Bush Holds Prime Time News Conference
April 28th, 2005As President George W. Bush started his prime time news conference, he looked like he just drank some bad tasting medicine.
He is right to think a majority of Americans, those who voted for him, are a bunch of dumbasses. He ain’t fooling the rest of us on Social Security, energy, taxes or anything else.
Open thread for comments, folks. I’ll post more story links as they go online.
It seems the president is just throwing out canned, rehearsed answers. He is not showing that he has an original thought in his head to answer a direct question honestly. Absolutely pathetic.
AP - Bush Pushes Social Security in Rare, Prime Time New Conference
April 28th, 2005 at 10:55 pm
The canned, rehearsed answer is unfortunately the norm for today’s politicians. Substitute the dumb Southerner schtick with the New England snob schtick and there would be no difference between Bush and Kerry in that regard. Politicians who come off their talking points risk being savaged by the press and millions of blogs. This is the first of many problems with Howard Dean as a presidential candidate. As public scrutiny increases exponentially with blogs, politicians are going to become more guarded in their public speaking engagements.
Is there a national political figure with the skill, eloquance, and conviction to manage the press in a satisfactory way and still have the backbone to be a strong leader? All I see are a bunch of fake smiles. All I ask for is a candidate who speaks in an authentic voice and promotes the ideals of freedom. All I hear is political posturing.
April 28th, 2005 at 11:15 pm
You are right dt. A sad state of affairs. Freedom and democracy are dying. I just don’t see “liberty on the march,” our president’s favorite Orwellian refrain. Do you? Any suggestions?
April 29th, 2005 at 12:10 am
I disagree. The spirit of freedom and democracy is alive and well. In fact, it
is thriving. See Lebanon, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and yes even Iraq, just to name
a few. Movements, and hints of movements, for democratic reforms are currently
sweeping the globe. The vast majority of Iranians are itching to take out the
mullahs because the promised Islamic "Republic" was never delivered.
China is a ticking democratic timebomb. Everywhere people are willing to take
risk their lives for freedom and dignity. These movements are being chronicled
in places like Publius
Pundit and Spirit of
America (being run by one of my favorite bloggers Michael
J. Totten). Why are these things happening? Technology.
I believe we are entering a new era of democracy due to the technology we are
using at this very moment. The internet and blogs are a challenge to societal
institutions as communication and expression are becoming increasingly democratized.
No longer are newspaper editors, tv producers, and state governments able to
hold their monopoly on information. As technology spreads, more people are seeing
the world as it is, not as how it is portrayed to be. By putting the means of
media production in the hands of ordinary citizens they are being empowered.
I believe in the near future, and over the next few years, we are going to see
revolutions far surpassing those of 1989 and 1848.
As for our country. Same shit, different day. Political fighting and posturing
has been going on since George Washington. I would love to see the rise of a
legitimate third political party. Ideally, a centrist party that doesn’t hate
America and capitalism nor want to establish a government based Judeo-Christian
religious values.
April 29th, 2005 at 12:26 am
You may be right, although you have to consider the countervailing corporate forces at work. We will see who is stronger as time goes by.
I was talking about what Bush says about Iraq. This administration is not promoting anything resembling freedom. It is all about power, wealth and control for those who are pulling the war strings.
I just posted a story from the Wasington Post about the U.S. federal budet on the Locust Fork News page. My headline?
Budget Deal Trashes Environment, Screws the Poor
Tells it like it is more than the original: Budget Deal Sets Stage for Arctic Drilling And Tax Cuts