Bush speech analysis -- not always high minded

[rm]

A more cogent, over-arching analysis later perhaps (although I tend to get more cogent than I intend to once I get going). Mainly, this is me randomly going from the notes I took during:

Production values: The RNC finaly gets it right. Having most camera angles showing people cheering _and_ Bush speaing at the same time was really smart. As was putting him out in the middle to showcase the presidential seal. Additionally the digical columns in the back to evoke the White House press conference thing -- very smart.

Opening video: Sucked. Felt like I was watching Forest Gump. Liked Forest Gump more; note, I didn't like Forest Gump. "Keep Pitching" as a national metaphor? Hi, I love baseball, but I'm still giggling.

Annoying tactic: The "look Bush is manly, he pitched from the mound" thing got annoying fast. As did all the other exmaples of his manlyness ("he climbed on a truck!").

Comparing the Iraq/War on Terror situation to WWII (repeatedly) was very frustrating, and will now lead me to several digressions. Including:
- Hitler was elected. Saying that Germany never had democracy without US involvement is inaccurate.
- While we talk about the war in Iraq it is not technically a war as war has not been declared by congress. Obviously it's a war -- I think it's time to be honest about that legally if we're going to be in it, don't you?
- Total, non-speech related digression -- I am sick and tired of men I know who know no more about war than I do telling me that they have to vote Republican to protect their families and their wives can vote for Kerry since they don't undestand these big issues. I've had that conversation repeatedly over the last several months, and it's making me lose respect for people all over the place.

Slogans: Kerry's "Help is on the Way" beats "Nothing will Hold Us Back" because fewer syllables wins.

Economic point deserving of a post of its own: You can't have a high standard of living for all citizens and be the best place in the world to do business. Does anyone realize this?

Economy:
- "taking the side of working families" -- as opposed to what kind of families?
- NYC is a weird place to talk about home ownership.

Other random observations:
- Republicans just figured out women work!
- Not subtle enough attempt to showcase Bush's traditional family against the Kerry-Heinz blended family. Gross.
- Dick Cheney increasingly looks like an obese, albino frog.
- Economy lies! lies! lies!
- For a candidate who doesn't believe the government should run people's lives where are my rights with regard to my flesh and my heart? Bush stumbled into this one over and over and over again.
- Lawyers aren't the people making us lose jobs
- I don't have a family. Am I real? Do I exist? Is this now?
- gratutious Internet crap. It's not hip and cool, it's a basic business necessity and tool of modern life. Don't mock how the world works now.
- Massachusetts is just a state, not a liberal den of sin.
- Did he just admit to having a litmus test for judges?
- I am sick of being a bad person because I am creative.
- Ask the Iraqi soccer team how liberated they feel.
- Voter registration as an endorsement for democracy abroad is a bit embarassing considering the current state of things with the upcoming election (particularly with voter intimidation and fraud in Florida).
- Stop villifying the New York Times.
- The Texas swagger line was pretty good.
- Vote for the evil you know!

Education:
- Making America smarter is not going to be achieved by enhancing funding to a non-selective community college system that barely even addresses the things high schools should be, and aren't addressing.
- Agressive and constant standardized testing may ensure that Johnny can read, but it will necessarily mean multiple choice testing, which will ensure Johnny can't think.
- "Local people in charge of schools" is code for "we will let jurisdictions pretend the Bible is science."
- Wow, condescending "look, poor brown people can be smart" moment.
- Education is not about "getting people across the finish line" -- if we're a culture that believes learning stops, or any amount of education formal or not is enough, we are a culture without ambition and pride.
- College is not for everyone.

Healthcare:
- Small companies banding together for better healthcare insurance rates is good, but small companies can't even afford those rates. I've worked for numerous small business in my life and have been privy to the financials of several of them. Trust me on this one.
- What was that convoluted thing about OB/GYNs being put out of business by lawsuits. I felt like there was some weird implication that your health insurance costs too much because of abortionists or something. Can anyone untangle that one for me? I know it was about medical malpractice, but the subtext was weird.
- "A lack of information will not stand between children and healthcare" -- then why won't we make sure people get the information they need, particularly about AIDS, to protect their health?

9/11 and Homeland Security:
- 3 days was too long to wait to come to NYC.
- You're not brave to have stepped on that site, Mr. President. We breathed the dead for _weeks_ and we have no special honors for you.
- How many countries do we want to attack preemptively now?
- We've completely let the Taliban take hold again in Afghanistan. That situation needs military attention (more than it's getting). You like about success in the war on terror.
- Let's help the new leaders in the Middle East train their armies -- isn't that how we got into this mess in the first place?
- Bush cut funding for our troops. I can't believe he just flat out pinned it on Kerry. Eroneously.

Fact and fiction in the Bush speech (with responses from his campaign), courtesy of the NYT:http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/03/politics/campaign/03facts.html

Another post later about 9/11 exploitation -- still gathering thoughts.

Comments

[starkyld.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU.

Have I mentioned, recently...

[geoectomy.livejournal.com]

...how much I think you rock?

I'll tell you now that the majority of Canadians I've talked to (which is the majority of people I've talked to recently, being that I am a Canadian living in Canada) prefer Kerry over Bush. And most of them don't have a terribly great grasp of what the issues are for Americans. For us, it's largely the feeling that someone--anyone--has to be better than Bush. It's not terribly well informed, but then, it's not our decision, neither.

A very interesting analysis.

[magicwoman.livejournal.com]

Like the previous poster said: you rock!

This is a fabulous post and one I've shared with my co-worker to digest.

Thanks!
Susan

[cdpoint.livejournal.com]

A terrific post. What superb succession of points. I wanted to stand up and applaud.

Yes, the way his staff keep Bush so closely linked to the images of the Great Seal and the White House is effective. Yet it also proves how weak he appears without that trapping. Someone whose strength truly comes from his own character can be presidential in just about any costume or setting. Hell--Johnson did it sitting on the john.

[schmidtybooger.livejournal.com]

I couldn't even finish watching his damn speech it made me so mad. I even called my mother I was that upset. My mother!!!

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

The other problem with "Nothing Will Hold Us Back" is that it's bad form to use any negatives when you want to inspire people. One of my neighbors has a bumper sticker that says DON'T POSTPONE JOY and it makes me grit my teeth for that reason.

Very well said, thank you.