WP: Shirtsleeves Style Is a Strong Suit for Bush

[kskiska]

SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- President Bush has formidable obstacles to reelection, but he served a reminder last week that he is a politician with formidable strengths.

Anyone who doubts it should spend some time watching the shirtsleeves campaign. In five days of energetic campaigning through five swing states, Bush looked and sounded like someone dropping by a neighbor's lawn party -- no coat, no tie, rolled-up sleeves, and conversational speeches in which he implored voters to "put a man in there who can get the job done."

(snip)

While Bush's style sounds conversational, his speeches, made with only occasional glances at notes, are increasingly practiced, with the same stories and arguments appearing in the same places.

Still, there are occasional variations. In one telling of his riff about the majesty of the Oval Office, he notes that it leaves any visitor speechless -- except for "my mother, who walked in and continued to tell me what to do."

That line was in Las Vegas. In Florida, however, he made the same point but said that the Oval Office is so powerful "it's the kind of place where my mother walks in and feels so overwhelmed, she won't tell me what to do."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3650-2004Aug15.html

[Cha]

1. Yada yada yada...

bush has been fucking cruising the last four years and now he rolls up his sleeves and we're suppose to get all misty eyed?

[Rose Siding]

3. More vapid puffery from the WP

This is why people don't know squat about his gutting of the regulations in worker safety, the environment, consumer protections etc.

The "reporters" think they should wax eloquent about what anyone can learn from watching a 10 second spot. Better to tell us why they think it is that there's anyone in the country who doesn't have access to a 10 second spot!

[stevedeshazer]

2. There's your liberal media

Sticking it to Bush again. Gosh, he just can't catch a break. Poor guy.

[madaboutharry]

4. What a bunch of bullshit.

This is how far the Washington Post has sunk. Crapola like this. This is the kind of writing you read in a Middle School newsletter. Bush is a phony, his family is phony, his speeches are phony, and his mother is a snob. Bush, rolling up his shirtsleeves like the common man. Give me a break. You all have got to read "What's The Matter With Kansas" by Thomas Frank. It really explains beautifully how the republicans have pulled off this crap. I am so sick of this, if he wins the election I am going to find a way to move to New Zealand.

[annxburns]

5. Honest to God ...

articles like this give me a migraine.
Ya know what I don't want in a President?

I don't want someone who is less intelligent than I am. I want my President to be the smartest, most experienced SOB in the room and in the country ...

I don't want someone who reminds me of my neighbor. My neighbors are fine people - but not one of them should be President.

I don't want someone who makes me feel comfortable at a barbecue. I want someone who makes me feel awe at a barbecue.

I don't want someone I could be buddies with. Because my President should already have friends and advisers who have seen him through great trials and tribulations.

I want a President who is a far better, smarter, tougher, quicker, more intelligent, human being than I am. Because damn it, my families safety and my country depend on that.

[leesa]

6. What kind of crap reporting is this?

Trying to sell the POS as a man of the people again.

[AspenRose]

27. Reminds me of Peron and the 'descamisados'

He'd take off his jacket and the crowd would go nuts.

Funny, not seeing that happen here, though.

[daleo]

7. More evidence of Bush's lying nature

"In one telling of his riff about the majesty of the Oval Office, he notes that it leaves any visitor speechless -- except for "my mother, who walked in and continued to tell me what to do."

That line was in Las Vegas. In Florida, however, he made the same point but said that the Oval Office is so powerful "it's the kind of place where my mother walks in and feels so overwhelmed, she won't tell me what to do.""

Imagine how they would have spun that story about Gore.

[Kinkistyle]

9. Flip Flop!

Another flip-flop from the king of flip-floppers himself.

[Democat]

10. Where are the Democratic talking heads trying to get this in the news?

The Republicans don't sit around and wait for the media to talk about it, they scream it so loud that the right wing media can't ignore it.

Our leaders let Bush have a pass on almost everything. Too many cowardly Dems!

[unfrigginreal]

8. Lol...funny article

Pretty much paints him as the phoney he is.

[PartyPooper]

11. Send this pathetic, lying, stealing, sociopath back home to Crawford!

I want my country back!

