Had to bite my tongue at a staff meeting this morning.

[mac56]

We were watching a videotaped inservice, and the discussion turned to the presenter's speaking style. A co-worker volunteered, "You know who I think is a very good speaker? President Bush."

*gaak*

Another co-worker replied, "I think he's gotten better as he's been president."

*gaak*

The first fellow continued, "He really connects with you. He really sounds like he knows what he's saying."

*gaak*

I could barely contain myself. Not only does Bush look and sound like an idiot, especially when he's not scripted - - but he's only gotten worse as he's been in *office*. Professionalism kept me from skewering these two, however.

But is that really the way most people see him? A good speaker, really connected and knowledgable, and improving over time? God help us.

[RetroLounge]

1. See, now I would have asked them if the've been

Smoking Crack.

But that's just me...

RL

[Guaranteed]

2. No, intelligent people don't see him that way at all.

I'm sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, but you're working with morons.

No offense. :)

[lovedems]

5. I think it would be morans!

:)

[mac56]

6. None taken.

But they're good people at heart, and I have to rely on them at least for the time being.

[Toucano]

26. If they're not morons

then I'm not sure they really are good people at heart.

A lot of people say that type of thing, but continued support for this administration (especially if it's enthusiastic: "He really connects with you.") is no longer a matter of political preference. Continued support of George W. Bush among informed people is a CHARACTER FLAW.

If they are good people at heart, something must be done to expose their hearts because their hearts are concealed. :)

[skypilot]

3. Smile.

You were on Candid Camera.

That's the only explanation.

[OSheaman]

4. You should have said . . .

a) Bush's speaking style consists of saying one phrase, pausing, saying another phrase, pausing, saying another phrase . . . ad nauseum. It's horrific. Watch on of his speeches. You would think he's talking to three-year-olds.

b) That shiteating smirk of his is a huge turnoff.

c) Oh yeah, and he's the worst president ever.

[redqueen]

7. No, not most people... just the stupid ones.

They love him, because he makes them feel good about themselves.

[noiretextatique]

8. "He really sounds like he knows what he's saying"

:crazy: :puke: :crazy: :puke: :wtf: does that MEAN anyway?!??! :puke:

[GiovanniC]

13. I Think It's Quite Telling of the Times

When a major compliment of the President of the United States, the Commander in Chief of the world's most sophisticated Armed Services -- The Leader of the Free World -- is, "He really sounds like he knows what he's saying."

I'm so old, I remember when that was something we took for granted from our President.

[noiretextatique]

24. lowered expectations...it's so sad

that people are willing to lower their expectations in order to make him seem like more than the bone-ignorant buffoon that he is.

[skypilot]

25. Freepers are quite content with the "appearance"...

...of things. It's perfectly OK that he sounds like he knows what he's saying rather than him actually knowing what he's saying. That statement reminds me of something I read over at FreeRepublic. A poster over there described Bush as giving a convincing impression of sincerity. NOT actually being sincere, mind you, but "giving the impression" of sincerity. They are quite happy with such low standards.

[lukasahero]

34. The sentence doesn't even make sense

"It sounds like he knows what he's saying"? I assume they mean it sounds like he knows what he's talking about. Am I just being picky here or does this not make sense to anyone else?

[skypilot]

37. In some weird way...

...it makes sense to them. Like I said, he only has to sound as though he knows what he's talking about. That's apparently enough to put their minds at ease. Of course, it's not enough for the rest of us.

[kimchi]

9. Next time, speak up.

If they have the right to express their opinion, then you have the right to express yours. Your coworkers are dunces, like their hero.

Sounds like they need an edge-you-macation.

[jdsmith]

17. Right. Don't "bite your tongue"

But you should, I guess, keep on topic, which in this case had to do with speaking styles. So maybe you should have asked whether your co-workers agree with Mark Crispin Miller--that Bush IS, in a way, an excellent speaker (given that he can disguise the most godawful message with his calculated good-ol'-boyisms). I mean, that IS what they were talking about, right?

