That strikes me as a very strange and inappropriate extrapolation, Ro. Bush is no orator, but your imaginary quotation makes him seem unkind, as well as verbally-challenged. Not fair.<br>
Ironic, indeed. One of our great 20th-century presidents took the privileged Groton-Harvard path en route to becoming a left-liberal icon. Our other great 20th-century president—a conservative icon–came from a broken home and went to a place called Eureka College–not on the CC radar screen, for sure. And HST didn’t even attend college. True leadership skills aren’t learned in colleges–with the possible exception of the military academies.</p>
<p>–over both Presidents Bush and Clinton (though driver’s caution is warranted, it is all in fun). I found Clintons thoughtful and contemplative affectations insufferablethough his ability to look into the camera and lie with false indignation was quite a feat of affected sincerity. Bushes mangled syntax and Texan mannerisms are not really to my liking either, but I do not see them as a moral or ethical fault publicly Eisenhower was no wordsmith. Regan was brilliant in this regard (considered dumb as a rock by libs), Clinton cloying.</p>
<p>But why stop there. The left has always preferred the gravitas of Euro-windbags and heads of state. Im sure many would prefer to see the President of the US kow-tow to the Prime Minister of Englandas it should be in their deep thinking world. Of course, Churchill outclassed Rooseveltand Truman. Eisenhower read Westerns ick, say the Atlantic and Pacific beach-combing intellectuals. Still, an exception must be made for Kennedycall it sex appeal and sexual philandering (Clinton more or less pulled off the latter, by all accounts he idolized JFKits considered a plus amongst the liberated swing-set). </p>
<p>As to the OP, what part of it is disturbing?</p>
<p>-That Bush has a bigger economy and military than Blair or Merkel?
-That the US weighs in heavily on the Israeli side and to a lesser degree the legitimate government of Lebanon?
-That the Pres touched a Female head of states shoulder?
-That Bush thinks Syria is pulling Hezbollahs strings?
(I assume he has some information to this effect)
-That Bush does not recognize Blairs superior gravitas and British mannerisms?
-That Bush believes Kofi should get in *their<a href=“for%20you%20cheers”>/i</a> and actually do something beyond the peace-keeping he has already done?
-That Bush eats pork?</p>
<p>If you could narrow down your complaint to any of the above it might merit more than the comic-treatment it has so far invited and the evil-Bush rants.</p>
I’m not one to come out in support of philandering in any form, but it must be said at least that when JFK went for forbidden fruit, he chose the most spectacular and dangerous lovers possible…Marilyn Monroe and Mafia-moll Judith Exner (lover of Capo di Tutti Capo Sam Giancana). Somehow the conquests of Paula and Monica seemed more hoe-ish than rakish, in comparison. Bill never came close to pulling off the JFK star-quality thing.</p>
<p>spot on, fountain. you have great instincts. good to know you’ll never fall for a smooth-talker without a true heart.</p>
<p>driver, sorry but i just can’t take it anymore. I’m not asking for an orator. i would just like our pres to be slightly more bright than the average man and he clearly is not. this is not an indictment of the policies he represents. I admire Cheney. Also I understand the difference between heart and mind. George does have a little twinkle in his eye and I believe he has a sense of the simple values he represents.
But he has never formulated an original thought in his life. My swipe at his provincial mind, his simplification of people and issues, is an accurate appraisal. I don’t really care about his heart. I believe he could have been led to embrace any opinions as his own because there’s nothing much going on between his ears. Can you honestly say you can’t think of a thousand people you would have preferred to represent your positions? </p>
<p>I don’t mind being thought strange and inappropriate.</p>
<p>as I used to say of clinton, I don’t care how many sexual intrigues he rakes up, i’m still don’t like him.</p>
<p>which is interesting because although he could at least provide the appearance of thinking I always had to hit the remote when his mug filled the screen. He had no heart and made his living faking it.</p>
<p>But george left to himself is reasoning at a sixth grade level and in the special classes at that.</p>
Well, this is where we disagree. There are many manifestations of intelligence. Some speak well, some write well, some make consistently shrewd business decisions. We can’t all do all things well. I belong to the camp that trusts the president’s judgement and determination, and think we’re fortunate to have someone like him swinging big brass around in these dangerous times. To borrow from his off-mike vernacular, I don’t give a s*** if the Europeans think he can’t engage in repartee as impressively as they do. I do care that the rest of the world believes he has the gonads to pull the trigger, when necessary. The Europeans don’t even have a trigger.</p>
<p>There’s a time and a place for every type of leader. Some day, I hope we will return to a simpler time in which a clever wordsmith is the order of the day.
<p>Back in the days of youth, Peter Falk in “Columbo” was one of my favorites. What a convincing idiot he was, but he always pulled the trigger at the end. </p>
<p>Enjoy your bike ride, friend. I’m stretching for a lunch-time kickboxing bout with a 30-year-old. TTYL.</p>
<p>Has nothing to do with engaging in repartee. The man can’t put together a coherent sentence, and speaks in mumbojumbo, rife with grammatical errors. He is a national embarrassment.</p>
<p>Perhaps this is OK with you, Driver, but I do expect more from the supposed leader of the world’s major superpower.</p>
<p>But, ability to pull the trigger and knowing WHEN to do so is a talent Bush has not mastered. I liken hm more to George III than to Colombo. George, you may recall, is said to have used a copy of the Declaration of Independence as toilet paper. I wonder how many diplomatic attempts at recociliation in, say, Iraq, Bush used in similar fashion?</p>
<p>Then a pleasant smile and grin upon the realization that it was her ally, the President of the United States. I have had my best friend come up behind me and tap me on the shoulder only to be startled because I wasnt expecting it. I suppose this doesnt happen to anyone else;)</p>
<p>The knee-high Bush-Bangers are really leapin and reachin on this one but the grass is still just a bit too high.</p>
<p>The entire “massage”–including the president’s walking into the room–takes about 2 seconds, if you watch the actual video, instead of the carefully-assembled serial photos. It was clearly a joke.</p>
<p>ya know when my husband comes up and tries to rub my shoulders it really means…
Unfortunately he is about as skilled as it appears GW is.
My President don’t quit your day job * oh wait*</p>