Bush's, uh, problem with public speaking

[rawstory]

Full story at The Raw Story, the liberal alternative to Drudge, at http://www.rawstory.com

Bush's problem with, uh, public speaking

By Justin Droms
RAW STORY COLUMNIST

Is he an idiot, or does he just play one on TV?

The debate about President Bush’s horrendous public speaking is sure to continue its invasion of American dinner tables and barstools after Dubya’s distracted stumble through his most recent White House press conference. The president’s verbal retardation was as apparent as ever, especially when asked if he felt he had “failed as a communicator” — not as a president, not as a leader, but as a communicator.

Ironically, in his response to accusations of ineffective and repetitive speaking, Bush predictably retreated to a formulaic tangent about his commitment to get the bad guys, punctuating it with anxious stammers, poor grammar, and his trademark deer-in-the-headlights stare. He finally conceded that, “Maybe I need to learn to communicate better.”

Gosh, do you really think so, George?

Because of the media’s meticulous coverage, public-speaking skills (or the lack thereof) play a large part in defining politicians’ identities, whether they like it or not. Look at what happened to good old Joe Lieberman, another politician whose dreadful oratory skills wreaked havoc on his political identity. Like Bush, late-night comedians lampooned him relentlessly, specifically for his droopy speaking style (one Conan O’Brien sketch had him dozing off mid-speech). The difference between the two men, however, is that Lieberman is obviously intelligent but leaves us doubting his passion, while Bush is obviously passionate but leaves us doubting his intelligence.

Bush’s blundering performance in that most recent press conference — as well as his awkward February interview with Tim Russert — brings up serious questions about his tunnel vision on relevant issues. His familiar tough-guy smirk and shoot-‘em-straight swagger have deteriorated into desperation to stay on message (which basically means infinite repetitions and combinations of the phrases “war on terror,” “stay the course” and “the American people”).

While presidents from Kennedy to Clinton often traded witty barbs with reporters during their frequent press conferences, Bush understandably shies away from media interaction and admittedly was “stumped” when asked about mistakes he had made since Sept. 11, according to an Associated Press report.

"Maybe I'm not as quick on my feet as I should be,” replied the visibly stunned commander in chief, as he struggled to think of an acceptable answer. "I'm sure something will pop into my head here … but it hadn’t yet."

You can’t get hired at McDonald’s with a response like that.

[shaolinmonkey]

1. Is it so much to ask for a president ...

to be smarter than the average American? How about at least as smart as the average American? No? Okay, just have the VP hold his hand (or stick his hand in *'s back).

What has happened to this country? Intelligent, well-spoken politicians are dismissed as elitists while this trust-fund brat gets a pass on every single shortcoming. Certainly the media takes much of the blame, but most citizens buy it.

I love the last line, "You can’t get hired at McDonald’s with a response like that". Not only is he the worst president ever, he is wholly unqualified for almost any conceivable job, let alone leader of the free world.

[Bhaisahab]

7. welcome to DU, doodlehaus!

i also wonder, does the free world need a "leader"? if everyone is free, leaders become redundant eh?
that apart, communication skills wont help bush. he's full of shit and that's the way some losers are...

[newyawker99]

9. Hi doodlehaus!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[texas1928]

2. I won't be suprised if

The White House releases a statement to the effect that Bush has lost the hearing in his left ear. Due to the february interview and the press conference, and the number of times he had Cheney, and Powell screaming "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, STOP SAYING THAT!", or "SHUT UP YOU IDIOT! DO IT LIKE WE SCRIPTED!"

And I bet Bush had to have a hug after they walked in to his office and asked him if he was "naturally stupid or was he just trying to piss them off."

[Miss Authoritiva]

3. I have to confess that in the beginning,

I just shrugged off Bush's poor speaking skills. We are all wired differently. I hate to think someone would question my intelligence just because I can't parallel park (at least not without causing severe tire damage). But at some point I realized that not only was Bush unable to articulate his thoughts coherently but also that he didn't have any coherent thoughts to articulate in the first place.

[Lisa]

4. you and millions of other Americans gave him the benefit of the doubt ...

... and he just sneered at it!

I have to admit that I've misspoken in public quite a bit (and considering that my job is teaching college classes, you'd think I'd have had enough practice by now, after almost a decade!). But one thing I've learned over the years is that it's my responsibility to step up and clarify points I've mangled. If I needled people in class the way Bush does in his press briefings, I'd be faced with some tough questions from the department chair.

Sure, anybody makes slips -- but it's how you deal with them that's truly revealing. A lot of people, including his wife, have critiqued his manner of speaking and suggested that he pay more attention to how he comes across -- and his usual response is to act all haughty and petulant.

I would hope that a head of state (of the most powerful country in the world, too) would be more articulate and graceful in public than I am. It's one thing to affect a country persona and "dumb down", but to insist on this even when it could have diplomatic repercussions is foolhardy. My misgivings about Mr. Bush were confirmed early in his term, when he precipitated an incident with North Korea by accusing them of breaking a treaty. (Apparently he was speaking hypothetically, and his notoriously-weak grasp of the subjunctive made it seem as if they had violated the agreement already ...) He didn't apologize for this, and in fact he and his buddies decided to justify things by blustering and adding that country to the Axis of Evil.

[Sivafae]

5. hmmm...

While I agree with what you are stating, this man has enough $$ to hire people to help him articulate better. That is what speech coaches do. Maybe he needs to hire an intelligence coach.

[Lisa]

6. welcome to DU, Sivafae!

I think he needs an "attitude coach" as well. Regardless of how much or how little intelligence he has, it's no good if he decides not to use it, out of laziness or obstinacy.

[newyawker99]

10. Hi Sivafae!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[pacifictiger]

8. From the accounts

of some he has no problem articulating when he wants to - like when he's touting religious zeal. Maybe its all the lies that makes him hesitate and stumble ..... now I have to remember, how did that cover story go again..? ...stall and deflect, stall and deflect.