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Monday, January 23, 2006

Bush on Brokeback

Posted by on January 23 at 15:26 PM

Guess what? Our president is an ass. Via Drudge:

President Bush has so far skipped BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN — the Hollywood hit about two homosexual cowboys. During a Q&A session at Kansas State University today, a student asked Bush: “I was just wanting to get your opinion on BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN if you’d seen it yet.”

The crowd laughed softly before the student said loudly: “You would love it! You should check it out.”

“I haven’t seen it,” Bush said flatly. “I’d be glad to talk about ranching, but I haven’t seen the movie,” he said to laughter. “I’ve heard about it.”

The president waited a second or two, then said, according to a transcript: “I hope you go—(laughter)—you know—(laughter) — I hope you go back to the ranch and the farm, is what I was about to say. I haven’t seen it. (Laughter, applause.)”

I didn’t expect the Bigot and Cheif to rush right out and see Brokeback—hell, I haven’t even seen it yet. What really struck me about this transcript was all the laughter. Whenever Bush speaks before one of those worshipful crowds his aides assemble for him—at taxpayer expense—Bush gets lots of laughs. Not the right kind of laughs—not the derisive laughter his idiotic ramblings deserve, but “You’re hilarious, Mr. President!” guffaws. God bless the kid who asked Bush if he was going to see the movie, but who the fuck are these people who laugh at every dumbass thing that falls out of Bush’s mouth? “I hope you go” gets a laugh? “You know” gets a laugh?

Oh, Dear Leader! You are SO funny!

Three more years, folks, three more fucking years.


CommentsRSS icon

Actually, I think they were probably just laughing at the awkwardness of it. I'd think it was pretty funny to watch Bush stumble through trying to say something inoffensive about that movie. In fact, I think the footage would be gold. If you look at the actual words, the laughter isn't coming from jokes he's telling, just from his squirminess.

Please Dan, can you get a sense of humor? Maybe you can just rent one? Anyone asking that question of a guy such as President Bush - who likely has gay friends but just doesn't know it or doesn't acknowledge it - is, on the face of it, going to be absurd. Such is the nature of humor.
It is akin to that time that someone asked Eddie Murphy, "When does a joke go too far?" to which he responded, "When it's not funny."
It is good that the question was asked. It got the topic out there and maybe at some point, a different response will be forthcoming.

I listend to this speech. I think people were laughing because they where uncomfortable. But I agree. This man is an idiot. The next three years are going to be hell.

I also listened to that clip (on NPR, of all places). I wasn't really offended. Or maybe I just think so little of Bush already that I wasn't surprised. If you actually listen to it, the question was obviously a very snarky one, clearly meant to catch the president off guard. It did. And given Bush's abysmal grasp of the English language, his response to an unscripted and unanticipated question was not as bad as some of his previous gaffs. Given Bush's history when he goes off-script, it could have been so much worse. I also agree with Claudia; I thought the laughter sounded like nervous laughter, not funny laughter. Bush's (normally screened) audience was clearly uncomfortable with the question too. I myself was laughing at the ballsy question, not at Bush's response.

But I agree that Bush probably has worst public speaking skills of any president in history. The man is an embarrassment to the nation every time he opens his mouth. And three more years of listening to him trip over his own tongue is almost too much to bear.

It will make excellent footage for Fahrenheit 9/11 2: Fear Harder.

Yeah, I agree that everyone was just laughing at the awkwardness towards a pointed question about a film whose subject matter Dubs obviously doesn't approve of.

I just heard the clip this morning. The (laughter) in the description is BUSH laughing, not the audience! They're laughing too, but I'm pretty sure the transcription is written that way to represent W not being able to complete his sentence due to awkward laughter.

Bush leads my list of Worst People Ever In Charge Of Anything, but I can't agree with Dan on this particular scenario. Yes, Bush is an idiot in way too many ways and he's detached from 99.9% of the world I live in, but this (the comment from Dan) is more a sign of Dan's oversensitivity to Anything Bush than it is to the actual comment and the context.

That is, Bush may be ignorant but not on the personal level Dan implied here. And while I'm all for bashing Bush when he does something truly stupid (which is 90% of the time), this was not one of those times.

Ah. Well then, he's just an assbag.

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