[Toucano]

30. Excellent point. n/t

[I_like_chicken]

19. I agree, I think you should definitely speak up

I don't think you should berate them for disagreeing with you, but you should at least state your opinion that Bush is not a good speaker and many times he is at a loss of words.

[mdmc]

10. "Yeah, he's got some good lines in this movie I saw the other

day!"

I met a GOP lady that had just returned from a month vacation in Paris. I asked her if she felt a little bit unpatriotic for going to Paris? She got very mad and fumed, "It would be stupid to think that we should hate France just because they opposed the war!"

Another moderate. I hope she doesn't vote this year!

[lapislzi]

11. not to offend, but...

are you in some form of sheltered employment? Are you the professional in charge of a group home for mentally disabled persons?

[mac56]

23. Not currently, but in the past I have managed just such programs.

No offense taken.

[DancingBear]

12. Do these co-workers have acesss to copious amounts of alcohol?

And did they take advantage of said access prior to said meeting?

Only explanation I can think of. :)

[Renew Deal]

14. No, they were trying to push the fool.

Thinking that hopefully the others will think they're gonna believe it.

[FighttheFuture]

15. Professionalism or fear for your job?

Fear for your job I understand. We all must survive in this jungle and do what we must.

"Professionalism" is all too often a cheap excuse used to compromise ones common sense and ethics, ala Allen Colmes. Or, more often, to survive the corporate jungle while working with others.

You could always interject your opinion with humor...

"Yeah, looks like he finally graduated to the 1st grade, bravo!!"


Still, at work it is always chancy, you must best judge your situation.

[porphyrian]

16. My Thoughts

"You know who I think is a very good speaker? President Bush."
Why, because he can read concise phrases from a teleprompter?

"I think he's gotten better as he's been president."
Why, because he repeats phrases he gets right more often?

"He really connects with you. He really sounds like he knows what he's saying."
Shut the fuck up, Karl. No one asked your opinion.

[Goldmund]

18. Why did "professionalism" keep you from skewering them?

That same "professionalism" should have kept them from saying what they did; once they went over that threshold, they were fair game, IMO.

[seabeyond]

20. i want to know why people are biting there tongue

what does that do or help but feed exactly where we are. they get to say bush is good, you get to say, the man cant finish or complete sentence. he stutters and says uh and poor grammer all the way thru with misprouncition. further, would have been part of meeting discription if you are talking this and they bring up a poor example as a good one. a lesson for them,

[LittleApple81]

21. GAAAAK. n/t

[ibegurpard]

22. Is there a reason why you felt you couldn't state your opinion?

If it is okay for other people in your workplace to discuss politics in such a way as to support Bush then you shouldn't be suffering any backlash for stating a different opinion.

[calimary]

27. Did you let that impression hang there? Did you let them get the last word

There are many ways to challenge this that don't necessarily have to be in-yer-face, making you look like some misplaced fightmonger in a staff meeting.

HUMOR!!!

USE HUMOR TO DISARM!!!

USE HUMOR TO BRING THEM BACK DOWN TO EARTH!!!

"Well, if we do like he does, David Letterman's liable to make a laughing stock out of US on national television, too!"

"Well, he sure got that 'fool me once, shame on you, fool me - uh - won't get fooled again' thing right!"

Smile, perhaps even chuckle, when you respond.

Or "welllllllllll... I can't agree on that - he says things that lots of people in his own party have now investigated and proved not true, so it makes him look less credible. He should have people advising him to back off those assertions when that happens. It's confusing."

"Gee... I'd hate to see one of us getting laughed at behind our backs because we do what he does. You wouldn't BELIEVE how many people I heard poking fun at the way he mispronounces words like Noo-CYOO-ler, and - what was that silly thing he said in that State of the Union address - weapons-of-mass-destruction-related-program-activities"?

"I'm not so sure about that. I've heard my clients saying they think he's stupid."

