# We're supposed to applaud after the kids finsh their presidential addresses, right? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 27, 2000, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-supposed-to-applaud-after-the-kids-finsh-their-presidential-addresses-right/42834 "2000-11-27T05:37:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-supposed-to-applaud-after-the-kids-finsh-their-presidential-addresses-right/42834/1 "2000-11-27T05:37:12Z")
No comment. [sub]deer in the headlights!!![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![tiggeril](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tiggeril/32/7234_2.png) [@tiggeril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiggeril)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-supposed-to-applaud-after-the-kids-finsh-their-presidential-addresses-right/42834/2 "2000-11-27T05:38:53Z")
šŸ˜• ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-supposed-to-applaud-after-the-kids-finsh-their-presidential-addresses-right/42834/3 "2000-11-27T05:44:44Z")
Bush just gave his acceptance speech. Iā€™ve seen seven year olds who looked more at ease on stage. ---
**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-supposed-to-applaud-after-the-kids-finsh-their-presidential-addresses-right/42834/4 "2000-11-27T06:29:45Z")
Did anyone else walk away from that wanting to pat him on the head and give the guy a lollipop? ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-supposed-to-applaud-after-the-kids-finsh-their-presidential-addresses-right/42834/5 "2000-11-27T06:45:20Z")
Well, I can think of other things he can suck onā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-supposed-to-applaud-after-the-kids-finsh-their-presidential-addresses-right/42834/6 "2000-11-27T07:36:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Iā€™ve seen seven year olds who looked more at ease on stage And Iā€™ve seen 80-year olds who looked less at ease on stage. So you judge a person entirely on how they handle the pressure of speaking before a huge audience, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Flymaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c4cdca/32.png) [@Flymaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flymaster)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-supposed-to-applaud-after-the-kids-finsh-their-presidential-addresses-right/42834/7 "2000-11-27T07:40:13Z")
> [@](#): > > So you judge a person entirely on how they handle the pressure of speaking before a huge audience, huh? \*\* I wouldnā€™t dare judge a PERSON by this, but I would judge their ability to be persuasive, eloquent, and, yes, intimidating as the leader of the free world. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-supposed-to-applaud-after-the-kids-finsh-their-presidential-addresses-right/42834/8 "2000-11-27T07:45:56Z")
I think the people of Texas would consider their governor to be adequate in speaking in public, being relatively eloquent, and capable of persuading people. I am sure Bush has been coached by his ā€œspin meistersā€ to not be ā€œtoo much thisā€ or ā€œtoo much thatā€. Today was a delicate situation, he was trying to be careful what he said. Apparently he doesnā€™t perform well under such restrictions. Neither would a lot of other people. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-supposed-to-applaud-after-the-kids-finsh-their-presidential-addresses-right/42834/9 "2000-11-27T17:00:01Z")
> [@](#): > > So you judge a person entirely on how they handle the pressure of speaking before a huge audience, huh? No. My entire judgement would take more than six words. > [@](#): > > am sure Bush has been coached by his ā€œspin meistersā€ to not be ā€œtoo much thisā€ or ā€œtoo much thatā€. These ā€˜spin meistersā€™ are Bushā€™s employees. While he did hire them for their expertise, he shouldnā€™t feel constrained by their advice. His actions, decisions and judgements are his own. We hired this person to lead, and I didnā€™t see any leadership. Quite frankly, Iā€™ve seen a lot of ambition from Bush, but very little leadership, but thatā€™s MHO and Iā€™m not about to argue opinion v. opinion with anyone. Admittedly, itā€™s a difficult situation at the start of the game. * * * FWIW, I donā€™t think Bush did many photo ops as Governor. Except for when campaigning, I donā€™t remember seeing him on TV. Of course, that may be due to my viewing habits and not his actions (did anyone see him make an address?) ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-supposed-to-applaud-after-the-kids-finsh-their-presidential-addresses-right/42834/10 "2000-11-27T18:47:57Z")
> [@](#): > > These ā€˜spin meistersā€™ are Bushā€™s employees. While he did hire them for their expertise, he shouldnā€™t feel constrained by their advice. His actions, decisions and judgements are his own. Hey - I agree. This whole election has been full of _both_ guys doing things for ā€œshowā€, things that seemed obviously done at the urgings of the ā€œspin meistersā€. From what Iā€™ve heard, Al Gore _never_ plays touch football (on the White House lawn, or anywhere else) but what was he doing a while ago, for the cameras? How fakey is that? And, what about Al Goreā€™s excruciatingly enunciated, condescending, and carefully crafted speeches? _Argghhh!!_ They both need to kick out the spin meisters, and behave like their own men. ---
**Author:** ![Freyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freyr/32/5763_2.png) [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-supposed-to-applaud-after-the-kids-finsh-their-presidential-addresses-right/42834/11 "2000-11-27T19:11:31Z")
\*\*SPOOFE Bo Diddly wrote: So you judge a person entirely on how they handle the pressure of speaking before a huge audience, huh?\*\* I wouldnā€™t judge his personal character from that, but I would judge his ability to be an effective leader or politician. IMHO, Dubya failed miserably. One leadership skill is charisma, the ability to effectively and convincingly convey your ideas. After watching Dubya on the campaign trail, Iā€™ve noticed he certainly lacks this. Look at the whole ā€œforeign affairsā€ pop-quiz or his mangling of English during his speeches. His preformance at the debates was fair at best. He didnā€™t stumble but his preformance was hardly stellar. The man is nothing but a sock-puppet with someoneā€™s hand up his ass making his lips move. Right now, the smartest thing Gore can do is concede the election and let Dubya have his turn at it. Iā€™ve love see Dubya handle the Isreali/Palestinian crises or give us a graceful exit from the Balkans or any other presidential crises that comes up in the next 4 years. Heā€™ll fall on his face, Iā€™m sure. After 4 years of his incompetency, weā€™ll gladly vote Dubya out. ---
**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:** [November 27, 2000, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-supposed-to-applaud-after-the-kids-finsh-their-presidential-addresses-right/42834/12 "2000-11-27T19:16:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Freyr \* > \*\*The man is nothing but a sock-puppet with someoneā€™s hand up his ass making his lips moveā€¦Iā€™ve love see Dubya handle the Isreali/Palestinian crises or give us a graceful exit from the Balkans or any other presidential crises that comes up in the next 4 years. Heā€™ll fall on his face, Iā€™m sure. > > After 4 years of his incompetency, weā€™ll gladly vote Dubya out. \*\* AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Itā€™s 1980 all over again!