folder Filed in outside world, teevee
The Powerpoint President
neuro comment 3 Comments

I really should have been sleeping, but I got sucked into watching US President Bush’s 2006 State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. Bush’s manner of speech really irritates the hell out of me; he speaks in, short burst sentences, not always making it clear, where the sentence is going, to end. Listening to the State of the Union makes me think of a Powerpoint presentation, replete with bullet points and cheesy applause sound effects.

It was pleasing to hear Bush characterise American dependence on oil as an “addiction”, particularly since it was coming from a dyed-in-the-wool oil family man, but as usual he touched on right-wing bullet points: hawkish comments about keeping troops in Iraq, pro-life, “activist” courts redefining marriage, Iran is evil, yadda yadda. However, it was also pleasing to see the left staying seated and not applauding during these expected moments.

To please me further, I’d love to see Tony Blair do something like this annually in front of the Houses of Parliament and Lords — stand up and lay out your plan for the year. It’ll never happen though.

CNN has the full transcript of the speech for those interested, although Wonkette’s running commentary is much funnier.

  1. I THOUGHT PRESIDENT BUSH GAVE A GOOD SPEECH TONIGHT,HE WAS TELLING IT LIKE IT IS,AND IF HE STEPS ON ANY ONES TOES,SO BE IT.WHO CARES WHETHER THE DEMOCRATS APPLAUDED OR NOT? I DID SEE HILLARY ONCE,AND SHE ACT LIKE IT HURT HER TO CLAP A COUPLE OF TIMES,SHAKING HER HEAD AS IF SHE COULDN’T BELIEVE WHAT SHE WAS HEARING. I THINK PRESIDENT BUSH DOES ALL THE RIGHT THINGS TO KEEP OUR COUNTRY SAFE. AND IF THE LEFT WOULD HELP HIM IT COULD BE A LOT BETTER THAN IT IS. NO ONE CAN DO EVERY THING ALONE. I AM SURE GLAD JOHN KERRY ISN’T OUR PRESIDENT.
    I DIDN’T SEE THE KING OF THE DEMOCRATS,TED KENNEDY THERE TONIGHT. BUT I DON’T BLAME HIM AS UGLY AS HE ACTED LAST WEEK OVER JUDGE ALITO. BUT ALITO MADE IT AND I AM SO GLAD. KENNEDY IS GETTING TO OLD ,HE SHOULD RETIRE AND HAVE A BALL THE REST OF HIS LIFE.

  2. I thought the Queen’s speech at the opening of Parliament every autumn was the equivalent. It may be delivered by the queen, but it is written by the Government.

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