John Hinderaker got an up close and personal meeting with the President and he was mighty impressed by what he saw and heard.
I had the opportunity this afternoon to be part of a relatively small group who heard President Bush talk, extemporaneously, for around forty minutes. It was an absolutely riveting experience. It was the best I’ve ever seen him. Not only that; it may have been the best I’ve ever seen any politician. If I summarized what he said, it would all sound familiar: the difficult times we live in; the threat from Islamic fascism–the phrase drew an enthusiastic round of applause–the universal yearning for freedom; the need to confront evil now, with all the tools at our disposal, so that our children and grandchildren can live in a better and safer world. As he often does, the President structured his comments loosely around a tour of the Oval Office. But the digressions and interpolations were priceless.
Read it all.
It’s one thing to be appreciative of Bush, it’s quite another to give him the blogger equivalent of an around-the-world.
I’m sorry, but that “the best I’ve ever seen any politician” does NOT jibe with the public persona we all know well by now. Bush is not the source of all evil – neither is he the Second Coming.
I stopped reading Powerline awhile back because of the boot-licking way they discussed Bush as though he were brilliance incarnate. Please don’t make a habit of bring that garbage over here. I beg of you.
“I met Georgie Bush and he was just dreamy!!! Our eyes met and we stared at each other with that lost haze of being the only ones in the World as soft music in the background played some enchanted idiot while we lost ourselves in a moment of forever. He took me by my arm, gazed deeply into my eyes and puked pretzels and Wild Turkey down the front of my Dockers!!!” Well great…borrow one of Clinton’s cigars why don’t ya! Better hope Jeff Gannon wasn’t there…..bitch!
Ya like him so much…..keep him!
Even if we credit Hinderaker’s account as anything beyond puppy-love, the relevant question only becomes:
“OK, though, where da fuck is this fantasy version of Bush when we need somebody up there at the podium ruthlessly slapping down the moonbats, making Helen Thomas the laughingstock of DC, and relentlessly articulating ineluctable arguments for his policies?”
I’ve heard this stale, dipshit line a thousand times: “Oh, the *real* Bush only appears when the cameras are turned off.”
Bullshit.
SS
Boy, aren’t you three in Happy moods this bright AM! Did you all share a lemon? LOL
Lorie,
I appreciated your link to Powerline and I understand what he was talking about as to Bush’s persona. Like Bush, I have been told Clinton is also impressive upclose and personal.
Ditto.
Sounds like Hinderaker has a hard-on for Bush, no pun intended! Really, Lorie, I would have expected more from you as your posts are normally pretty good, but this tripe looks like the kind of spew that Kim would post. No offense intended.
Ditto.
Sounds like Hinderaker has a hard-on for Bush, no pun intended! Really, Lorie, I would have expected more from you as your posts are normally pretty good, but this tripe looks like the kind of spew that Kim would post. No offense intended.
Ditto.
Sounds like Hinderaker has a hard-on for Bush, no pun intended! Really, Lorie, I would have expected more from you as your posts are normally pretty good, but this tripe looks like the kind of spew that Kim would post. No offense intended.
you have to admit, the pretzels and wild turkey bit was funny though 😉
It’s best to read John’s whole post. I’m happy for him. Sounds like it was a great experience. God, I’m sick of the cynicism some people spew around here.
Audrey
It is not cynicism, it is cold hard reality. Were he talking about the Pope, Nelson Mandella or the like, I could understand his enthusiasm. but he is talking about Bush, the greatest embarressment of a president any country has ever had.
Love America, hate Bush. Conservative,capitalist, Catholic and replublican and am constantly amazed at the stupidity of Bush supporters. Get a life
Lots of cranky people today. Powerline has another post up from someone else who was in one of these small meetings. Similar to Hindrakers comments.
Audrey – it’s not cynicism, its hatred. It’s incredibly sad too.
People hate Bush, so much that they’ll post pseudo-sarcastic/condescending posts on a blog like Wizbang. They’re that deep in their hate for the man. They’re just sad.
What’s sad is that someone who wants a little less boot-licking is characterized as a Bush hater.
I VOTED FOR HIM TWICE.
I’m also smart enough to know when something ain’t right.
It’s not “cynicism” nor “hatred” to accurately point out that Bush is a verbal stumblebum when often what the nation desperately needs is a strong and articulate orator. We need a Churchill up there forcefully articulating our national interests – *in public, with the cameras turning* – and all we get is that deer-in-the-headlights look and a bunch of stammered stock-phrases.
