<p>If you mean best TV speech, I agree and was thinking the same thing as he was giving it. However, Bush has never been exceptionally good talking directly into a camera. He is no Ronald Reagan. His best forum is in front of a live audience and probably his best speech and one of the best of any recent president was his post 9/11 speech to Congress.</p>
<p>^ Since almost all of us probably have not been invited to any of his restricted audience speeches, Why is the guy so the uncomfortable giving speeches and I assume talking to other people? If he only started out in 2001 like he presented himself on Thursday, he would have more people behind him in leadership rather than people behind him trying to push him over the cliff. </p>
<p>Could it be the speech writers?</p>
<p>I was actually impressed that he didn’t give that irritating smirk at the end of every other sentence. He wanted to, I think, the corners of his lips kept rising but I think there was a big sign over the cue cards that said ‘DON’T SMILE’. </p>
<p>He’s also never really comfortable without an audience. He still pauses at the end of ‘applause lines’ as if waiting for response. </p>
<p>Maybe he’s practicing more. After all, he’s going to have to do a better job on speeches if he wants to ‘fill the old coffers’ after he leaves office.</p>
<p>Prepared speeches aside, Bush can’t hit a curveball to save his life. He often lunges at the pitch, radiating discomfort, and looks pleased if he just manages to foul it off. (Responding to questions from non-true believer sources.)</p>
<p>Whereas Bill Clinton will often draw on multiple sources in answer a question, giving an almost encyclopedic answer. I think he does that even if asked, “Where do you want to go for dinner?”, at which point I’d smack him.</p>
<p>Bush doesn’t lie nearly as well as Clinton does, and, since I pay his salary, I think that should be an impeachable offense. </p>
<p>I think we can all applaud that he has removed the word “victory” from his vocabulary.</p>
<p>
No, I think he was wearing that same box that delivered electric shocks when he was making idiot statements during the debates.
<a href=“http://humpbackbush.ytmnd.com/[/url]”>http://humpbackbush.ytmnd.com/</a></p>
<p>In fairness to Bush, virtually everything he is trotted out to tell the American people is a bold-faced lie. So, it is understandable that he struggles to be convincing.</p>
<p>For example, how do you give a convincing speech on reconciliation in Iraq when one of your top campaign contributors (and Halliburton board member) has just signed an oil deal with the Kurds that blows apart any notion of a central Iraqi government?</p>
<p>^
" Other than that, InterestedDad, How did he do?"</p>
<p>Relieved that he also did not use the word, “understand”. To use this word really made him look stupid and not understand.</p>
<p>bethievt, nice point about those who pushed to stay on in Vietnam, resulting in more dead Americans. The amazing thing is, Bush recently compared Iraq and Vietnam and mentioned the aftermath of Vietnam as a reason why we should not leave Iraq. So as I understand it, Bush would have kept us in Vietnam even longer than were?!</p>
<p>"Whereas Bill Clinton will often draw on multiple sources in answer a question, giving an almost encyclopedic answer. "</p>
<p>Like , “it depends on what the definition of sex is.” Yup, I personally had to consult the encyclopedia on that one too. ;)</p>
<p>Best Clinton quote ever: ““it depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is”.”</p>
<p>Aside from the past speeches and corollaries to BC and W, can this speech give us a clue to the future of US involvement and what are the outcomes?</p>
<p>example: When our Congress authorized this “surge” and a another military “czar” outside of the traditional military leadership, We literally guaranteed a strong US presence in Iraq for another 4 years.</p>
<p>Yes. It means “cut-n-run”. It IS similar to Vietnam, where the U.S. claimed it was very carefully “trained up” the South Vietnamese military over a four-year period, withdrew very slowly, and the whole thing toppled over.</p>
<p>Question for any Democratic candidate: will you pledge to dismantling the permanent military base being built east of Baghdad on the border with Iran?</p>
<p>Bill Clinton was talking like a lawyer with a guilty secret to hide. Now we have a president who has a problem with ‘truthiness’ AND can’t speak a coherent sentence. We’ve gone from bad to worse.</p>
<p>Some of my favorite Bushisms:</p>
<p>‘Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream.’ </p>
<p>‘I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family.’ </p>
<p>‘They misunderestimated me.’ </p>
<p>‘Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?’</p>
<p>'Free societies will be allies against these hateful few who have no conscience, who kill at the whim of a hat." </p>
<p>‘Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren’t able to practice their love with women all across this country.’</p>
<p>No matter how many times I read or hear any Bush-ism’s I can’t help but to bust out laughing. I mean come ON! How did he become president? I’m depressed but I still can’t help laughing.</p>
<p>I heard some bush-administrator on the radio try and explain who the “enemy” was- it was so convoluted, and twisted to be useless</p>
<p>Re: Iraq is/is not Vietnam. After what seems eons of telling us that there was no comparison, that those who compared the two obviously didn’t understand anything about Iraq, <em>now</em> the President trots out a comparison. Honestly, the Bush Administration thinks we’re not smart enough to remember what they say from one day, one speech, to the next.</p>
<p>Hindoo, you forgot the one that was very near to “Our enemies are relentless in seeking new ways to damage our country and so are we,” or <em>very</em> close to that. I’d Google except I have to run to work.</p>
<p>Add another Bush-ism from yesterday’s speech, although this one is less a mangling of the English language than yanking a bizarre pseudo-fact out of thin air.</p>
<p>“I heard somebody say, ‘Where’s Mandela?’ Well, Mandela’s dead because Saddam Hussein killed all the Mandelas.”</p>
<p>“Saddam Hussein killed all the Mandelas?” That qualifies as an instant Bush classic.</p>
<p>TheDad–I found the one you were referring to in post #98: “Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”
–Bush in a 2004 speech at the signing ceremony for a $417 billion<br>
defense spending bill.</p>