Bush no "doofus boy" ...

Pittsburgh Tribune Review ^ | August 11 2002 | Colin McNickle

[Irene Adler]

"He appears not to be able to speak without a prepared text, seeming always to, and sometimes furtively, hunting for his prompter at the back and corners of the room."

Not so. I have seen him speak without a prepared text on several occasions, and he did a great job.

[A Citizen Reporter]

"President Bush didn't speak at his audience. He didn't speak to his audience. He spoke with his audience. He related. And he connected. "

Those who've had the opportunity see him speak to an audience will always attest to this. I'm surprised that this reporter would admit it. Albeit, in the very last portion of his newspaper column.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Oh yes, thanks very much for the ping!

I am happy with his TV speeches, although I watch the Foxnews special on Reagan last night, and Bush has a way to go to match Reagans style and delivery!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for posting this article!

[deport]

Interesting take as it was a fund raiser and you'd have thought that the attendees would be supporters..... TV does make a difference for sure and this writer was singled out as a focal point so he may have been over reaching a bit.

[Reagan Man]

George W.Bush continues to be underestimated as a politician and in his current role as President. I doubt the liberal media would have it any other way, even if it is, at their own peril. The pack mentality is alive and well.

[Dog Gone]

I have talked to Bush several times on the phone, and once in person. The man is so good in convincing you of his point of view that you end up believing it was your position all along.

Public speeches aren't his strength because he tends to think of them as orchestrated productions. He flat out doesn't like them because they tend to be phony.

But, one-on-one, he's very, very good. No problem with the language there.

[ClancyJ]

What a bunch of superficial know-nothings they are. Bush has been president 2 years and they have yet seen the man for who he is. How he delivers a speech has nothing to do with the kind of man he is, the type of leader or his decision making abilities.

Maybe one of these days these people will look at this president and see the greatness we have been blessed with. Doofus? How idiotic they are to believe what the media tries to make them think.

[WFTR]

I'm not sure that the "doofus boy" intro of this article isn't just a ploy to get attention. If this guy had simply reported that President Bush did a nice job giving a speech, no one would have cared about the article. It might still be posted at Free Republic, but I bet many of the people who have opened this thread wouldn't have bothered without the words "doofus boy" in the title.

I think Governor Bush largely shed his image as an inept speaker when he beat Algore in the debates. Even without the low expectations, he won. When he spoke before Congress after the terrorist attacks, he was brilliant both in person and on TV. Personally, I thought his embryonic stem cell research speech a year or so ago was very effective, (and I've never been a particular fan of his).

There's no doubt that he is stronger in person and generally weaker on TV. In that sense, he will never be able to reach the public the way that Ronald Reagan did. However, the "Gee, he's not so bad in person as he seems on TV" is a standard line for describing anyone in public life whose views are to the right of John McCain (and that's many people). The fact that President Bush has earned this slant is testimony that the left fears him.

WFTR
Bill

[MoodyBlu]

During the 2000 campaign I had the pleasure of meeting President Bush at a firehall in Hockessin, DE. He shook my hand, looked me straight in the eye and thanked me for my support. He autographed a picture of my son and a flyer printed for the event.

The thing is it was easy to see what an open, honest guy he really is. Like the author of this article wrote, GWB was comfortable and at ease off the cuff just talking to the folks there.

Finally, while waiting for GWB to show up at the hall, I had a chance to speak to reknown CNN reporter Candy Crowley. I got the impression from our short conversation that she actually liked GWB. Anyone ever see a hit piece by Candy directed at GWB?

[carmody]

I'm not sure that the "doofus boy" intro of this article isn't just a ploy to get attention. If this guy had simply reported that President Bush did a nice job giving a speech, no one would have cared about the article.

Headlines are supposed to get the readers attention, are'nt they? I think the bigger point of this story is that this reporter had his eyes opened and reported it. The end result being that the public who didn't have access to this event were exposed to it through the eyes of this reporter. One mans opinion can influence the opinions of others. And if he has to use the word doofus to do it that's okay with me.

[kayak]

President Bush didn't speak at his audience. He didn't speak to his audience. He spoke with his audience. He related. And he connected.

One of our part-time employees was privileged to be in attendance at a speech that President Bush made last spring because he was praising a program administered through her full-time job.

I spoke with her about a week later and she was still so excited and so enthusiastic that her feet hadn't touched the ground yet! In fact, weeks later she was still almost giddy about the experience.

Some of her comments to me (paraphrased) ..... "he's an outstanding speaker" .... "you can tell that he really cares about people" ..... "it's obvious that he is sincere and loves both his Lord and his country."

This woman told me that she had not voted for him and hadn't really paid him that much attention before hearing his speech in person. Now I think she's a card-carrying Bush Babe. I didn't ask but I fully suspect that she is a registered Democrat but she now loves her President.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Thanks. Good writing.

[Ciexyz]

I read this article in the Trib and wanted to puke. I didn't get past the first paragraph, it was so upsetting. But from reading all your posts, it seems you all liked it. I was upset that the article writer opened with the fratboy negative stereotype.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

This is something another FReeper posted today about George W. Bush:

I really wish these people could decide on a story and stick to it; first he is too stupid to get out of bed; next, he is so crafty and cunning, he is going to take over the world; next, he is too stupid to pronounce big words; next, he is so sly, he was pulling the wool over everyone's eyes with complex business dealings; next, he is the goofy frat-boy, not ready for complex issues; now, he is the elitist, trying to make himself seem one of the guys. 22 posted on 8/11/02 3:46 PM Eastern by Paul Atreides

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

How did you have this pleasure?

[swheats]

Thanks for the ping. I'm glad he doesn't use the teleprompter much, he has that "deer in the headlights" look with it.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Good point. I thought so as well, and attributed it to the libs general attitude aginst Bush. It was nice to see that facts shown through his preconcieved ideas. But I see your point.

[Southack]

"I fully suspect that she is a registered Democrat but she now loves her President."

I suspect that we'll be seeing quite a bit of that over time.

America is moving back to the Right, primarily for three reasons.

For one reason, Americans have always rebelled anytime a trend became too extreme. If the pendulum has swung too far to the Left, then Americans instinctively pull it back to the Right, and vice-versa.

For another, the Baby-Boomers are finally starting to have grandchildren. New grandparents are statistically more Conservative than almost any other demographic, and we've got another 20 years of additional Boomers coming into future grandparenthood.

And of course there is 9/11. Our great nation has been attacked. Once again it was a sneak-attack ala Pearl Harbor, only this time it targeted civilians and civilian buildings in addition to military targets. It's hard to be a "leave them alone" liberal who doesn't want war or the death penalty when you've just watched thousands of innocent women, children, and civilians murdered by a foreign enemy.

On top of all of those factors, President Bush's strength, courage, determination, focus, ethics, compassion, and religious convictions hit home with a wide variety of Americans, regardless of their Party affiliations.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

"What did Bush not know, and when did he not know it?" Woot!