I’m sorry, folks, but it makes not the slightest difference how forceful, brilliant, articulate, and fabulous Bush appears when he’s closeted with a small group. Even if we believe this (and I barely do…), it’s one thing to answer all the questions when you’re watching “Jeopardy” on the tube – and quite another to actually do it for real when you’re up on stage and millions of people are watching.
Sorry again, but a goodly part of the job of President is to forcefully articulate the national interests of the USA. To the extent that Bush can’t do that *when it matters*, he’s falling down on the job.
Yes. Anybody who is impressed with Bush in a face-to-face meeting obviously must be ignored.
Sure, Powerline ripped him a new one over several issues — not least of which was immigration — but being impressed by him? No, can’t have that.
-=Mike
Tony
Just because some people do not like Bush does not make them sad. That argument is a cop out. Saccharine pieces such as Hinderakers are nauseating to the extreme. You are of course entitled to your opinion but try and add to the discussion rather than detract from it , or put another way, if you have nothing sensible to say, best say nothing at all.
I’ve heard several times that Bush is much more articulate when not in Washington on camera….they have some interesting theories on Powerline right now about that.
Bush will never go down as worst president ever, that belongs by a landslide to Jimmy Carter, he’ll also never be worse than Clinton and if you want to know why watch National Geographic Sunday with their famous and now updated, “Inside 9/11” documentary
Bush will never go down as worst president ever, that belongs by a landslide to Jimmy Carter, he’ll also never be worse than Clinton and if you want to know why watch National Geographic Sunday with their famous and now updated, “Inside 9/11” documentary
Posted by: jp at August 23, 2006 09:34 AM
Poor JP. You just can’t admit that Bush really is that bad, can you? Like so many other republicans today, you’re in a deep and worrying state of denial. Bush is better than Clinton???? As much as Bill is a horndog, we were in much better shape as a country seven years ago than we are today. And while some of that certainly isn’t Bush’s fault, most of it is indeed because of his lies, bad policies, and simple failure as a president.
Like JimK, I voted for Bush twice, and cannot believe what a gigantic mistake I’ve made. I have no doubt that history will treat George very badly indeed, and I’m truly sorry for my country that I acted so foolishly at the voting booth.
I am sorry I am still cynical with regard to Bush’s ability to think on his feet..extemperaneously..Mnn.. like his recent up close press conference…
“we were in much better shape as a country seven years ago than we are today”
Let me get this straight– you think we were better off with the stock market declining, the ecomony declining, millions loosing their jobs, higher interest rates, terrorists taking flying lessons at American flight schools, opressive taxes on low and middle income families, the “Gorelic Wall”, military technology given to China, nuclear technology given to Iran, North Korea developing nuclear weapons, and the enemies of this country being encouraged and emboldened?
Mr Bunyan
Let me get this straight! You think the stock markets were declining, do you? Suggest you look at a chart of the S+P, Dow Jones and the Nasdaq. Would also suggest that you look at charts of othe stock markets from around the globe. While you are at it, why not check out the value of the Dollar and see how much it has declined? As for interest rates, budget deficits and other economic data, would suggest you stay quiet as you oviously have not got a clue what you are talikng about.
In a nutshell, as bad as Clinton was for lying, he was most certainly a bettter manager of this country than Bush. Terrorists emboldened, who trained them? Mr Bunyan, you need to need to read the news, digest it and then make an informed opinion rather than regurgatating a load of old bollox that you heard second hand.
Lord help us!
clrjk,
You need to do what you suggested that I do. Anyone who does actually look at the facts will see that I’m right.
Well well Mr Bunyan.
I am looking at graphs of the three main indices in the US. Before I give you the figures, I am going to give you the opportunity to correct yourself. I am using Bloomberg for my data and would be happy to email you some you charts, that is if you have trouble getting access to the information.
Nothing like charts to brighten your day-charts are like farts-they just sloooowly wiff away in the breeze of lefties whines.
One example:
http://www.djindexes.com/mdsidx/index.cfm?event=showavgDecades&decade=2000
Had it not been for the “dot.com” bubble and the Y2K scare the economy would have been much, much worse under Clinton. It was pure dumb luck that he was President at the time of those two economic wonders. It’s a shame that that momentum could have been ridden to a level of economic prosperity never before seen, but instead Clinton’s mismangement led us into a recession in the final year of his presidency.
All the corporate scandles during the Clinton years also helped fuel the recession, but no one expected the most corrupt administration in history to do anything about corporate corruption.
