October 28, 2004

Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States. (.mov file)
posted by HawthorneWingo 20 years ago
  • Oops: from dailykos.
  • That is to say, from dailykos. (Sorry. One day I'll figure out these Internet thingies.)
  • That video was so awesome that I might masterbate to it.
  • Goddamnit, that was awesome.
  • isn't this the sort of thing that loses [normal] people elections?
  • You'd think so, Mfpb 2 21. But with Bush it probably makes him seem even more "just folks."
  • Right back at you, Mr. President. With feeling.
  • I often get the sense, in these candid views of W, that after he makes a joke, or a possible faux pas, he looks all around to gauge the general reaction. You can see it here after his "one finger victory salute" comment: he poses for a moment, then looks at four different people (at least, that's what it looks like) with an almost tentative smile. Almost like "was I funny? huh?". I also find it striking how much different W appears here, some time before the last election, versus now in the run-up to the next. In this video I see a man without a care in the world, except the acceptance of those around him. Today... I don't know what I see. But it makes me think of stories of deals with the devil, and the dire consequences thereof. All presidents seem to age quickly during their time in office, but with this one the contrast seems even more striking, perhaps because he was so youthful and happy-go-lucky before.
  • Rove did it.
  • But it makes me think of stories of deals with the devil, and the dire consequences thereof. All presidents seem to age quickly during their time in office, but with this one the contrast seems even more striking, perhaps because he was so youthful and happy-go-lucky before. Selling one's soul will tend to do that.
  • I hate to say it, but it kinda makes me like Bush more, rather than less. Seeing him speak in an almost casual way is so different than the halting, awkward thing he is when delivering speeches etc. Even his "common folk" voice nowadays sounds totally forced - as fractalid/Alex said, it seems as if he sold his soul. Here, he seems almost human. Mfpb: If you think that Bush giving a middle finger off camera a few years ago would be a big scandal, check this out (wmf) for the Canadian version. Now THAT'S a national leader.
  • I don't get it. He's just fucking about in front of the camera, right? (Or is there some context I'm missing?)
  • I bet the religious right will vote for him anyway. There is no justice in the world.
  • Yeah, he's just fucking about. And it really isn't that big of deal. But I hate him, HATE HIM, HATE HIM, HATE HIM!!! There, that feels better. Only five more days kiddies.
  • I love W a-la-casual. He seems like 10 times the person than he does when scripted. (In general; not necessarily in this vid, which is a little over the top, but funny nonetheless.) He's a horrible public speaker and that's part of what makes him look like an idiot.
  • Bush has always had a penchant for making jokes/humor that other people find in questionable taste. Something like his mocking of Karla Faye Tucker (second paragraph) bugs me a lot more than seeing him give people the finger. And to the extent that this finger thing bugs me, it's because of things like the Karla Faye Tucker "joke", which as a person who believes that the death penalty has its uses--although we need a moratorium in Texas until we fix it--appalled me. Another measure I use for my feelings of partisan outrage is, "would I be outraged if Bill Clinton did it?". If Clinton had given Newt and co. the finger off-camera, I think I would have cheered him. So, again, I can't let myself get too excited about Bush doing it.
  • Hey are the weapons of mass destruction here?? 'Cause they've gotta be somewhere! Hyuk! hyuk!! 1100 Americans / 14,000 Iraquis dead.
  • For someone who had supposedly quit drinking (and doing drugs?) by the time this video was shot, he sure seems glassy-eyed.
  • Here's the point: He is just-folks. He likes too kid around. There's nothing wrong with that. I like to kid around. I'm the kind of guy who'd give the camera the finger. But I'm not the president, and I shouldn't be. Do we want a president who needs attention as bad as this guy does? fractalid is correct: Of primary importance to Bush is that the people around him find him worth noticing. (Must've been tough having Jeb as a big brother.) Do you really want a guy who'll tailor his behavior to please those around him to be president of the most powerful country in the world? Might it not say something about his own inner moral compass, and about the undue influence living-in-a-dreamworld clowns like Rove, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, and Ashcroft might have on him?
  • Well said, HW. There are lots of people I could name whom I find likeable and folksy, but I would want none of those people running the country. The president should be too busy presidenting to be folksy, sez I.
  • (btw if you don't already have one, you can find really cheap moral compasses at Wal-Mart.)
  • Looks to me like that Bush guy is a major league asshole.