George Bush, No Fastball From the Mound

[papau]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57987-2004Sep3.html

washingtonpost.com
George Bush, No Fastball From the Mound

By Tom Shales

Friday, September 3, 2004; Page C01


It's doubtful that four more years in office would turn George W. Bush into a great speechmaker, but that he's improving was evident last night when he stood on a circular stage meant to suggest a pitcher's mound and made his case for a second term to near-deafening cheers at the Republican National Convention in New York.

Bush still has problems maintaining poise. Twice, when cheers from the crowd were interrupted by jeers from protesters -- who were quickly hustled out of the hall by security guards and police -- Bush looked flustered, even frightened, though he did keep reading from the prompting devices encircling him. Ronald Reagan in the same situation would have responded with a quip and dismissed the protesters with a tolerant smile. Bush clung carefully to his text, his eyes darting anxiously around the hall.

The interior of Madison Square Garden, home to the convention, was remodeled for the Bush appearance. The "pitcher's mound" motif grew out of the narration for a Republican-made video about Bush's life, but not all networks were willing to show it. CBS ignored it for comment from its own reporters. Fox News Channel showed the video with "RNC Video" superimposed in a corner of the screen. CNN did the same.

Taking no chances, Bush opened and closed the speech with remarks keyed to the vicious assaults by suicidal extremists on Sept. 11, 2001, and remarks about terrorism generally. In the last 10 minutes of the speech, as he reeled off emotional anecdotes, Bush was trying either to fight back tears or to induce them.<snip>

[PATRICK]

1. Devastating portrait considering

Score one big one for the suppressed protestors everywhere!

Bush is obviously faltering, insufficient to the task of a tough campaign, unable to script even a compliant media performance. Apparently the TV effect was overplanned or error prone despite lavish topical praise.

I am finding it hard to find any quotables, slam dunks or clear issue statements. I take it they went overboard on 100% personality performance and obfuscation. I also find it interesting about the tears when Bush had no trouble joking : on 9/11, about revenge, on how he had won the "trifecta" while victims were still being dug out of the rubble.

Tears show mainly psychological instability from campaign pressure in this context.

[PATRICK]

2. And professional window dressing

Remember any irredeemably bad movie that nonetheless showed flashes of professional depth and intelligence in using clever imagery, symbolism and hidden references? Impressive wasted effort all the more for the lack of any value in the movie or script.

[pfitz59]

3. Speaking of bad movies....

That RNC video really sucked. The Fred Thompson voice-over was a poor imitation of Sam Elliot. Pretty weak accomplishments for the leader of the free world. (Four years in th WH and his proudest moment was throwing a baseball?) Gadzooks!