There are quite a few out there, obviously, who are bitterly disappointed that the Dems. have been so unsuccessful on the national level in politics. That accounts for a lot of this sour mood.
I think Bush is a decent human being who has gone well beyond what I would have to stay civil with even those who curse him and cast the worst type of dispersions at him. Could you imagine someone accusing LBJ of concocting a scheme to generate war in Vietnam?
I think he his a quite impressive person on many levels, and his thinking is light years ahead of many on the left in a number of areas, not the least of which is what we do with a turbulent middle east that for the last 50 years has garnered the same approach from us, to disasterous effect.
Say what you will about his Texasisms. He’s a decent and honorable guy. You won’t hear him calling Ted Kennedy a drunk, or Howard Dean a fool, despite the fact that they are those things.
I think I meant “aspersions”, but I am sleep deprived with a new baby. Can’t spell or much of anything else at this point.
By the way Clrjk, you’re credibility went to zero when you posted this:
“Conservative,capitalist, Catholic and replublican”
The ignorance of economic history you’ve demonstrated here is one thing, but that statement appears to me to be an outright lie.
Clrjk,
Don’t pretend to understand economics. Clinton parroted Gingrich’s 7-year budget deficit reform and the GOP welfare reform and created a trade inbalance while giving massive loans to socialist assholes around the globe. Stock market growth during the impeached rapist’s tenure was the result of his sexual optimism more than anything.
Didn’t ya know today’s democrats are opposed to capitalism. Therefore, they attempt to legislate the country into a giant welfare system. Oh, and the MSM is loathe to report the robust economic conditions in the U.S. while latching onto negative economic news such as the Big Three automotive woes. You are sadly naive and caught in a self satisfied reach around, Clrjk.
It’s hardly uncommon to hear that a politician comes across much better in person. Why not Bush?
It’s amusing to see the sorts of entirely insubstantial things that gets BDS sufferers all worked up. Saying something nice about Bush. Wow. What a crime! Don’t do it Lorie!
Is there such an investment in Bush as an inarticulate hick that people can’t stand to hear different? (As though being a hick is a crime… or maybe it is, in a high-school popularity sort of way where when the popularity police declare someone “out” everyone else is expected to comply. I’ve certainly heard supposedly serious criticism of Bush explained as bringing someone who belches to a fancy restraunt and being mortally embarassed by having to sit at the same table with him.)
It does save having to intelligently discuss why he’s wrong on issues though.
George W Bush is a silver spoon fed, Yale educated scion of one of the most powerful East Coast political families masquerading as an aw shucks down home Texas good old boy. He’s a recovered alcoholic who traded a substance addiction for a Jesus addiction. He’s failed in every business venture he’s tried and is one of the least popular presidents ever. He may well claim that dubious distinction by the time he slinks out of DC in 2 years.
What a guy!
groucho,
George W Bush is a silver spoon fed, Yale educated scion of one of the most powerful East Coast political families…
That sounds a lot more like a Kennedy to me, Mr. Marx.
At least W’s military test score was higher than your global-warming Vietnam hero. And I’d love to see your idol Clinton land a fighter jet on an aircraft carrier while drunk. Oh! Looks like Harpo just stuck your cigar up your ass there groucho.
Another pithy, reasoned response from Mr. Fog. Look out Red! I think there’s a commie in the woodpile!!!
Keep up the good work, you’re an eloquent voice for your side.
groucho,
Are you in a woodpile? No counter point? Just sarcastic praise? Where’s another lib sound bite myth I can debunk for ya, funny man?
What are you doing in the woodpile groucho? Or were you talking about John Kerry, or Howard Dean, or Harry Reid, or Nancy Pelosi? Were they in that woodpile you saw?
Groucho, fluxomed that he’s been shown-up, lashes out in typical lib fashion, i.e. no sense of humor, nothing to offer, and we all have a chuckle at the Grouchy little man.
It’s so easy to bag you guys on this website. It’s like stealing candy from a baby that you will never have . . .
Let me get this straight! You think the stock markets were declining, do you?
The bursting of the dot-com bubble commenced, in earnest, in late 1999 and early 2000. The crash was heading down that track as quickly as it could move.
Would also suggest that you look at charts of othe stock markets from around the globe.
As I am fascinated by this, enlighten me as to how the President can raise markets IN OTHER COUNTRIES?
I’m fascinated, since the level of control of the US markets he has is virtually non-existant.
In a nutshell, as bad as Clinton was for lying, he was most certainly a bettter manager of this country than Bush. Terrorists emboldened, who trained them?
