Quick political post

[eee1313]

If your opinions differ from mine, skip this. I'm also cut-tagging it so you don't have to read it if it's just going to piss you off.

Okay, so. Kerry last night. I was impressed. First and foremost, because he's an amazingly good public speaker, especially when compared to Bush. Bush is the WORST public speaker I've ever heard. I'm not exaggerating for once, either. And I've judged high school forensics competitions. Seriously, someone should sit Bush down and give him basic public speaking lessons. You do not ... pause in the middle ... of a sentence ... for no reason. Although with him, I honestly don't believe he's doing it for dramatic effect, I think he just can't read off a teleprompter that quickly. Which makes me sad.

Now that my rant about Bush sucking at public speaking is done, I have to say that Kerry's speech made me happy. I know it's complete naivity (sp?) to think that everything Kerry promised will happen. Tax cuts for the middle class? Someone tell me how that's any different from Bush Sr.'s promise of "no new taxes!" all those years ago. (Side note: I remember watching that speech with my dad, and I turned to him and asked, "Who's going to fall for that?" I was in the sixth grade at the time.) But for some reason, when Kerry says this shit, it makes me happy.

Maybe it's because he sounds like he honestly wants to unite the nation. Religion isn't something for right-wing crazies. Family values aren't something for right-wing crazies. Tolerance and acceptance isn't just for left-wing crazies. These are American values, and I'm glad he said it that way, because that's what this country stands for. And I'm glad someone is putting it that way. And I like the slogan that "American can do better." Because right now, this country probably looks like a bully, or that snotty girl who cuts people down, or that executive who thinks that he doesn't have to play by the rules. This country isn't perfect, to outsiders and to many Americans. So I'm glad that someone is seeing the faults in our country, and wants to improve. It's naive to say that we're at the top of our game, because we're not.

In other news, Bush has a new refrain for this leg of his re-election campaign. "We've turned a corner, and we're not turning back." Hmmm. Does that sound mildly threatening to anyone else out there? Then again, I'm biased.

So, yeah. Kerry actually made me not hate the government. I took his words with a grain of salt, but that's better than the salt lick I normally need in order to swallow Bush's rhetoric. That's a good thing, right? Let's hope...

Comments

[fenwic.livejournal.com]

I was also very impressed with his speech and I only got to read it (thanks to georgevna). I scurried on over to his website and am now seriously considering going to a local pancake breakfast and, I dunno, handing out buttons or syrup, or whatever, just... Go Kerry!

And you are SO right about GW as a public speaker. He frankly just looks extremely not-smart and that anybody (let alone a not-majority of the country) could've watched him speak and made him president anyway still boggles my mind.

[eee1313.livejournal.com]

Yup. And it's horrible, but from this side of the fence it makes one think that people who want to be represented by a slack-jawed slow-talker are slack-jawed slow-talkers themselves. This, in turn, implies stupidity. Which really isn't fair to those who do support Bush, because I'm sure there are some really intelligent, good Republicans/Bush supporters. Heck, I know a few.

Ditto what you said about actually wanting to do something to help Kerry. I mean, I'd vote for my dog if it meant getting Bush out of the office, just because I hate how he waves around God and the Constitution like a shield, proclaiming those who speak up against him as a non-patriot. And that's just the tip of the iceberg with him, too. But Kerry really impressed me. I wasn't expecting him to say stuff that I wanted to hear, and I certainly wasn't expecting to be left smiling throughout. Seriously, this is the first time I've ever really cared about who wins. I've already donated to Kerry's campaign fund, and I want to do more. But in my neighborhood, saying "Kerry's great!" is like preaching to the chior. Or my LJ friends. ;)

[sodanyc.livejournal.com]

Bush looks like a bad public speaker when compared to the kids I used to do science competitions with in middle school. It's just plain depressing. It's also depressing that when my friends and I were going through the good things about Kerry's speech, one of the items on the list was, "He pronounced the big words correctly."

But yeah, Kerry's speech made me happy too. The attitude and perspective of the speech was just great and quite refreshing. I just fail to understand how anyone could not like that, but then again, as I've come to realize over the past few years, sadly, I apparently fail to understand a large majority of this country. Oh well, I'm just going to keep on hoping for Kerry.

[canadia-bit.livejournal.com]

"He pronounced the big words correctly."

Oh, man. That's both funny and sad.

Anyone who's sat through a high school forensics meet knows that Bush is an atrocious speaker. And while the right-wing media may try to play this off as "See, he's just a normal guy! And it's not how he says it, it what he says that matters!", they're wrong. The President represents America. Don't enough foreign countries already think Americans are dumb and slow? Why would you want to present that image to the world? Kerry is right - America can do better. I hope to god Kerry wins in November, because last night he totally won me over with his great speech.

[eee1313.livejournal.com]

Anyone who's sat through a high school forensics meet knows that Bush is an atrocious speaker.

Heh. My sister (Yakgirl) is a speech/English teacher, and she used to coach the forensics team at her old school. (Hence my comment about judging competitions.) I'd love to hear her take on Bush from a completely non-partisan, speech-teacher-critiquing point of view. He'd so fail in round one of every forensics meet.

