In final press conference, Bush defends his legacy

[SWTXBelle]

No, you graciously allowed me to have an opinion, although you have tagged it as "meaningless tripe", but also made it quite clear that you regarded only opinions which come from those with professional/specialized knowledge as being worthwhile. I respectfully disagree.

I'm not going to hijack the thread with a discussion of Bush's role in the handling of Katrina, other than to say that my opinion is not an isolated one, and even some with professional/specialized knowlege have been critical of it. Bush directly addressed only one aspect of the federal response - the helicopters rescuing residents after the storm - and asked us to take that isolated aspect and let it be representative of the whole federal response. Is Bush trying to use synecdoche? I don't know. But if it is not fair to judge Bush for actions over which he did not have direct control, it is not fair for him to take credit for the same. That is one reason why I think he was "nervy".

eta - to get back on topic. Those of you who saw the press conference - what do you think of Bush's "defense"?

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

No, you graciously allowed me to have an opinion, although you have tagged it as "meaningless tripe", but also made it quite clear that you regarded only opinions which come from those with professional/specialized knowledge as being worthwhile. I respectfully disagree.

Your sentence was meaningless because it lacked any substance, not because you're a layperson or whatever.

Your condemnation of Bush's statements is ironic given the lack of expertise - he's "nervy" for defending himself, but you're fine judging from afar, that was my point.

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

eta - to get back on topic. Those of you who saw the press conference - what do you think of Bush's "defense"?

I found it refreshing to see an elected official have a sort of comfort with speaking from the hip - we don't often see these guys "unplugged" and given that Bush is an unusually poor public speaker for a President, he seemed markedly more comfortable than I would have expected.

Now, it was still awkward - obviously nowhere near 30,000 people were pulled off roofs, so he's still not exactly factually correct - but it kind of reinforced my image of Bush as a guy who I'd probably want to drink a beer with, someone who is most likely a Peter Principle victim to a certain extent but likely not the functional retard he's been portrayed as in certain places. Maybe that's how low the bar has been set, but I enjoyed it much more than I expected. It's not 'normal' charisma, but there's still a little there for GW, at least enough to see how he got where he is now.

[SWTXBelle]

I think that approachable, guy I'd like to have a beer with vibe is a big part of Bush's appeal. I know that in the Texas gubernatorial race he came off as Joe Six-Pack, which is quite a trick when you are born into the kind of privilege he was. He was a good governor, but the thing most of America does not know is that the governor of Texas is not a powerful position. I don't know that it is a sufficient indicator of executive ability. (Warning - personal general opinion follows) I initially was impressed by the team he assembled, but I fear that some of them did not live up to their potential. It may be that events did not play to his strengths.


I will be interested in hearing his final speech, when he gets to control his message more than in a press conference.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

I think that approachable, guy I'd like to have a beer with vibe is a big part of Bush's appeal. I know that in the Texas gubernatorial race he came off as Joe Six-Pack, which is quite a trick when you are born into the kind of privilege he was.

Most politicians do this to some extent, especially at the higher levels of office. If you're in a position to run for the Presidency, you're probably not a "Joe Six-Pack," either because of your intelligence, your wealth, or both.

President-Elect Obama did a fantastic job of it during the election; he's a reasonably-wealthy, well-educated person who went to a private high school, and to talk to some people, they would tell you he's Joe Everyman. McCain did it as well during his campaign, trying to play down his wife's wealth. The fact is that there are very few people in the country who could truly relate to someone who is running for that high of an office.

[SWTXBelle]

Some do it better than others - I think Hillary faltered some (I'm thinking of the drinking beer incident- AWKWARD), and McCain TRIED to do it, but I don't know that he was successful. The whole "How many houses do you have" thing turned many off. Palin was masterful at it, but couldn't convince voters that hey, she's just like you, but she could be president. Palin and Obama have the advantage of having had middle-class upbringings. It's an interesting dilemma - to come off as approachable and human, but also competent and, for lack of a better word, presidential. Of course, it's all a matter of perception, and being able to get your image across through the media.