Hmm, OBL said Clinton pulling out of Somalia inspired him to increase his attacks. Freeh goes into detail about how Clinton wouldn’t do a damned thing about the Khobar Tower bombing (he had to have Bush Sr. and, later, Bush Jr. work on that to get anything done).
Yeah, great leader.
-=Mike
Tell us, what exactly did Clinton manage and how did he manage it.
The impression of most folks is that he coasted for 8 years between significant events (collapse of the Iron Curtain and rise of Islamic Terrorism).
Repubs. controlled Congress for most of the time.
So, again, for those hard of historical memory, what did he actually DO?
I completely agree with Red Fog and Mitchell. I voted for democrats since I registered democrat-ic many years ago. It all change the second I started paying attention to Bullshit in the Media and did some basic research on the internet. Nov. 2 2004 I voted for a Republican , President Bush.
If you are a “TRUE” AMERICAN AND THE LEAST BIT INFORMED , GOOD JUDGE OF CHARACTER AND CAPABLE OF SEEING THE TRUTH STARING AT YOU IN THE FACE, THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO OTHER CHOICE. TO ALL YOU STUPID DEMOCRATS WHO STILL LIVE WITH YOUR HEADS UP YOUR ASS, F**K OFF! KEEP TALKING YOUR TRASH. YOUR LOSERS AND SUCKERS OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY OF PERPETUAL FRAUDS. BETTER YOU THAN ME , IDIOTS.
Rob! I like it.
I was always a closet Republican even when I was, a long time ago, registered Democrat. For a time in North Carolina, that was the only choice, except for election for Senate and President.
Now, things have changed. For the better!
Educated responses from uneducated people. I Love it. Rob LA ca, if you are the voice of Republicans, Dems have my vote forever because son, you ain’t all there and have serious anger issues. Its politics and not your mama not breast feeding you. Grow up!
I worked for a major financial investment firm starting in the 90’s. Times were prosperous and I made a ton of money. My own portfolio was going strong too. The recession, we all saw it coming. Tech bubble was going to burst and the markets would need to correct themselves. There was also a large emphasis on online ventures that never really panned out but still had large quantities of capital invested. This would create instability. Most firms (except mine) were advising to level off on tech purchases and diversify with large cap and international. Create a good pyramid with large cap techs along with speculative ventures. Not many people did because of greed. Clinton’s years created a lot of greed because so many people were making money. **POP** The bubble burst. Through corrective action and larger tech companies buying up all the floundering smaller ventures and re-issuing stock and options, the market rebounded just as predicted. Clinton didn’t cause it and Bush didn’t fix it. It was a market trend and quite simply, thats it!
But it sure was nice of Clinton to leave the White House with a record low deficit and a projected $ 5 trillion surplus……all gone! Bye bye! My own portfolio tanked but that was due to 9/11. Since then, I’ve shifted my interests into oil companies and have made a fortune at the expense of John Q Citizen who are taking it square up the wazoo so people like me can make more money. Hope you like the high gas prices because people like me with support of this current President are the reason you have it. I also shifted interests into defense stocks like GD and LSI and of course, United Defense because the Bin Ladens shouldn’t be the only ones allowed to profit off of 9/11 thanks to this current President. I’m keeping an eye on the financial pledge the President recently made to rebuilding Lebanon to see how much of it goes to the Beirut division of the Bin Laden group who will undoubtedly be rebuilding Lebanon (again).
What concerns me is the emerging markets like China, India and other countries that keep taking in American high-paying operations. For every 100 containers of durable goods China ships to the US, only 20 containers get shipped back creating the largest trade deficit in history. China also has surpassed the US in steel manufacturing and are currently in the process of creating a large attack sub fleet that will outnumber our fleet on a 5 to 1 ratio while we’re currently tied up with Iraq and worried about Iran. I would hate to see how much money we owe China. Despite the corrections, the deficit is still frightening considering how low it was in 2000.
To blame Bush for our current economy is just irresponsible. Bush will comfortably be at fault for our future economy as the job numbers look good currently with all the low-paying service industry jobs being created while emerging markets take the lead with globalization and the geo-economical standards. American companies who pledged to support and rebuild Iraq are no longer interested in Iraq and never will be and have pursued other countries for their operations. Financial retribution from Iraq is a pipe-dream and we will never be able to gain from our investment. 2600 hundred Americans and $1.7 trillion down the drain and most of these soldiers over seas have no jobs to return home to so there goes the unemployment numbers when that happens.
