Bush's Press Conference

But the part that isn't is when the PRESS asks questions.

How many of THOSE has Bush had?

How does that compare to earlier presidents?

 

Thank you for posting that, it reminds me of everthing Bush is not, eloquent enough to talk off the cuff about any policy at anytime. Bush only seems to talks in broad absolutes, which is fine, if the President is just a figurehead (hmm?).

 

The press's questions are approved ahead of time. As far as I know, that has always been the case, at least in recent history.

 

Hehe.

 

LOL. I love it.

 

The title of this thread should be "Meaningless and Unfactual Attacks Against the President."

Come on people, We all know the vocal majority in this BBS doesnt like the President. The D&D is suppose to be a "Debate and Discussion", lets not fill it up with this garbage.

 

where are there unfactual attacks in this thread?

just because you don't care about the issues raised in the thread, doesn't make them unimportant or meaningless to all

 

And where are the meaningless ones?

If you want meaningless and "unfactual" attacks against the POTUS, please refer to AM radio during the years 1992-2000. Good lord almighty: by that standard, we've all been very kind to Bush.

 

hrmmmm. I don't know about the "unfactual" bit. That depends on many unknowns regardless of your political affiliation...

Maybe that goes hand-in-hand with the unfactual vs. factual debate? Maybe it is because of these issues that we are discussing? Perhaps, *gasp* the President has acted in a manner deserving of such animosity in the eyes of some people?

I suppose that makes me a terrorist....

Understood. The cartoon was meant to both amuse and provoke. I'm sorry if it went to far...

But it obviously worked.

 

The cartoon is unfactual and doesnt have anything to do with the thread. The thread is meaningless because the number of press conferences a President has makes little to no difference to anything. Expecially since no one here has yet to make a historical comparison. As far as I can tell, he has been available to reporters at a comparable level to any other president in recent history.

I have a feeling that if he had a lot of press conferences, you people would be the first to complain that he is trying to steal airtime and use that as an edge in the election year. Or that he doesnt do any work because he spends all of his time prepping to be on TV.

Truth is, in most of your minds, he is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. So why dont we let the petty stuff go and spend our time discussing something that matters.

 

rvolkin,

reaching out to people in a legitimate, non-scripted, non-fabricated way is important to many citizens, even if that is not important to you. I hope you can appreciate that and not dismiss it as "partisan."

Bush holds "the record for appearing at the least number of press conferences since William Howard Taft, excepting only Richard Nixon at the height of Watergate and Ronald Reagan after Iran-contra." This is according to The Center for History and New Media, and it does not even include the last 18 months of relative press conference silence. If someone can refute that datum, I'm all ears.

Here's an article from 2001 by Rick Shenkman.
Bush and Taft

 

Ultimately, the President is supposed to answer to the American people. One of the ways he can do that is by having press conferences (as he will most certainly not have an open forum in a non-campaign year).

He's had the fewest in modern times. THREE times in a little over three years?

Yeah, he's got the MBA style of delegation, but again, HE'S the president. He should respond, take questions, etc. I didn't have a chance to vote for his Cabinet; they don't answer to me.

If he were to actively manage a blog or answer emails publicly from the public once in a while, that would be cool. But neither he nor any other President will do that. Once he does that, a press conference won't be a big deal.

 

Well, I personally wish he would have more, and I can understand the criticism to that extent.

However, rvolkin has a point in that he would be attacked, to some extent, no matter what he did at this point. If he did suddenly have a bunch of press conferences, some people (not all of us though) would definitely say he was taking advantage of opportunities to campaign.

We have been effectively polarized by a number of forces at work. It's true.

 

Hell, the President on "24" has at least 4 a season...thats 4 in one day!!!

Speaking of, this week's episode of 24 has been moved to Sunday because of the Presidental press conference.

 

Sorry, B-Bob, but if Bush were to receive some criticism for suddenly having press conferences prior to the election, which I don't think he'll be doing much more of than the little he does already, then he deserves whatever criticism he gets. And for folks like rvolkin to make light of Bush's minute contact through this time-honored tradition of communicating with the American people, and to say his radio broadcasts on Saturdays were a groovy substitute is, well, ludicrous. In my humble opinion, of course.

(did you ever get the right fit for your suit from the tailor, B-Bob? Last I heard, Sam was cackling about the "fit", especially in the tush... something about the fur sticking out in all directions... as if he has room to talk!)

 

Deckard: You just don't get it. The cartoon is unfactual. Period.

p.s. Did you hear about John Kerry's middle name? It's FORBES, for crying out loud.

 

That was a cartoon??

As for his middle name, I addressed that stunning issue, with which the success of the Democratic Party this Fall teeters on the brink of electoral oblivion, in Trader_J's superb "Misery Index" thread... I'll repeat it here, in my sorrow...


"FORBES! What were his parents thinking??? Oh, the humanity! "

 

This board makes it hard for Republicans that are considering voting Democrate to actually change due to the constant whining and complaining displayed here. It's hard to affiliate yourself with such nonsense.

 

Maybe I've been working too much, but I never noticed how lame he really sounds when he starts talking.

This press conference is pathetic. He's struggling to pronounce words (which is normal) and he has NO polish whatsoever. If I ever gave a presentation at work and answered questions sounding as disjointed and hesitant as he does, no one would ever let me get in front of clients again.

I'm scared to have the reigns turned over to Kerry (and will not vote for him), but listening to this disaster, I'm not sure I can vote for Bush, either.

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