Monday, January 29, 2007
On verbiage
Democratic protests over the habit of President Bush to drop the ic and refer to Democrat appear to be having a positive effect.
This came home to me when I was listening to the Presidents weekly radio address on C-Span. I remember twice hearing him say "Democratic". This was in marked contrast to the State of the Union, where in the President had to go off script to congratulate the Democrat, rather than Democratic, majority in Congress.
In fact the use of the label Democratic in the context used by the President was actually a bit of a shock to my system. I'm so used to hearing him leave off the ic, and stewing about it, that when he got it right I was honestly impressed.
The Presidents mannerism in giving his weekly radio address is markedly different than when he gives campaign speeches or otherwise addresses the nation for some special reason. He is nearly robotic, monotone, reminiscent of Joe Friday almost. Typically it is hard to imagine how even his most ardent supporters would find the typical Presidential radio address exciting. This is the only time I can recall being pleasantly impressed with something the President said in a Saturday radio address.
If furthermore appears that the correction first noted in the Saturday radio address is not a fluke. President Bush has said that dropping the ic from the State of the Union was an oversight. Spokespeople for Nancy Pelosi graciously responded to the Presidents answer to the controversy by taking him at his word. One can make very compelling arguments against taking the President at his word based upon past experience, but this will be an easy test to prove. Can we take the Presidents word on his use of words? I must admit, based upon the Presidents Saturday address, to this point his word is correct.
This came home to me when I was listening to the Presidents weekly radio address on C-Span. I remember twice hearing him say "Democratic". This was in marked contrast to the State of the Union, where in the President had to go off script to congratulate the Democrat, rather than Democratic, majority in Congress.
In fact the use of the label Democratic in the context used by the President was actually a bit of a shock to my system. I'm so used to hearing him leave off the ic, and stewing about it, that when he got it right I was honestly impressed.
The Presidents mannerism in giving his weekly radio address is markedly different than when he gives campaign speeches or otherwise addresses the nation for some special reason. He is nearly robotic, monotone, reminiscent of Joe Friday almost. Typically it is hard to imagine how even his most ardent supporters would find the typical Presidential radio address exciting. This is the only time I can recall being pleasantly impressed with something the President said in a Saturday radio address.
If furthermore appears that the correction first noted in the Saturday radio address is not a fluke. President Bush has said that dropping the ic from the State of the Union was an oversight. Spokespeople for Nancy Pelosi graciously responded to the Presidents answer to the controversy by taking him at his word. One can make very compelling arguments against taking the President at his word based upon past experience, but this will be an easy test to prove. Can we take the Presidents word on his use of words? I must admit, based upon the Presidents Saturday address, to this point his word is correct.
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