Did you know that there are only 300 less Americans killed in Iraq than the number of Americans killed on 9/11? Kind of makes you put things in perspective huh? 300! Soon, there will be more Americans killed in Iraq than on 9/11. Time to re-evaluate the greater threats to our national security.
Sure the stock market is up as long as you can get your labor done in the foreign market by child labor.
Import cheap products + out source to cheap oversea labor = Good looking stock market.
Is it real or is it a ten dollar rolex?
I say to hell with the Democrats and the Republicans. When is the last time any of them actually gave a crap about anyone but themselves.
We need a couple of new parties based on what the American People agree on and not what the disagree on.
I sure most will agree on about 90 percent or more of the issues and disagree on about 10 percent of the issues. This ten percent in these modern times could be decided by the people and not a bunch of overpaid, oversexed, overzealous, ,money grubbing, simpleminded politicians who work 3 months a year.
Issues: War in Iraq.
Solution: We screwed up, Move on. Should have sent the 400,000 soldiers in. Any Army General would tell you this but thanks to our screwed up system they really cannot say anything negative about the war or the way its being waged by their commander in chief. Generals need more power in war time, not less and they need someone in the white house to represent them instead of the bureaucracy.
Issues: Gay Lesbian Marriage.
Solution: Who gives a shit there are way more important things to be concerned about.
Issues: Economy
Solution: I am just poor idiot who does not make much and my dollar does not go far these days. Actually its only worth about half of what it was seven years ago. I am not promoting Clinton but if your a poor miserable bastard like me then your much poorer then you were seven years ago.
Issues: Right to life
Solution: Let this rest with the families as no two circumstances are the same. Of course we need some laws as my wife would have me euthanatized on some days.
Issues: Stem Cell Research
Solution: Hummmmm, Lets see we are a bunch of self righteous SOB’s who believe that we cannot kill an embryo that is going to be destroyed later anyway but could possibly save hundreds of thousands of lives but we are right and can never be wrong because we are right. We are right to also go to war and kill tens of thousands of innocent people and about 3000 of our own soldiers and that stupid general who said we would need at least 400,000 soldiers we fired his ass. That will show him. But we are right therefore righteous and so on an so fourth.
Bottom Line: Its a good idea to do stem cell research and it hurts far fewer people than a stupid 80 to 100 billion dollar a year war run by a bunch of self righteous politicians who do not even listen or care what their own generals have to say. Another bottom line and this should be under another issue: President knows best UH Bull!!!
Generals should have more say in wartime then the Sec of Defense unless hes a former combat arms general. And it should be an Army or Marine Corp General. The other forces are great and do a great job at what they do but when boots hit the ground we need folks who have been there before.
**This should be two separate issues:****
Issues: Alternative Energy
Solution: Every time we get really serious about this does anyone notice that gas and oil prices drop. We should all be serious about this and government should be putting the 80 billion plus a year that we put into Iraq into alternative energies. I do not understand why it would take another twenty years if we put more time and resources into it now. We should triple the amount of money and effort put into this. We could use geothermal heating allows us to offset the effects of global warming by sucking the heat from the ground. We just need to do it on a much larger scale.
Issue: Outsourcing Jobs overseas
Solution: What the hell was I thinking. Eventually they won’t need me anymore. Or you!!!!
Issues: Border Security
Solution: Build the damn fence and most Americans do not want a bunch of illegal people sneaking into the country. I certainly do not want people sneaking into my house while I am not looking. On the other hand some of these folks are decent hard working people and should be allowed to come in work and send money back to their families legally.
Issue: Politics (Republicans and Democrats)
Solution: Shoot them all and let the devil sort them out. If you put them all in a room neither could agree on a damn thing so why bother paying these *asphodels. Give the vote and politics back to the American people. Yes I know we are too dumb and under educated to understand the delicate balance of bullshit.
Well I could go on and on but I am just going to leave this for everyone else to rip apart. Now if everyone who is bickering about this and that and Bush and Clinton and who is better and who is worse. Screw you all they are both better men than us and wether they screwed up or not is insignificant. If we want to do better then we should run for office and I am not up for that kind of responsibility, are you?
Bottom line on politics: I heard this somewhere but I do not know who I am quoting. Any it fits my political views “Democrats are the party of No Ideas and Republicans are the party or bad ideas”.
Bottom line for all this is I really don’t care what anyone else thinks and I do not care what you think about what I think. I am just speaking for all of us when i say we really don’t give a shit anymore. We just like to make a lot of meaningless insignificant noise so this is my little contribution to this entire crock of shit.
* my newly coined word for political asshole