September 19, 2002

6:55 AM

"There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you....eyfoolme can't get fooled again."—George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002

Anyone who watched the Daily Show last night saw this video clip of a Bush speech given yesterday, for those who didn't go to the Whitehouse Site and view (or listen) yourself, it's about 10:45 into the speech.

Better yet, the Daily show archived the show and is showing it (Well they will tomorrow, or later today). Every week this guy spurts out moronic statements, and he has the keys to the war chest!! Help!!
posted by CrazyJub (29 comments total)

Damn formatting, looked fine in the preview!!!
posted by CrazyJub at 6:56 AM on September 19, 2002

bush don't speak well!

That's newsworthy and hasn't been covered here before
posted by Mick at 7:05 AM on September 19, 2002

Jay Leno had that clip as his "George Bush Mangled Adage of the Week" or somesuch last night.
posted by mbd1mbd1 at 7:06 AM on September 19, 2002

I hope Matt is willing to go in and fix the formatting, because that quote is too precious. I know it's just a variation on the Bush-is-dumb meme, but it may be the best example yet.

And to get the full flavor, you have to watch when he says: "Fool me once, shame on ...." Then he sits there for about 5 seconds as you realize he's trying to remember how it goes. Finally he gets in "... shame on me." Then he promptly forgets the rest of the saying.
posted by pardonyou? at 7:13 AM on September 19, 2002

Well, the pause is only two seconds, but that doesn't really change the point all that much.

But boy am I glad that to finally learn that Bush isn't the best speaker in the world. My eyes are finally open.
posted by obfusciatrist at 7:20 AM on September 19, 2002

People in power may misspeak or do something stupid with an intern but that doesn't make them any less smart or really take away from the actual work they're doing. I mean, Dubya has a 70% approval rating, so the vast majority of Americans don't care as long as he does a good job.
posted by mkelley at 7:21 AM on September 19, 2002

I'm confused, I was under the impression that the White House was editing the transcripts of his speeches to remove his gaffes.
posted by panopticon at 7:21 AM on September 19, 2002

Professional speechwriter--Politicians, don't leave home without one.
(Hell, don't try to order dinner without one.)
Sad, really--kinda like Sam the Ventriloquist Dummy tryin' to make it on his own.

What's next?:
"I do not, I repeat I do... I mean, No, Yes I don't want you to, Um, Do push the button!"
posted by Shane at 7:23 AM on September 19, 2002

Clip (audio, RA,18-sec)
posted by stbalbach at 7:25 AM on September 19, 2002

panopticon, that's hardly necessary. The press often does it for them.
posted by UnReality at 7:25 AM on September 19, 2002

I am speechless, not at the inanity of Shrub's gaffes, as they are to be expected from the little turd, but at the dire stupidity of some of the commentary here these days. At least make an attempt, please, friends and neighbours. I'm begging here...
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:26 AM on September 19, 2002

I like how he just started quoting the Who there at the end....

"We Won't Get Fooled Again!!"
posted by nagrommit at 7:26 AM on September 19, 2002

You know what? I don't give a rip about his public speaking skills. And really, that is all we are talking about here. Just because someone is a silver-tongued devil, it doesn't necessarily follow that he or she is a good leader. (I would invoke Hitler here but don't want to kill the thread, so forget i said it.)

All I care about is his thinking skills behind the scenes. I understand that reasonable people can and do disagree regarding his policy decisions-and most of that probably comes from one's basic political views-but I am d*mn*d tired of this man being called an idiot.

Seems to me that people on Metafilter should have the brainpower to have real discussions on what he is/isn't doing that they do/don't agree with.

I mean, laugh at the braincramps if they are funny-but don't mistake his speaking bloopers with a lack of reasoning ability. They are two different things.

Whew. I feel so much better now.


Rant over.
posted by konolia at 7:27 AM on September 19, 2002

Well, I looked at this post thinking it would be just another "Bash Bush and his poor speaking abilities" thread, but I am pleasantly surprised at the responses. I, for one, do not care that he screws up a line every now and then. I'm more worried with the decisions being made in regards to the Middle East, actually, then whether or not he is able to spit out some old adage.
posted by JaxJaggywires at 7:32 AM on September 19, 2002

I am speechless, not at the inanity of Shrub's gaffes, as they are to be expected from the little turd, but at the dire stupidity of some of the commentary here these days."

Umm, yeah, whatever. I must say that calling Bush a "little turd" really does a lot to raise the level of discourse.
posted by MrBaliHai at 7:33 AM on September 19, 2002

What an idiot! I thought the audio was funny, but when I saw the clip on The Daily Show (3 times!) I was just rolling. Is it brain damage from drugs, or can he really be that stupid?? If he speaks that way, just imagine how he thinks... truly frightening!

The thing that's most weird to me is, even if W. doesn't care that he can't say "nuclear", wouldn't some of the people around him care? Just a little speech therapy could have cured that long ago.

(BTW, there are plenty of threads on MeFi that discuss his "lack of reasoning ability", this one's just delicious fun.)
posted by sparky at 7:37 AM on September 19, 2002

It's completely unprofessional and embarrassing. Yes, the same could be said of getting blow jobs in the Oval Office, but I thought Dubya was bringing "dignity" back to government and all.
posted by raysmj at 7:37 AM on September 19, 2002

>Umm, yeah, whatever. I must say that calling Bush a "little turd" really does a lot to raise the level of discourse.

You caught that did you, MrBaliHai? Well done! Welcome to the Wonderful World Of Irony.