Yakgirl's thoughts

[(Anonymous)]

Okay, you asked for it. I cannot agree more-- George Bush could NEVER score well in a forensics round. He just plain sucks. I'd like to think that with a week of training from me, I could make him less, um, crappy and make him simply craptacular.

If I were evaluating him as a judge, I'd say he needs to cut out all the pausing. Or at least keep it to the ends of sentences, and if he can't do that, phrases (if he knows what those are). Second, what the hell is with the hand gestures? Especially the one where he subsitutes a closed fist with a thumb sticking out for a pointed finger. Dude, I know it's rude to point, but come on! You look like a moron. Third, try working on pronunciation. If you can't say the name of the country/leader, perhaps you should see someone at Sylvan. Other things to work on? Um, overall lack of conversational or otherwise interesting tone, clear and honest eye contact, and any variation in inflection and rate of delivery. In short, sign up for Speech 101 at your local community college, Mr. Pres. It would do you a world of good.

I think some, and please note-- SOME-- of what he says is well-written (see speech to Joint Session of Congress, Sept. 21, 2001), but it's not like he's the guy writing the speech on a napkin on the way to Gettysburg (ala Lincoln). I actually think that many Americans overlook his shitty speaking style because they think he's the one that wrote his speeches. And what does that say about Americans? Maybe you're right about many of his supporters being slack-jawed yokels.

Re: Yakgirl's thoughts

[eee1313.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you're my sister. And that you're a smarty-pants speech critic person.

HA!

[bigboobedcanuck.livejournal.com]

OMG, I love your icon, bit!

And as another Canadian for Kerry, I really agree with you, eep. :)

[canadia-bit.livejournal.com]

I'm such a dork, I made the icon immediately after Kerry's speech last night. He had me at hello...

Totally shareable, if you want it.

[bigboobedcanuck.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks! :)

[eee1313.livejournal.com]

See, I'm hoping that it's actually not the majority of the country that you disagree with. I'm hoping that it's the majority of the voting public that you disagree with. Considering how low the voter turnout was for the last election, no wonder things were so fucked up. After the debacle that was the 2000 campaign (despite anyone's opinion on the outcome, I don't think it can be denied that election was a MESS), I'm betting one of two things will happen.

A) That it inspires people to go out and get registered and vote, because the more voters, the less likely a mess like that will happen again. People just rely on everyone else to cast a vote and expect things to turn out the way they want, and the last presidential election proved that doesn't work.

or B) That it disheartened so many people that they won't bother to vote this time around.

Seeing how volitile things have become since 2000, I doubt this will happen. There are so many people who are upset with the current state of things, or so convinced that the current state is the way to continue, that I think there will be a lot of voters. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that more of the former will be coming out of the woodwork than the latter.

Also? This icon seems oddly appropriate. ;)

[sodanyc.livejournal.com]

That's a good point about the voter turnout during the last (incredibly screwed up) election, and I really do hope that things change this time around. I'd like to think that this election has to at least go much more smoothly than the last one, but I don't want to jinx anything....

And heh, yes, that icon is just perfect for this subject.

[georgevna.livejournal.com]

Heh. My problem with Bush-speak is not so much the pausing as it is the condescending smirk - both in his face and in his tone. So often he seems bemused that he has to explain this to us - because we are such morons that we don't understand that these people are EVIL DOERS - and kind of incredulous that he has to offer any explanation at all, because he's the President, and somehow he's decided that means he gets to do whatever he wants (so he's just humouring us by answering questions).

I loved Kerry's speech. Yes, some of it was iffy, but I am so glad someone finally came out and said that America can and should stand for something in the world - other than Might Makes Right. And that people who question government and challenge the status quo ARE the patriots. And that God is not a Republican.

[sunbrae.livejournal.com]

And that God is not a Republican.

What do you mean, He's not a Republican?!?

Heh. ;)

[sunbrae.livejournal.com]

Religion isn't something for right-wing crazies. Family values aren't something for right-wing crazies. Tolerance and acceptance isn't just for left-wing crazies. These are American values, and I'm glad he said it that way, because that's what this country stands for.

So true. I really enjoyed reading speech. It does sound awfully optimistic, but even if half of what he said comes true, we'll be better off.

Kerry stuff

[(Anonymous)]

I too think Kerry's speech was well done. Kerry seemed to throw in a few random gestures, but otherwise,he did well.

I don't know what's going to happen with voter turn out. Although, without getting into too many gory details here, let me tell you what the Democratic party is working on- recent studies show that "unmarried women" of all ages, with and without children, single/widowed/divorced are a growing voting demographic. Studies show that EEP who is single is statistically more likely to vote like her widowed grandmother than like her married mother. That additionally, this new voting demographic is 22 million women and that they have the poorest voting turn out of any group. But, when they do vote, they vote Democrat 70% of the time. The reasons they don't vote are also interesting: a) they know all the issues and are well versed on politics, b) but they don't think anyone cares what they think so they don't vote, c) and they feel that the people elected to office are so unlike themselves that they don't feel represented in the first place.

Interesting study, it showed that if unmarried women had voted in the same numbers that married women had voted in, that Gore would have won by a landslide.....

So if you're looking to get out the Dem vote, that's the place to start.

D- sorry I'm a political junkie.

Re: Kerry stuff

[eee1313.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, interesting. Thanks for the 411, D!