[calimary]

31. One more thing! About that humor - CHECK THIS THREAD:

Case in point: virtually EVERY DAY we have a new crop of bush jokes from the late night comedians on the conventional TV channels that everybody watches. Even Leno smells the stink...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1998577

If the late night comedians are zinging bush for idiocy, you know how many people watch them and know who they are? People who DON'T have cable, DON'T watch CNN or MSNBC, or maybe even the Pox "News" network? People who never heard of Aaron Brown or Wolf Blitzer or Joe Scarborough or even Jon Stewart CERTAINLY DO KNOW WHO JAY LENO AND DAVID LETTERMAN ARE.

[calimary]

44. I just thought of a good one:

"well, at least he wasn't trying to ride a bike or eat a pretzel..."

[Union Thug]

48. one of my favorite bushisms;

"Weapons of mass production"

[mac56]

28. Thanks, all, for the feedback.

Time to speak up more, I guess, since everyone else does.

My post was more to ask if this is the overriding (non-DU) general impression of Dubya.

[bobbyboucher]

29. A "coughing-bullshit" at least. Come on!

You cannot let shit like that go uncontested, it is your duty. Your duty.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

32. Yer a better

person than I mac56. Notice how I edited that phrase to be PC? I would have bitten my tongue off had I been there. I am coming to realize that fully half of this nation is comprised of people who are completely in the dark or are just not very bright........

[in_cog_ni_to]

33. I would have said...

Right, that's why we have 2 complete books of Bushisms. The man cannot speak "off the cuff" about ANYTHING. His handlers had to stop letting him go out in public by himself because he's so stupid and THAT is why we have "Bushisms" books. They made the mistake, early on, of letting him speak unscripted.

G-d help us is right. The repuke voters are just as stupid as he is.

[AussieInCA]

35. When all you ever see is chimp speak of course it looks good..

it is like chimp's moral relavency...

now we have competence relevancy. LOL

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

36. you should have brought up "abu giraffe"

[ronnykmarshall]

38. At what point ...

did you excuse yourself to go throw up?

[West Coast Democrat]

39. Bush is greatly disliked at my workplace!

Thank goodness!

[TrogL]

40. He has a folksy style that's in fashion right now

In our current culture of "simpleton is good" many public speakers have gone to a plainer, folksier speaking style. People no longer want to be educated or enlightened - they want to be soothed, entertained or told what to think.

Dubya does this to a "T", primarily because he can't do anything else.

The debates will be interesting in a car crash sort of way.

[MsUSA]

45. This is right on TrogL....

"In our current culture of "simpleton is good" many public speakers have gone to a plainer, folksier speaking style. People no longer want to be educated or enlightened - they want to be soothed, entertained or told what to think. Dubya does this to a "T", primarily because he can't do anything else." I know people who think he's talking to us as a "father figure" one who is stern, but loving. *gag* *choke* *gag* I think people don't want to be informed on anything "political", the old "I hate politics" mantra, so when W talks, it's easy on them, their brains just accept it, no questions asked because it's easier. Stupid.

[kayell]

41. Are your co-workers given to extreme sarcasm?

I might have this very conversation with one of my brothers. Of course, the part where we fall on the floor laughing our asses off would give it away.

[linazelle]

42. I'm in freeperville too...."This flag don't run" posters abound

coupled with flags and flag pins. I don't dare enter into discussions about politics. I never realized that my workplace was as conservative as it is until lately.

[Manix]

43. ...speak up..don't bite your tongue....the truth will set them free!

[proud patriot]

46. I would not of been able to keep my mouth shut

I would of said this to the manager directing the meeting .
"I thought we were here to talk work these guys are
bringing up politics , I can not let these comments
to go unchallenged but will give you the chance to reprimand
them for this infraction, before I call the bush an
illiterate cowardly wimp "

:evilgrin:

[Walt Starr]

47. You can fool some of the people all of the time

These people are part of that "some".