Posted on 08/25/2006 6:24:42 PM PDT by WestTexasWend
Bush-bashing for sport has never lacked fans in the blogosphere, but questioning the president's intelligence lately has gone mainstream. Joe Scarborough, former Republican congressman and host of MSNBC's "Scarborough Country," recently tossed his beanie into the ring, running a 10-minute segment titled: "Is Bush an 'Idiot'?"
Scarborough wasn't calling Bush an idiot, mind you. He was just quoting that renowned American intellectual, Linda Ronstadt. Recently, Ronstadt had commented on the president's performance while attending an international summit of heads of state.
No wait, my mistake, she made those comments to reporters and audiences while touring in Canada. But never mind. When Ronstadt talks, people listen. Citing other leading American intellectuals — The Dixie Chicks, Peter, Paul & Mary and Joan Baez — Ronstadt said:
"I'm embarrassed George Bush is from the United States. ... He's an idiot. He's enormously incompetent on both the domestic and international scenes."
Scarborough said he felt compelled to explore whether the president is intellectually curious. To debate the topic, Scarborough rounded up two commentators — John Fund of The Wall Street Journal and Lawrence O'Donnell, MSNBC senior political analyst. He also provided a video collection of Bushisms in which the president repeatedly trips over his own tongue.
Fund said that Bush is not dumb, just inarticulate, while O'Donnell suggested that Bush is out of his league. They both may be right, but I'd like to submit an alternative explanation for Bush's linguistic deficit.
Language barrier.
This theory occurred to me not long ago at an off-the-record luncheon with Bush and a hundred or so of his supporters. I was the guest of a guest and welcomed the opportunity to observe the president in his natural habitat.
What I witnessed was revealing. Not only was the man fluent in the English language and intellectually agile, he was knowledgeable on a wide range of subjects raised during a 90-minute Q&A. Someone apparently had been slipping intellectual-curiosity tablets into Bush's cola. Toward the end, one of the guests said, "Mr. President, I think if Americans could hear you speak the way you have today, you'd have a 95 percent approval rating."
I think that's almost true. Not 95 percent, obviously, but he'd surely have a higher than 30 percent approval rating were he better able to explain what he's thinking. Bush does know; he just can't seem to say.
The question is why?
My theory dovetails with something one of his most acerbic critics, columnist Molly Ivins, once wrote: "George W. Bush sounds like English is his second language." That's because it's true. "Washington English" is a second language for Bush; "Texas English" is his first.
When he tries to speak Washington English, which is the way Bush thinks presidents are supposed to speak — over-enunciating and sprinkling his comments with awkward aphorisms — he fumbles. He forgets what he's saying because the thoughts and words are not his own. My guess is he over-enunciates to cover his prairie accent, but the effect is, well, sssssstrange.
Tapes of Bush as governor of Texas reveal none of the malapropisms for which he is now infamous. That's because in Texas, he speaks his native tongue.
Anyone who speaks before cameras knows the taste of humility and can relate to the agony of being George Bush.
Even, perhaps, Scarborough, who wrapped up his idiot segment, saying: "And that is a big question, whether George W. Bush has the intellectual curiousness — if that's a word — to continue leading this country."
My dictionary confirms that "curiousness" is a word, though Joe's expression suggested it wasn't the one he meant to use. No worries. Sometimes in the excitement of a moment, even the curiouser and curiouser quite forget how to speak good English.
You got that chief!
"I wasn't born in Texas but got here as fast as I could "
I just moved down to Texas from New Jersey. I paid my toll at the NJ Turnpike and never looked back.
"I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it." -- John Kerry
"Politics gives guys so much power that they tend to behave badly around women. And I hope I never get into that." –Bill Clinton, to a woman friend while he was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford
"There were a lot of times when we were alone, but I never really thought we were." –Bill Clinton, in his grand jury testimony
"We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur." -- Vice President Al Gore, 9/22/97
"One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice president, and that one word is 'to be prepared.'"-- Vice President Al Gore, 12/6/93
There are many more, I just thought I would provide a sample of things the 'intellectual liberals' have said.
Yes, and I think Reagan's sense of humor was related to his deep faith - he had a positive attitude on all fronts.
If I told a 12 year old that all they have to do on their papers is say how bad the Republicans are, they coud graduate Yale at 15.
It is Conservatives who have a tough time there because they actually work and not suck up to radical professors.
Don't forget: Texan by Choice
Judging from the opinions you express, you are no judge of anything important.
Why, oh why can't these people just shut up! Ronstadt was one of my favorite singers. Its hard to listen to such an idiot and enjoy her music knowing this.
Yes, and then there is the line about "the definition of IS"
That one was so crazy that I decided to include the whole quote. Here it is as well as some others:
“It depends upon what the meaning of the word is means. If is means is, and never has been, that's one thing. If it means, there is none, that was a completely true statement.”-Bill Clinton
“I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president.”- Hillary Clinton, commenting on the release of subpoenaed documents
“Give Bill a second term, and Al Gore and I will be turned loose to do what we really want to do.”- Hillary Clinton, speaking at a Democratic fundraiser
"For NASA, space is still a high priority." -- Vice President Al Gore, 9/5/93
"The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nation's history. I mean in this century's history. But we all lived in this century. I didn't live in this century."-- Vice President Al Gore, 9/15/95
Maybe if he were an Aggie, I'd consider giving him an honorary citizenship---(ducking!)
Actually, I'm the judge of many important things. You just never hear about it.
Do you like baked beans?
Screw you, Linda Ronstadt
Screw you Joe Scarborough!
Or Scarborough is paying hush money to someone and needs to keep his job at MSNBC. Condition of employment is shamelessly attacking the President on all fronts.
And Joe Scarborough's still a wannabee.
I can't imagine anybody, of any stripe, wanting to hear this fat cow in concert.
But that's just me.
OMG.... They almost elected this loon president?
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