It's a E-Ticket Attraction, and you must be *holds palm up at waist level* this smart to ride!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:38 AM on September 19, 2002

The weirdest thing is the beginning -- "There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee" -- ??? Moving from a sheltered life in Texas to a sheltered life in Camp David must truly be difficult...
posted by sparky at 7:42 AM on September 19, 2002

Now this is discourse.
posted by Skot at 7:43 AM on September 19, 2002

konolia - we have plenty of discussions on what he is/isn't doing that we do/don't agree with. It also bears mentioning that Bush's frequent linguistic gaffes are almost always committed while almost visually struggling to remember a very common name/term/phrase/aphorism. When the President consistently acts, policy-wise, as if he were a mere puppet for Fortune 500 corporations as well as his father's former administration, his seeming inability to string a sentence together simply spices the stew, as they say in Tennessee. Well, I'm sure they say it in Tennessee...
posted by GriffX at 7:44 AM on September 19, 2002

Tell you what, folks, I'm less concerned with this gaffe than I am at the White House's insistence yesterday of referring to Sadaam's offer to allow inspections as a "rope-a-dope." Honestly, I wish these people would stop trying to use language.

"Rope-a-dope" is a specific strategy by which you let your opponent beat the living shit out of you until he is tired, then call upon your own reserves, provided you have some left after suffering a beating from a presumably savage brute, and come out from behind what looks to be a horrible losing battle to win rather decisively.

This is how the Bush White House wants to characterize Sadaam? Are you sure, Bush White House, that you genuinely wish to provide the media with a favorable comparison between this dicatator and the great champion Muhammad Ali in 1974? Are you certain that you want to characterize Sadaam Hussein as a champion?

That's what you've done, you dumbasses, you non-thinking, mouth-breathing dumbasses. Jesus, please let these people stop attempting to use language. I would prefer a random system of grunts and gestures to this torture.
posted by NedKoppel at 7:48 AM on September 19, 2002

Look, I can't talk to the man, himself; I can't pull him aside and tell him how I despise his ethics, despise his hypocrisy. How nearly everything he has done in office runs contrary to my ideas for what is best for this country. All I can hope for is that the whole nation giggles at his gaffes and the guy feels humiliated. It is not a lot, I grant you, but it makes me feel a little better.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 7:49 AM on September 19, 2002

I agree that brain power is more important than eloquence. That's why I voted for Al Gore.

On the other hand, Dubya did go up at least a small notch in my book for quoting The Who when he couldn't think of anything else to say! If only he'd capped it off with an air-guitar windmill or two....
posted by spilon at 7:49 AM on September 19, 2002

Strange, I've never seen a poll on what percentage of Americans are embarassed by how dumb the president sounds when he speaks. I personally find his manner of speaking to be a shameful thing for our country. I think it makes the whole world think less of us.
posted by Babylonian at 7:53 AM on September 19, 2002

Amen, Secret... Perfectly said.
posted by mattpusateri at 7:54 AM on September 19, 2002

Any bets on whether GW will eventually title his memoirs Me talk pretty someday?

That's nothing, though. About 10 years ago I watched two young handlers guide our state's senior--and I do mean senior--Senator, Strom Thurmond through a small crowd. "Let's walk over here, Senator. Let's talk to these people, Senator. Senator, someone over here wants to say hello to you," they murmured as they held his arms. Now that's comedy!

But really, having endured two years of GW's brainfarts already and with another two to go; increasingly, I just don't want to be reminded.

Dubya has a 70% approval rating, so the vast majority of Americans don't care as long as he does a good job.

Yeah, well, 6 million people voted for the American Idol too, so that statistic doesn't console me.
posted by octobersurprise at 7:56 AM on September 19, 2002

konolia, I don't agree. Public speaking skills may not guarantee morality, but the absence of those basic skills calls into question competence, not character.

Right or wrong, there's always been a link between grammar and intelligence. It's not a revolu tionary idea.

"...Neither can his Mind be thought to be in Tune, whose words do jarre; nor his reason in frame, whose sentence is preposterous;..."

Ben Jonson
posted by Jeff Howard at 7:58 AM on September 19, 2002

I understand Bush supporters want to give W. a pass on his mangled speaking, but really -- when you're judging a person's intellect, what else do you have to go on? Should we look at his writings? Um. And we're not talking about the occasional cute malapropism here, like Richard Daley's "No man is an Ireland", or idosyncratic mispronunciations, like Jimmy Carter's "nuc-u-lar" (all the more odd for a nuclear engineer, BTW).

With Bush it's much more -- it's clearly an inability to think on his feet, string thoughts together logically, and speak in complete sentences. I'm sorry, but if any of you were hiring managers and sat across from a candidate as mentally disheveled as Bush appears to be, you would dismiss him out of hand as unsuitable (I'll be kind). Regardless of party ID.

Can we be honest enough here to admit that voters on both sides are not necessarily interested in a nuanced intelligence in their leaders, as long as they are capable of hiring strong advisors and acting consistently on the issues that their supportes care about? I don't condemn this, but please let's stop pretending that Bush is a smart man based on his behind the scenes "actions". As far as any of us know, Mister Cheney is running the whole show behind the scenes anyway. Whip-smart intelligence is a nice thing, JFK/Nixon/Ford/Clinton had it, Reagan and the Bushes don't, (Johson/Carter maybe?) and there's no correlation to their achievements or to their party affiliation that I can see.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 8:04 AM on September 19, 2002