This excerpted from the Wall Street Journal's online commentary site, Opinionjournal.com. The quote comes directly from the Best of The Web Today section:
Great Orators of the Democratic Party
"One man with courage makes a majority."--Andrew Jackson
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."--Franklin Roosevelt
"The buck stops here."--Harry Truman
"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."--John Kennedy
"We don't need a president who just says 'Gentlemen, start your engines.' We need a president who says 'America, let's start the economy and put people back to work.' "--John Kerry
Article comments
1 - Roland
This is an intersting post. While Kerry's comment was clearly goofy, I am not sure that one will be able to produce a daily calender with one of his gaffes on each page.
2 - Joe
Indeed, you'd think he'd have more to show for himself after 20+ years in the senate.
3 - Mac Diva
We can need a president who can speak a coherent sentence. That definitely isn't Shrub. And, no, it doesn't have to be a fancy sentence.
4 - Roland
I have a simpler explanation. Of the two men, Mr. Kerry is the superior public speaker. Do you really doubt this?
5 - shaun
Anyone over the age of 6 is a better speaker than bush
6 - Eric Olsen
I still think he looks like Ed Muskie.
7 - Joe
Purely a subjective judgement, I'm certain opinions may vary. I've only heard Kerry a few times and found him to be a rather unremarkable speaker. Bush is all over the map, sometimes good, sometimes awful.
8 - shaun
mostly awful. And any modern political speaker seems only mildly impressive after clinton
9 - Eric Olsen
Not good when he has to think on his feet - both the word and the concept of "extemporaneous" are anathema to him.
10 - Joe
Depends on how easily impressed you are.
11 - Mac Diva
The most boring politician I've ever heard speak was Walter Mondale. Each time was more tedious than the previous one. He even looked boring.
12 - bhw
both the word and the concept of "extemporaneous" are anathema to him.
**bhw begs the gods for the opportunity to hear W. try to pronounce "extemporaneous"**
13 - Eric Olsen
and that grim Minnesota accent, almost Canadian
14 - David Flanagan
Of the two men, Mr. Kerry is the superior public speaker. Do you really doubt this?
First of all, President Bush generally does a good job when giving speeches. Is he a Bill Clinton? Nope, but just because you have mastered the art of talking points doesn't mean you have anything meaningful to say.
And Kerry's quote is a perfect case in point.
Thanks.
David
15 - Mark Saleski
because you have mastered the art of talking points doesn't mean you have anything meaningful to say
so bush clearly hasn't mastered the art of 'talking points' (more evidence you're hooked on talk radio)...does that mean he does have something to say?
go ahead...tell me (for the Nth time) that i've missed your point...we're all looking forward to it.
16 - Roland
The quality of Bush's speeches seem to vary with the speechwriter. The first two State of the Union speeches were far better in terms of content and style than his last speech. My greatest complaint is not that he can't memorize what some intellectual haberdasher has given him, but that he lacks the ability to deal with questions of a complex or critical nature. His press conference prior to the Iraq War consisted primarily of repeating several statements over and over again. If a reporter asked Bush a two part question, he seemed unable to answer more than about half of one question. This also seemed to be the case in the Diane Sawyer interview. This is not an indictment of his politics, but he certainly seems to lack the ability to answer questions that are aggressively aked or are not scripted.
17 - Mac Diva
Mark, you knew when you saw Flanagan's name, didn't you? There is no way he is going to really find fault with Shrub. If junior vomits on a head of state like his progenitor did, Flanagan will post an entry titled: "George W. Bush Improves Leader's Person With Glorious Deluge." The first paragraph will allege some Democrat leader's gorge just doesn't have what it takes.
18 - Shark
David,
At least Kerry didn't declare war on steriod use. What the hell was THAT about? A subtle way to get Barbara back on her hormone replacement therapy?
And just a little tip for the future: Kerry's oratory skills are reeeeeely not something you want to bring up, bein's how your boy is George W. Bush, who said the following:
"Public speaking is very easy."
"I believe we are on an irreversible trend toward more freedom and
democracy - but that could change." (My favorite!)
"They misunderestimated me."
"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream."
"The vast majority of our imports come from outside the country."
"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure."
"Is our children learning?"
"Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things."
"One word sums up probably the responsibility of any Governor, and that one word is 'to be prepared'."
"I have made good judgments in the past. I have made good judgments in the future."
"The future will be better tomorrow."
"We're going to have the best educated American people in the world."
"I stand by all the misstatements that I've made."
"We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a part of NATO. We have a firm commitment to Europe. We are a part of Europe."
"A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls."
"We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur."
"For NASA, space is still a high priority."
"Quite frankly, teachers are the only profession that teach our children."
"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."
"It's time for the human race to enter the solar system."
==================================
If I were you, I'd stick to his leadership in a time of war and his military recor... wait, no, forget it, nevermind.
19 - bhw
Yep, he's just like the rest of us, that W. Plain spoken, indeed!
20 - Hal Pawluk
Shark: After I picked myself off the floor, still laughing, I realized you had missed a few other goodies, a few of which are quite scary:
"The legislature's job is to write law. It's the executive branch's job to interpret law."
"Austin, Texas, Nov. 22, 2000
"My pro-life position is I believe there's life. It's not necessarily based in religion. I think there's a life there, therefore the notion of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness."
--Quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 23, 2001
-"Then I went for a run with the other dog and just walked. And I started thinking about a lot of things. I was able to"I can't remember what it was."
"Pre-inaugural interview with U.S. News & World Report, Jan. 22, 2001 issue
"It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it."
" Reuters, May 5, 2000
21 - Shark
Hal, you could fill a dozen books with this stuff.
Oh wait, they already have.
Maybe Eric could add them up top! Talk about gettin' some sales!!
Aside: I live in Texas, and George would show up for the election and then completely disappear for the entire run of his governorship. Seriously. We never heard a peep outta the guy locally. I think he threw out a few baseballs and cut some ribbons, but that was the extent of his 'executive' duties in TX.
An issue, I might add, that has been highly underreported everywhere but here.
22 - ayub
how are you