Bush's speech at KSU

Saying that I'm no fan of G. W. Bush would be an understatement. However; I watched the last part of his unscripted Q&A session at KSU in Manhattan, Kansas with awe.

He didn't stutter or mangle the English language. He seemed to really know what he was talking about. He interacted with the audience.

Where did this man come from, and where has he been for the past 5 years?

I wonder if he's on a new medication to help his brain function better.

With all due respect, I can understand how some people might have voted for the person I saw today. (Although I still disagree with pretty much everything he stands for)

Sorry for the double post. Video and audio can be found here.

He was wired up. He was mad. "Read my lips" mad...

Maybe he functions better during extreme stress. I loved the audience questions (Masterpiece Theater) at its best!!!

Bravo!!!!!!!!!!!!

I watched the whole speech and Q&A.

President Bush earned my respect today. You could tell it wasn't easy for him up there. He kept blowing out his cheeks. At least his lower jaw wasn't going every which way everytime he finished a sentence. I can't stand that, because it makes me believe he's not comfortable with what he's saying.

The limits of his authority as President of the USA are being seriously questioned in the ongoing NSA domestic wire-tapping program, and he is facing, at the very least, a tough inquiry on his justifications for it. It was the last topic he touched on in his speech, and he accepted responsibility for authorizing the eavesdropping program.

He really impressed me when he said he is trying to lay the "foundations of peace for future generations." It is the first time I have heard him talk about seeking peace, or that his actions and efforts are geared toward achieving peace. I believe he meant what he said.

I was also very impressed with what he said about how he handles adversity. "Faith, Family, and Friends." He said he is humbled by the fact that millions of people pray for his wellbeing.

We are counting on him to bring an equitable and lasting peace to the world. What an awesome responsibility.

Godspeed to you, Mr. President.

I wasn't really impressed with his speech. I've heard it all before. He defended his decisions to go to war. Said how afraid we should be and to remember 9/11.

He did defend his latest moves on listening to phone calls. He said they only will lisen to terrorists calls coming into the US. Forgive me if I don't trust the US government to listen ONLY to those calls. I'll believe that when I see it.

His is funny, though. His Texas beef comment was pretty funny.

Originally posted by Icarus Rising
At least his lower jaw wasn't going every which way everytime he finished a sentence. I can't stand that, because it makes me believe he's not comfortable with what he's saying.

Not every time, but plenty of times. Probably 40-50 times during his speech that I saw. It makes me think he's on something.

"Terrorist Surveillence Program" Yeah, right. His jaw was particularly active during this part of the speech.

Q&A: He got a couple of difficult question and did you notice that those were the only ones he either 'didn't get' the first time or made fun of? That audience was obviously very supportive of him, but I wasn't comfortable with the way he treated the people who weren't so readily supportive of him.

Those are good points. He did bring out the same old rhetoric about 9/11 and the terrorists. He also side-stepped the nuclear proliferation and "Brokeback Mountain" questions.

Did you catch the "returning to Texas with the same way of thinking he left with" comment? Almost like he was going to resign or something. He spoke that way a couple times.

I did see the speech and Q&A as a step in the right direction overall, though, and that's what impressed me and earned my respect.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not changing my party affiliation to Republican over it or anything, just happy to see a little progress along the way.

Originally posted by Icarus Rising
Did you catch the "returning to Texas with the same way of thinking he left with" comment? Almost like he was going to resign or something. He spoke that way a couple times.

Yeah. I didn't think it was about resigning (Oh, please let me be wrong!) but more about when his term is over. I think he was trying to be a little less cocky, as to come across as more sincere.

I did see the speech and Q&A as a step in the right direction overall, though, and that's what impressed me and earned my respect.

The fact that he took a few unrehearsed questions was a good thing, comparatively, but it was also pretty safe, considering the circumstances, and much too little and about 3 years too late.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not changing my party affiliation to Republican over it or anything, just happy to see a little progress along the way.

I don't see it as progress. I think he's doing what he thinks will get people to approve of him and his war. But I'm hardcore. I don't trust him and I don't think anything could drag respect for him out of me... Cynical, I know, but hey, it's the truth.

How do you tell when a politician is lying?

His mouth is moving.

I saw bits and pieces of his speech, and like many have said -- it's the same old, same old.

He talked about 9/11, terrorists, and the same crap he's been saying since 9/11.

I wish I would have been able to ask him a question because I would have said:

"Mr. President, if you are defending your 'terrorist surveillance program' as 'legal', then why in 2003 would you say that 'a wiretap requires a court order. Nothing has changed, by the way. When we're talking about chasing down terrorists, we're talking about getting a court order before we do so.'?"

When Bush was re-elected I was happy, I didn't trust Kerry one bit. Though I didn't like JK I wasn't all to fond of Bush either. But, I must say the more I see the President speak the more I find myself liking him, his policies, and the way he runs this great country that I live in.

More valid points.

The question about Social Security was telling, as well. Pres. Bush came right out and said, "There is no trust fund." There is just a gigantic bin full of IOU's somewhere, and when they come due, the government is going bankrupt. They have enjoyed a glut of payers and a paucity of payees for a long time, and as he pointed out, that function is about to invert. What makes the government think they have been entitled to our entitlements all along, anyway?

The question about student loan funding hit home with the crowd, as well. The Pres. tried to pretend he didn't hear that one, too, and the mic wasn't working right there for a couple seconds. Pell Grants will in no way make up for the cuts to the student loan funding program. Higher education will become less available to the middle and lower class as a result.

