Amen to phoenix. There are a lot of explanations and apologies for the seemingly never-ending supply of gaffes and silences and inconsistencies whenever they get Bush to stand in his chalked-in floor spaces and give his crafted comments.
But he's risen to the level of his incompetence, and no one wants to admit that. The peak of his competence may have been back in his cheer-leading days. And he was in way over his head long ago. Every job Bush has ever had was bought and paid for, and then tended to by a team of chosen care-takers. In all his history so far, there is nothing to indicate he ever took charge, or actually led anything anywhere. So this is consistent, and it's not entirely the voters' fault. They have been constantly misled by a team of determined, self-centered managers, and now everyone is paying the price.
The Peter principle states that one rises to his level of incompetence. Bush is an anomaly he is Peter plus 4.
Well hello Frank!
New Haven's continuing apologia for Bush is too funny by half. From the point where he began his run for the nomination, he has been controlled and muzzled by the folks around him. That's still so, and for the same reasons, not because he is busy. It is because he is just not very bright, and very deficient in education. For example, when he began his run for the presidency, he had been out of the US only six times and that included his trips to Mexico. Interviewed by a Canadian broadcaster, he agreed that the name of the Canadian Prime Minister was Jean Poutine. It is really Cretien and poutine is french fries with cheese. His paucity of political and geographical knowledge has been evident in any number of 'Bushisms', as has his lack of familiarity with even mildly sophisticated English - to a teacher, this is clearly a sign that the fellow has spent more time reading Playboy than Dickens.
In the last meeting with reporters, his answers were so irrelevant and rote that I'm amazed they even bothered. I'm disgusted they didn't make that the story. Because it is the story, and it is the reason his handlers don't let him extemporize. If the population of the US and the rest of the world were to see how poorly equipped this man is, it will not be comforting. New Haven, and too too many like him/her want it simple, and he gives it to them simple, because he is.
"I think the most frightening thing is that W is the leader of this nation and he clearly has a brain that can hold four paragraphs and very little else. Some have already argued the press conference was scripted -- W's part of it clearly was. That was a thoroughly unimpressive performance. W wasn't even capable of effectively answering the softball questions last night. Of course, we all have our bad days but he's had two years to get better at this -- and he clearly hasn't. I'm not sure I want any more of these press conferences. They remind me of just how inarticulate and uninspiring W is as president. He's better in delivering prepared remarks -- let's just let him stick to the script, shall we?"
--Tom Shales, Bush's Wake-Up Call Was a Snooze Alarm, washingtonpost.com
Sadly, Bush is indeed the dumbest human ever to call the White House his home. That should have been apparent to anyone listening to him during the election campaign.
I guess I could tolerate his stupidity -- if he hadn't surrounded himself with a group of people intent on using our nation's considerable muscle in ways that make me want to puke.
It seems almost beyond comprehension that we have gone from where we were economically, domestically, and internationally at the end to Bill Clinton's 8 years to where we are right now.
I think we will weather the storm -- and I hope and expect that Americans will send this gang of John Wayne wannabees back into the oblivion they so richly deserved and turn the reins of government over to people who are competent for the job.
But we must all remember along with stupidity he has brought morality and religion to government. Isn't that worth deficits, economic stagnation and war?
The shrub is of small intelligence, his religious views predominating, and his simple-minded alcholism greatly influences his thinking. We, and the world together, are the loosers in this madness.
Careful, you guys - you'll offend Trespassers will.
I wonder if he's really so dumb, or it's more that he's lazy? The man comes across as the chronic under-achiever, except, ironically, he is president.
Still, given the time he needs each day for his work-outs, periods of prayer, and adequate sleep, it's no wonder he hasn't time to work on his speaking skills. There are only so many hours in the day!
Not everyone is able to answer "difficult" questions without preparing. Such an ability is not mandatory for the President, since serious decisions are not being made in minutes, they are preceded by intensive work of specialists and aides. And there is an official who is supposed to satisfy public curiosity and find appropriate answers for incorrectly posed questions, filled with sophisms and some of them being on brink of pun: it is a spokesperson of the White House.
Steissd
You wrote: "Not everyone is able to answer "difficult" questions without preparing. Such an ability is not mandatory for the President, since serious decisions..."
COMMENT:
You are correct.
But I do not think it unreasonable to expect the person who is president of the United States to be able to think on his feet reasonably enough to stand up to the rigors of a press confernce -- or to make a speech of any kind -- without looking like a not especially intelligent Junior High Schooler running for class treasurer.
Well, he is not a good public speaker. No one is perfect...
steissd
No one expects perfection but competence would be appreciated.
Inability to deliver public speeches does not provide any information on either competency or general intellect. Ability to do this is a talent, like a talent to versify: some possess it, some do not.
Steissd
I suspect that if Bush were president of Israel instead of the United States, you would have a different take on the issue.
His rash, ill-conceived adventures apparently are of value to your country -- so I can appreciate why you want to back him and his ill-conceived adventures. But you don't have to deal with the embarrassment of knowing your country is being represented by an empty-headed, fatuous boor.
We do.
I do not consider Mr. Bush being
Frank Apisa wrote:an empty-headed, fatuous boor
. On the contrary, I think that he is quite smart and consistent, but speaking on public in front of hostile audience is not his strong side.
Mr. Bush cannot be a President of Israel for a simple reason: he is not a citizen of Israel.
Seems as though leaders in other countries almost have to have good public speaking skills. Somehow, this is no longer true in the US. Here, the concern seems to be that anyone who can speak well and think on his feet must be slick or, even worse, an INTELLECTUAL!
We wouldn't want one of those representing us. No, give us George Bush, a man of modest talents. At best...
on the other hand we have Ronald Reagan!!!
Well, Mr. Reagan won the Cold War and made the direct nuclear conflisct of the superpowers impossible for ages...
D'artagnan
"modest talents" If only that were true.
