Speech Re-cap

[kvnf]

Ok.

First some statistics:
Bush said teror/terrorism/terrorist/terrorists 18 times.
He said "September the eleventh" 1 time.

There were 3 important themes in the speech:

First was that Iraq is now the "central front of the war on terror".
He's attempting to merge the war issue and the terror issue, because he still gets support for fighting terror but not for the war...

Second was that we are NOT an occupying force. He must have said this 20 times. He spoke at length about the process of handing over Iraqi sovereignty.

Third is that this entire process is about a clash of "two visions"...the free world, which supports liberty and human rights and all that good stuff, and fanatic extremists who believe in the opposite. He made a point of saying that these extremists (such as the Taliban) do not represent a religion, but rather authoritarianism.

Also worthy of mention is that he said we're going to destroy Abu Graib prison (which he couldn't pronounce) and replace it with a modern facility. He denounced the actions of torture and called them the actions of a few individuals who don't represent american values...etc...


As much as I disagree with his policy, I have to say that this speech was absolutely fantastic.

[stepnw1f]

1. Go Blow

[NMDemDist2]

2. can i have some of what you're smoking

that speech was crap, no new ideas, no hope, no vision hell i didn't hear a plan or any change in strategy since last spring 2003

[boobooday]

3. The speech was an unmitigated pile of crap

Full of a whole lot of nothing.

What substance was there?



http://www.wgoeshome.com

[Alerter_]

4. he read the speech very well, and pronounced most words correctly

It was one of his better performances.

[MissB]

7. If he was a Kindergartener reading his first book, I'd agree

But he is not. And it wasn't one of his better performances. He is simply incapable.

[kvnf]

11. Don't you get it?

The speech was fabulous. He was on point, didn't stumble (seriously), and delivered a powerful message.
The average person at home must have been quite impressed.

What do you mean no substance? He just outlined handing over power to a new Iraq!!! That's not substantial?

[MissB]

Who are you replying to?

Do the threads throw you a bit?

[jean]

18. the average person at home doesn't get cable and didn't see the speech

[FDRrocks]

26. He outlined his plan to install a government

of his own choice. That doesn't seem much like handing over power to me. Shades of South Vietnam.

The thing about the torture being an isolated incident involving few people is bullshit, Rumsfeld approved that shit.

And the idea that we are in Iraq to make it the front line for our war on terror is barbaric. Why should they get caught between us and our ambiguous enemy?

[boobooday]

35. No -- not after more than a year of occupation

What he came up with not enough substance.

People are suffering because he had no idea what to do after he smashed the hell out of the place.



http://www.wgoeshome.com

[pinto]

36. I didn't hear a plan, I heard a set of general goals, no plan at all,

outside of a long term US troop commitment. ie, more of the same.

[lancdem]

The problem is, he's been president for more than 3 years

People want SUBSTANCE. It's the policy voters are souring on, not the fact he's inarticulate.

[lancdem]

5. Really???

Hmmm...

[Jayster84]

6. What?

You didn't hear the same speech I guess.

[pagerbear]

8. Yes, his writers know what they're doing

Instilling fear and loyalty in the unthinking populace by their use of language. They're very skilled at that. Wish I had a reference to the Nation article about that very topic from some months ago.

[NMDemDist2]

22. i have that article I bookmarked it

here you go

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/130534_focusecond13.html

[NewHampshireDem]

9. By "fantastic" I assume you mean ...

"ludicrously odd" or "extravagantly fanciful and unrealistic; foolish."

http://www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn?stage=1&word=fantastic

There's no way in hell any other definition can apply.

[Jayster84]

13. Nice!

[jpgray]

10. Now I have to dust off the 'most unintentionally hilarious post' prize

:)

[kvnf]

23. Hey, I'll take it!

Sorry guys. Believe me I hate Bush just as much as you do...but he nailed that speech...and yes I do mean "fantastic" in the sense that I predict the average American would have eaten that *rap up.

fanciful, totally off-base, way too optimistic, but unto itself (not withstanding my point of view, or logic at all for that matter) the speech was great.

And given the fact that most Americans probably don't consider their own opinions or logic when assessing a president's speech, but rather take it on its own merits, it was a good one, no denying it.

[nonconformist]

34. I disagree

Americans want answers. They want specifics. He offered neither.

[MissB]

37. I'm going to deny it

Keep trying to convince people, though. I don't think you have much company on this one.

[RoyGBiv]

12. Excuse me?

Fantastic? Ummm, sorry, but no.

[LowerManhattanite]

25. Gary Busey made more sense...

...two days after HIS bike crackup than this addle-pated, faux-Texan, ritalin addicted simian did.

Tony Blair (much as I hate him) could read Joyce's "Jabberwock" backwards and sound more statesman-like.

[frank frankly]

14. did you really HAVE to say that?

if you're being coerced by neocons, just type "yes".

[sleepyhead]

15. the makeup job was good

Didn't see most of the scrapes from the bike ride, only the one above his left eye. Kudos to the makeup person!

[frank frankly]

16. did you really HAVE to say that?

if you're being held hostage by neocons, just type "yes".

[spotbird]

17. What about it did you find fantastic?

That they successfully hid his scrape with pancake make-up?

Seriously, what did he do right?

[Stew225]

24. I think toward the beginning of the speech

the Chimpmeister said instructive instead of destructive. Shortly thereafter I couldn't take anymore and ran into the cornfield behind our house screaming Allah Akbar.

[kaitykaity]

19. Fantastic for us, maybe.

:eyes:

[MissB]

21. LOL

That's the right reply!

[Generator]

20. Any speech that mentions September 11th and has nothing do to with

that I'd give an F. No worse than that, I would call it unmitigated propaganda designed to conjur up our worst fears and anger.

IRAQ has nothing to do with September 11th. We can't say that enough. Let's keep saying it, maybe the brain dead Americans that think it does will stop buying it.

[NMDemDist2]

29. well the Berg "murderer" is in Iraq and claims to be alQuida

so he can probably make a connection there i guess.

of course the AQ wouldn't be there in the first place if we hadn't invaded

[Postman]

27. your analysis is fantastic.....

fantastic = bullshit (in Bush speak)

Sorry, you know how it is. I mean because of 9/11 its a whole new world and all.

[mike1963]

28. I have a sneaking suspicion you don't know the meaning of "fantastic"

:eyes:

[cosmicdot]

30. did he mention weapons of mass destruction?

[FDRrocks]

33. or Usama bin Laden?

[IHaveADream]

31. Of course you are being sarcastic with that post!

No one, not even the republicans, arer saying this was a good speech!

As a matter of fact this was an absolute disaster of a speech and it will be ripped to shreds by everyone!!

He couldn't articulate half of the words he said.

Except "The occupation of Iraq ends on June 30th"

That mean the troops come home on July 1st!!!

This is all just a nightmare and I will wake up and bush will never have been our president . . .

[Magical]

32. Yeah, Fantastic Perversion of Truth

Here's the truth...i.e. facts

US is building over 10 military bases and has no intention of leaving.
Sovereignty is a puppet regime. Elections will be rigged.
The US is torturing, raping, pillaging and murdering innocents.
The cost so far is staggering.
$200,000,000,000, 900+ 'coalition' dead, many thousands wounded.
Thousands of dead Iraqis, including many women and children butchered.
US image worldwide in shambles. US is international pariah.

Massive hypocrisy, no credibility, ugly stench of inhuman behavior, no end in sight.

And the school I've volunteered at for 5 years is going under after 15 years. Enrollment has dropped in half. The beautiful 2.5 acres will probably be sold for development. All I can say is our children's future is at stake. I am deeply saddened.