speech today in Cleveland. A woman in the audience asked him if he shared the belief of many Christian evangelicals that terrorism in the Middle East was fulfilling Biblical prophecy for the Apocalypse. He stammered and smirked, and then launched into his standard “My job is to protect America” speech, with no further references to evangelicals or the Apocalypse. That’s… that’s _horrible._ ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/65 "2006-03-21T01:42:21Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Count me among the cynics who say the chances of your friend getting to ask George an unvetted and insightful question are right down there with Ann Coulter admitting she’s really a he. Wrong again. Imagine that. 🙂 I just saw a news story on this exact appearance by Bush and it was clearly stated that questions weren’t vetted. And I saw a few angry audience members asking some pointed questions. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/66 "2006-03-21T02:07:41Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > Mr. President, what is your estimate of the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow? Is that an African swallow, or a European swallow? ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/67 "2006-03-21T02:58:13Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Wrong again. Imagine that. 🙂 > > I just saw a news story on this exact appearance by Bush and it was clearly stated that questions weren’t vetted. And I saw a few angry audience members asking some pointed questions. And it was remarked that this was the first occasion in a loooooong time in which the questions were not pre-screened, so it really isn’t remarkable that many people assumed that this Bush speech would be like all the others. Even so, I saw one suck-up actually ask Bush “How can we help you get the message out about the progress we are making in Iraq?” What a tool. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/68 "2006-03-21T12:55:49Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > Is that an African swallow, or a European swallow? I don’t know that… …AAAAYYyyieeeee…! ---
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/69 "2006-03-21T13:09:13Z")
“Does this dress make me look fat?” ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/70 "2006-03-21T13:31:39Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > And it was remarked that this was the first occasion in a loooooong time in which the questions were not pre-screened, so it really isn’t remarkable that many people assumed that this Bush speech would be like all the others. Even so, I saw one suck-up actually ask Bush “How can we help you get the message out about the progress we are making in Iraq?” What a tool. Imagine that - even when the questions aren’t vetted, some people actually don’t attack Bush. And the fact that most of the SDMB cannot imagine this makes this whole exercise pointless. Bush faces hostile questioning constantly. The notion that all that is necessary is for some Doper to treat a press conference as a Pitting and Bush will collapse completely is pretty silly. Face it - Bush is better at this than his enemies. That’s why he won the elections. Because he is capable of communicating with the broader country, not just those inside the liberal bubble where everyone agrees. Maybe if someone wants to ask one of the typically tough and aggressive questions like have been asked in the past, you could simply say, “Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. If we would be 100th as great as you (and your wife) have been together in the White House, we would take it right now and walk away winners.” [😉](http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0411/23/cf.01.html) Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/71 "2006-03-21T13:42:24Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Bush faces hostile questioning constantly. Every day? Like, say, Blair? Unless “constant” means “perhaps once a month, with little or no mechanism whereby evasion and _non sequiturs_ can be challenged”, I cannot but disagree with your glowing commendation of Bush’s ‘skills’. His father, much as I disagreed with him politically also, could actually handle questions. The present Bush is simply _way_ out of his depth, and it beggars belief that the US electorate consider his stuttering incompetence ‘homely’, as though indulging a favoured but challenged nephew. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/72 "2006-03-21T13:49:50Z")
**Elendil’s Heir** , was your friend allowed to ask Bush a question - and if so, what was it? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/73 "2006-03-21T13:50:49Z")
We need a link to the full speech & questions. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/74 "2006-03-21T13:52:52Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Imagine that - even when the questions aren’t vetted, some people actually don’t attack Bush. I cannot imagine it. > [@](#): > > And the fact that most of the SDMB cannot imagine this makes this whole exercise pointless. Bush faces hostile questioning constantly. To the first, perhaps. To the second, bullshit. > [@](#): > > Face it - Bush is better at this than his enemies. That’s why he won the elections. Fascinating choice of words. How very Republican. Oh, regarding the link on the winky smilie – I’m not sure what to take away from that. What were the circumstances under which Rather said that, assuming it’s an accurate quote? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/75 "2006-03-21T13:57:32Z")
> [@SentientMeat](#): > > His father, much as I disagreed with him politically also, could actually handle questions. The present Bush is simply _way_ out of his depth, and it beggars belief that the US electorate consider his stuttering incompetence ‘homely’, as though indulging a favoured but challenged nephew. Right, right - he’s a gibbering incompetent. Certainly that’s an article of faith hereabouts. And yet, somehow or other he is the first President since Reagan to win an absolute majority of the electorate. And the basic problem of the Left in America is that they cannot believe that. Or, more accurately, refuse to. The notion that the White House press corps has been giving him a pass is simply ludicrous. If you believe that, you will believe anything. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/76 "2006-03-21T14:02:11Z")
Oh, I [believe it](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=283398) alright. I said it _beggars_ belief. As an Emperor, his new clothes are second to none. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/77 "2006-03-21T14:06:51Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Right, right - he’s a gibbering incompetent. Certainly that’s an article of faith hereabouts. But we wouldn’t know, would we? If you look at the vast array of quotes of Bush’s mangling of the English language, he certainly _does_ come off as a gibbering incompetent. But even those were done under controlled circumstances – to my knowledge, this is the _first_ time (though I’d guess you can dig up at least _one_ example to the contrary) since being elected that he’s taken non-vetted, unprepared for questions. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/78 "2006-03-21T14:07:40Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > We need a link to the full speech & questions. [President Discusses War on Terror and Operation Iraqi Freedom](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/03/20060320-7.html) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/79 "2006-03-21T14:23:53Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > That’s… that’s _horrible._ The question, or the answer? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/80 "2006-03-21T14:33:35Z")
In the Q&A period, I counted eleven Bush references to 9/11. One person asked a great and tough question which led to this verbal dancing: > [@](#): > > First, just if I might correct a misperception. I don’t think we ever said – at least I know I didn’t say that there was a direct connection between September the 11th and Saddam Hussein. We did say that he was a state sponsor of terror – by the way, not declared a state sponsor of terror by me, but declared by other administrations. We also did say that Zarqawi, the man who is now wreaking havoc and killing innocent life, was in Iraq. And so the state sponsor of terror was a declaration by a previous administration. But I don’t want to be argumentative, but I was very careful never to say that Saddam Hussein ordered the attacks on America. He was very careful not to say it, but he sure wanted everyone to think it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596.md?page=5)