Again, I know, overall, nothing has changed. But awareness is growing, and the winds of change are starting to blow across this great land. I can feel it.

Thank you all for a civil and coherent conversation.

I downloaded the speech, and watched some of it... yeah, same speech different day. I won't be free to watch the rest until tomorrow.

What really impressed me was the Q&A part I saw. I turned the TV on right before the Kurdish woman started praising him for freeing 27 million people.
He did a really good job with the Q&A. And that's saying something.

I still despise him, though.

Look at us! We all seem to be impressed because he didnt mess up his speech! What a pitty.

He will be giving more speaches all week long...give him time.

Its politics. He has an agenda that he must follow if he is to accomplish whatever he is trying to accomplish. Thats all. Audience members are hand picked for the show. Impressive? No. Still i like to watch,

Its so easy taking questions from the "right" side, as it were.

Consistently holding the bar so low as to expectations of what a supposed leader who's been an Ivy League grad - "Military Officer" - CEO and "Entrepreneur" is suppose to sound like and be capable of in distilling policy to those he governs still continues to amaze me.

Why are your standards so incredibly low?

I'll keep it simple:

Review any leaders speech through this criterion in descending order of importance

- Content
- Qualitative worth of the policy points
- Sincerity in the defense/belief of those points
- Delivery

The above is applicable to written word and substantiated by audio/visual

It seems when Bush was confronted with a real question, he said he didn't hear the question. Does this indicate that he is still getting answers from some sort of outside help? That would give his helpers time to tell him what to say... Just an observation.

o.p. by Bout time
Why are your standards so incredibly low?

Are we talking about reality or about ideals here? This is the first time I have perceived our President even try to be real. Baby steps, Bob, baby steps, but in the right direction. Having struggled (and still at times struggling) through my own transformation, I recognize the signs of the President starting to undergo his own, possibly. I want to encourage him to take heart and press on.

Cliches apply to my support of this possible fledgling transformation: Play the hand you are dealt, Dance with who brung ya to the ball. You know, that kind of stuff.


Benevolent Heretic,

Wow. You are cynical, and I mean that with all due respect. Pres. Bush was stalling for time pretending he couldn't hear the difficult questions so his 'handlers' could try to come up with appropriate answers to feed him? I guess they couldn't come up with anything appropriate for the 'Brokeback Mountain' question, because he just repeated his assertion that he hadn't seen it. I can't fault your perceptions, and you could be right. Time will tell, and I find that reassuring.

Originally posted by Icarus Rising
Benevolent Heretic,

Wow. You are cynical, and I mean that with all due respect.

No problem. You're absolutely right. I am. When it comes to this administration, I am quite cynical and I believe I have good reason to be.

It occurs to me that he simply answered everyone's questions and could hear just fine except for the 3 (and only those) questions that challenged him. I heard all the questions equally well.

Having struggled (and still at times struggling) through my own transformation...

May I be so nosy as to ask what you mean by this? It's no problem if you don't wish to answer, but I find it curious.

[edit on 25-1-2006 by Benevolent Heretic]

Its all about choosing peace for me, and remaining committed to that choice. There are many challenges to my commitment, and some I handle better than others.

I can kick butt and take names with the best of them, in fact I think I learned how from one of the best, my dad, but it never really got me anywhere I wanted to stay for long.

Now, I just pray for peace, and salvation by grace through faith, and I ask God to let those that oppose Him destroy themselves in the effort.

I can't put it any plainer than that.

I guess, on further review, I can put it a little plainer. I want to amend the above statement to read:

Now, I just pray for peace, and salvation by grace through faith, and I ask God to let those that oppose Him destroy themselves, and/or make their own transformation to a commitment to seeking peace, in the effort.

There, how's that?

Originally posted by Icarus Rising

o.p. by Bout time
Why are your standards so incredibly low?

Are we talking about reality or about ideals here? This is the first time I have perceived our President even try to be real. Baby steps, Bob, baby steps, but in the right direction. Having struggled (and still at times struggling) through my own transformation, I recognize the signs of the President starting to undergo his own, possibly. I want to encourage him to take heart and press on.

Cliches apply to my support of this possible fledgling transformation: Play the hand you are dealt, Dance with who brung ya to the ball. You know, that kind of stuff.

It is now & has always been strongly seated in reality in my opposition to Bush vs. the ideal of his supposed competency and "religious grounding". He's always been immoral and elitist wrapped in moral & common clothing.
Purging & Punative are the applicable action words for this hunta, not actualization or transformation. I completely understand the "what was lost now is found" kinship you are starting to ascribe to Bush, but you're salvageable & worth the effort - his actions & that of his family never have been nor never will be.

Point well taken, and no offense intended. I agree with what you are saying.

Purging and punative actions will be part, are part, of the transformation process. President Bush may well end up impeached and in jail, along with all his cronies. If so, so be it. They will get what they deserve one way or the other, for 'vengeance is mine saith the Lord'. Their days in power are numbered, and few.

What I am hoping we will be able to do is work within the established governmental processes, those that haven't already been corrupted, subverted or perverted, anyway, to achieve the desired result of salvaging our political process from complete ruination and potential civil war. A painful realignment is coming, ready or not, like it or not, and the more we can ease the transition, the more we can avoid more needless suffering of the innocents. That's why I'm trying to ease up a little now, before we plunge headlong into chaos and anarchy.

Thank you for your encouraging words toward me.