Undaunted optimism!

Mr. Hinderaker lives with his family in Apple Valley, Minnesota. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School. He is listed in The Best Lawyers In America and was recognized as Minnesota's Super Lawyer of the Year for 2005. John can be reached by phone at (612)220-1060.

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.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/08/intellectually_curious_george.html

Quote:

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.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/08/intellectually_curious_george.html

I've read similar comments many times over the years (from Republicans and Dems alike) that Bush is actually a fine communicator up close and personal. I think there are few who would disagree that in the one-on-one, or small-group environment, his persuasive ability has few equals.

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.

SierraSong wrote:

Quote:

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.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/08/intellectually_curious_george.html

I've read similar comments many times over the years (from Republicans and Dems alike) that Bush is actually a fine communicator up close and personal. I think there are few who would disagree that in the one-on-one, or small-group environment, his persuasive ability has few equals.

From further down in the piece...

Quote:

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.

Texas English, of course, is marked by regular pauses, non sequitors, pretty constant stumbling, incorrect grammer every three or four sentences, and lots of farts.

U.S. involvement in Iraq has been incredibly successful and "What's happened there is nothing short of a miracle."

Texas English? So the English is bad, but apparently the Science is "real good", otherwise the cholesterol workers in Dallas wouldn't have won a Nobel Prize ( which eventually resulted in development of the pharmaceuticals, know as Statins), now would they?

maybe he's referring to the miraculous disappearance of WMD.

How could they have a "new" Army when the US has already killed everyone of military age?