# 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:** 13\ **Page:** 5
**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, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/81 "2006-03-21T15:04:02Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > 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: > > He was very careful not to say it, but he sure wanted everyone to think it. Very nimble. So maybe he’s not such a gibbering incompetent after all . . . he just wants everyone to think **that.** ---
**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 21, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/82 "2006-03-21T17:13:49Z")
Thank you, **Fear Itself** , for providing the link to the official White House transcript. I was just about to do that. **Diane did indeed get to ask a question** - the fourth of the Q&A session, which you’ll find about halfway down the webpage. She began, “I’m a Marine mom… my son signed up after 9/11…” Diane (like me) is no fan of Dubya’s. Far from it. However, she said he “captivated the audience,” seemed to think on his feet pretty well, answered questions for an hour (the City Club had only insisted on 20 minutes), and then stayed for awhile afterwards signing audience members’ souvenir programs. He did, as expected, resort to canned answers more than once. No surprise there. And while he didn’t change her mind about the Iraq war, she came away a bit more impressed than she thought she would be. He was not the blithering idiot she had half-expected (the triumph of low expectations, I suppose…?) ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/83 "2006-03-22T03:42:34Z")
> [@Elendil's Heir](#): > > Thank you, **Fear Itself** , for providing the link to the official White House transcript. I was just about to do that. > > **Diane did indeed get to ask a question** - the fourth of the Q&A session, which you’ll find about halfway down the webpage. She began, “I’m a Marine mom… my son signed up after 9/11…” > > Diane (like me) is no fan of Dubya’s. Far from it. However, she said he “captivated the audience,” seemed to think on his feet pretty well, answered questions for an hour (the City Club had only insisted on 20 minutes), and then stayed for awhile afterwards signing audience members’ souvenir programs. He did, as expected, resort to canned answers more than once. No surprise there. > > And while he didn’t change her mind about the Iraq war, she came away a bit more impressed than she thought she would be. He was not the blithering idiot she had half-expected (the triumph of low expectations, I suppose…?) That’s the mark of a good con man. You forget what they are doing because they are charming in person. I think we need to always remember that GW got us into a costly and unnecessary war that stands little chance of making the US safer. He promoted a Medicare drug program that cost double what he said it would and has been a boon to pharmaceutical makers and insurance companies but has reduced seniors’ choices according to a study reported in the _Los Angeles Times_ this morning. Environmental laws have been gutted by a refusal to enforce them. As far as I know, no prior US President has supported appointees while they made a case for torture, or for holding people without charge and without access to legal assistance. He has sanctioned the creation of a special category of prisoner, enemy combatant, who is protected by neither US law nor any treaty. He has insisted that the law requiring a warrent in order to tap US domestic phone traffic doesn’t apply to him. While the con man is being charming he also robbing you of your life savings. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/84 "2006-03-22T04:05:39Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > [President Discusses War on Terror and Operation Iraqi Freedom](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/03/20060320-7.html) The whole speech is bullshit and strawmen. I’m disgusted (again). ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/85 "2006-03-22T04:08:34Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > 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: > > He was very careful not to say it, but he sure wanted everyone to think it. Exactly. He deliberately set things up, so “the people” would draw the conclusions he wanted them to, without actually saying it outright. Re: the constant “connection” to al Queda, and the constant “connections” to WMD and mushroom clouds. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/86 "2006-03-24T01:53:49Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > And yet, somehow or other he is the first President since Reagan to win an absolute majority of the electorate. Um, I’m pretty sure that’s not true. Is it? ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/87 "2006-03-24T02:04:14Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Um, I’m pretty sure that’s not true. Is it? Actually the first time since his dad in 1988(53%). But it fails to take into account the REASON for that. In 1992 and 1996 Ross Perot won a reasonable chunk of the vote (18.9% in 1992, 8.4% in 1996). So although Clinton never won more than 50% of the vote he still won far more votes than Daddy Bush or Dole. In 2000 Bush LESS Americans voted for Bush than for Gore. And 2004 he did get a popular majority, JUST 50.7%, and his advantage over Kerry was the smallest percentage margin in history. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/88 "2006-03-24T02:08:26Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Um, I’m pretty sure that’s not true. Is it? It’s not. Bush the Elder won 53% in 1988. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/89 "2006-03-24T02:09:25Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > It’s not. Bush the Elder won 53% in 1988. How in the world did it take me four minutes to type that? ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/90 "2006-03-24T22:43:31Z")
I’d have asked him a question I’m honestly curious about: “Mr. Bush, why is it that you’ve aroused such disdain and contempt from much of the left?” I’m really interested to see if he knows how deeply he’s hated in some parts. note: I’m a liberal Democrat and no fan of the Man in the least. I’m just wondering what his answer would be: “It’s an honest diffirence of opinions”, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/91 "2006-03-24T23:14:21Z")
Heck, **Elendil’s Heir** I can answer your question right now. No, you can’t have [it](http://www.ic.sunysb.edu/Stu/swarkent/BushSauron.jpg). ---
**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:** [April 3, 2006, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/92 "2006-04-03T16:34:37Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > Heck, **Elendil’s Heir** I can answer your question right now. > > No, you can’t have [it](http://www.ic.sunysb.edu/Stu/swarkent/BushSauron.jpg). Linkee no workee. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596/93 "2006-04-05T13:05:45Z")
> [@Elendil's Heir](#): > > Linkee no workee. [Here](http://www.cowpotpie.net/bushsauron.jpg) is another. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-friend-may-be-asking-a-question-of-president-bush/348596.md?page=4)