Turbo Dog,
I think you’re missing the point rather badly. I don’t believe that anyone here, least of all me, is pinning their hopes and dreams on Bush’s oratory ability. If it seems as if I’m harping on this more than I should given the situation, I assure that it is only becuase this is a thread about his speech. Why do you not want us to discuss his speech? For whatever it’s worth – it may be very important or not important at all – I believe that Bush’s speech was a faliure, and I have endeavored to point out why. I also believe that there is at least some significance to this failure and, again, have tried to point out why. Your beef, if you have one, is with the OP.
The point has been made that it was obviously a very difficult speech to make given the circumstances. I sympathize completely, but I don’t think the quality of the speech had to do with the pressure Bush was under. All of his speeches are like that.
Rolleyes if you want, but this was not a man choking up a bit during a rousing speech. No, for a moment it seemed like the president was coming unglued. Not at all reassuring.
Well, maybe not reassuring to you, but don’t speak for the rest of us.
I thought it was a genuine moment. I see nothing wrong with a bit of welling up. It was human. He showed heart. And welling up for a moment isn’t the same as being “unglued”. That’s absurd. I’ve seen people all day on the news get choked up for a moment. None of them were “unglued” because of it. None of them turned into uncontrolled, blubbering basket cases. They just had a moment, and then went back to reporting the news, or whatever. What’s the big deal?
And damn - what better and more fitting time to get a little choked up? I could still see Bush’s resolve. It would seem a little odd (at least to me) if he didn’t show at least one emotional moment over this.
He gives a speech on Tuesday night in which he is calm and measured, and he gets trashed for being unemotional and robotic.
He gives a press conference on Thursday where he tears up a bit, shows emotion, and he gets trashed for “coming unglued.”
I think his speeches have been very good. Jingoistic rhetoric would only exacerbate the problems we’re already seeing with bad treatment of Arab US residents. It would also make the general populace more inclined toward demanding quick, probably violent action; given that Bush seems to be trying to resolve this in a careful, step-by-step fashion, this would not be a good thing.
I have expected and wanted a firebrand speech from the President, a pull-their-balls-off-with-my-bare-hands kind of declaration. It wouldn’t even have to be obvious - just a certain look in his eyes, which isn’t there.
However I do have some confidence in his Cabinet and the rest of the government, so I’m not particularly worried. However, as much as I would like to cry unity at this time, he didn’t seem angry enough, and nothing he said chimed with my feelings, save for the ‘we’ll-treat-harboring-countries-the-same-as-terrorists’ bit. Yes, more of that.
Earlier today, President Bush briefly addressed the firefighters and police from atop the rubble where the WTC once stood.
I thought it was the best I’ve seen him. Ever. For once, he sounded like an actual human being while talking, instead of a recording someone speaking very carefully.
I’ve always thought that George W. Bush always looked a bit like a stunned bunny when addressing a crowd or the television cameras. Going back to the election, I noted how he was only a notch better than Gore, but only a notch.