Profoundly Disappointing

[Updates below.]

I watched most of Bush's speech/press conference last night. I didn't really want to. I wanted to watch the new episode of 24. I missed the Jack Bauer Hour and when that happens I hope something worthwhile is broadcast in its place. The last few weeks, it's been American Idol. I would have taken that over the performance last night.

The transcript is here. I feel sorry for the transcriber. Bush's cadence and shortstop delivery in the face of live questions is just ungodly bad. I'm certain I'd be more nervous than he ever was and I'd screw up as well. But it's time he took one of those vacations and spent it on professional speech coaching.

The content let me down even more. When people say Bush is "on message," it means he won't deviate from explaining a decision of his or an opinion of his without dropping back and relying on some minor deviation of a larger set of talking points. I can't understand how anyone beyond a partisan supporter appreciated his rambling. He turned almost every question into a rehash of points he mentioned earlier.

He wants to force the Middle East to be democratic and peaceful in order to eliminate or substantially reduce the threat of terrorism to America and the world. He thinks this is our calling as a country...our "obligation." He says the world doesn't seem to agree with him and that's too bad. Read his remarks. The specific current events issues he deals with (the bloody details of the occupation, for instance) are not relevant anymore. Iraq will be pacified, an Iraqi governing body will take power on June 30th, and we'll continue to push on those dominoes elsewhere.

I can't agree to that. Not in the way it's formulated and not the way it's to be accomplished. More later, if I have the time.

UPDATE(12:45pm)
I realize now that saying Bush's performance was disappointing implies I had hopes for him. I didn't then and I don't now. The whole feeling is best summed up by this Reuters photo caption:

President George W. Bush (news - web sites) answers a reporter's question during a nationally televised news conference at the White House April 13, 2004. Before the glare of live television cameras at his first prime time news conference in more than a year, Bush responded to many of the questions from reporters by repeating fairly stock phrases about freedom in Iraq (news - web sites) and the history-changing impact of the Sept. 11 attacks. (Larry Downing/Reuters)

Repeating stock phrases. Stumbling over his words to questions. Openly dodging others. Refusing to say the government failed it's primary job of protecting it's citizens. Bush will not admit guilt or wrongdoing on anything, which is absurd. Be honest, man. At the very least, regret the actions of other government officials who you think made your job harder; people you have the power to influence when you didn't.

And damn am I tired of hearing how strongly Bush feels he is doing the right thing. He made it a point to hammer this in a few places. That doesn't matter, man! At all!

I'll be saddened if Bush wins the next election and I'll be just as saddened if Kerry wins it. Third parties have no chance to influence the outcome except to take a few percentage of votes away from the party most aligned with them politically.

Ugh.

Posted by Drizzten at April 14, 2004 08:59 AM