:dem:

[SoCalDem]

12. Quick!! Someone call Tweety.. He likes to see * in sweaty shirts

and jeans :)

This "he's just like one of us" crap is getting kind of old, newspeople:)

[thebigidea]

13. well, they can't say "very popular wartime president" anymore...

... so I guess we're stuck with swill like this.

[SoCalDem]

14. or "very popular YOUNG president"

:)
'
He's just really the "sweaty dumb guy"

[thebigidea]

15. I'm noticing they don't fawn over how fit he is much these days, either

what with that beer belly perched over his belt and everything... no more puff pieces about his bodyfat...

There was a hideous headline last year that made my head explode: BUSH LIKES TO RUN IN 100 DEGREE HEAT or somesuch.

Ooo, what an ubermensch. Dumbass.

[SoCalDem]

16. He's always having to be protrayed as SUPER macho, because

he ISN'T.. He has the "little-man" syndrome:)

[The_Casual_Observer]

17. "put a man in there who can get the job done"

Ok.

[Tight_rope]

18. This is bullshit news...We already know he's a phoney..help us prove it

to the world (as though they don't already know). American's were the last to know.

[Cat Atomic]

19. Chairman Mao invented the lightbulb, comrades!

Chairman Mao can run a 100 meter dash in 2 seconds!

Silk flows out of Chairman Mao's ass!

Ugh. That is one sad piece of ass kissing un-journalism.

[MarinCoUSA]

20. Gee! And I still jus wanna have a beer with the man.

a la Brit Hume (or some other talking head ass) assertion that the touchstone of presidential-campaign magic is the ability to convey a desire to "sit down and have a beer with" sometime in 2000. And of course Gore was not such a drink inducing magician

Silly me, it never ever EVER occurred to me that I should want to drink beer with Geo B. Glad I that straight.

[otohara]

21. Just Finished Reading Furious Letters to Post re: mea culpa

I see that nothing has changed, still cheerleading for liars in the White House.

[truthisfreedom]

22. that's our bushie... the guy who just "makes sh*t up." and keeps making

it up over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over...

[DeepModem Mom]

23. The article does note that Bush is in considerable political trouble --

"....If last week's lines are a reminder that Bush can be a skilled political performer, the year has also produced reminders that he can be the opposite. The State of the Union address in January did little to expand Bush's support or frame his reelection themes, polls afterward showed. Some high-profile news conferences and interviews showed Bush stumbling to get off the defensive.

Such middling efforts and missed opportunities have helped place Bush in his current predicament, running essentially even with Kerry and well behind the public approval ratings scored by other recent presidents who succeeded in reelection efforts. For all these troubles, however, the week showed that Bush has not let a hangdog air settle over his campaign, as it did over such losing efforts as his father's 1992 reelection effort or Republican Robert J. Dole's challenge to President Bill Clinton in 1996.

To the contrary, Bush was drawing appreciative crowds -- many of whom, judging by the signs they carried and questions they asked, were the Christian conservatives whom the president and his political aides have steadfastly courted. For the most part, Bush on the stump touches on the cultural issues important to these voters using indirect language rather than addressing specific policy controversies, such as his opposition to abortion, and support for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and for federal restrictions on stem cell research...."


Looks like more and more, Bush's base is the "Christian Right." I've noticed in several campaign accounts that his closely-screened, and highly motivated "appreciative" audiences, pepper their questions with references to praying. A total irony, as Bush's policies run so counter to what many religious people believe is truly religious --

[Cocoa]

24. my email to John Harris

To: [e-mail]


Dear John,

I don't care about Bush's sleeves. What do you think we readers are, a bunch of yokels that care about that stupid crap?

Thank you,
C.M.

[Catfight]

28. LOL...yokels! That's hysterical, great letter.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

25. Too bad he didn't roll up his sleeves in FL

and pitch in to help those poor people.

Guess that's too much like work.

[Catfight]

26. They are so proud of him when he does something so simplistic, like

read notes only looking down every 3 seconds instead of 2. Such very low standards for the buffoon. He certainly can play the part of back yard bonfire beer drinking idiot all too well. The oval office seems really big to Mr. Little Man Syndrome. I'll be impressed when he can do a speech without any assitance.