More George W. Bushisms: More of Slate's Accidental Wit and Wisdom of Our 43rd President
- Book Review,
by Jacob Weisberg
From Publishers Weekly
Follow a man around with a tape recorder long enough and he will say ridiculous things. If he is George W. Bush, to judge by this collection of verbal gaffes, he will say many ridiculous things-some funny ("It's about past seven in the evening here so we're actually in different time lines";) some callow ("This foreign policy stuff is a little frustrating"); some mysterious ("We'll be a country where the fabrics are made up of groups and loving centers"); but most just embarrassing ("Of all states that understands local control of schools, Iowa is such a state"). Undoubtedly Bush struggles to "express himself with clarity and coherence," in the words of Garry Trudeau's foreword, but the tacit corollary-that he is a fool and unfit for the presidency-is not demonstrated here. While the characteristic "Bushisms" on display-stammering, misstatements, stubborn disagreements between subject and verb-may hint at the President's rumored dyslexia, mostly they portray a man whose limited rhetorical gifts cannot stand up to the 24/7 media glare. Defensive Bush supporters will find this an endearing proof of his authenticity; his detractors will laugh heartily but should, of course, look elsewhere for a substantive critique. B&w photos. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
"Most of you probably didn't know that I have a new book out. Some guy put together a collection of my wit and wisdom -- or, as he calls it, my accidental wit and wisdom. [Laughter] But I'm kind of proud that my words are already in book form." -- President George W. Bush, discussing and reading from George W. Bushisms By now, most of you probably do know about George W. Bushisms, the bestselling collection of misstatements made on the campaign trail by our president. Now, in More George W. Bushisms, Jacob Weisberg reveals that the malapropisms didn't stop on Inauguration Day: "I've coined new words like misunderstanding and Hispanically." "I haven't had a chance to talk, but I'm confident we'll get a bill that I can live with if we don't." "Our nation must come together to unite." "There's no question that the minute I got elected, the storm clouds on the horizon were getting nearly directly overhead." These and many other presidential pearls are hilariously on display in More George W. Bushisms.
Download Description
"""Most of you probably didn't know that I have a new book out. Some guy put together a collection of my wit and wisdom -- or, as he calls it, my accidental wit and wisdom. [Laughter] But I'm kind of proud that my words are already in book form."" -- President George W. Bush, discussing and reading from George W. Bushisms By now, most of you probably do know about George W. Bushisms, the bestselling collection of misstatements made on the campaign trail by our president. Now, in More George W. Bushisms, Jacob Weisberg reveals that the malapropisms didn't stop on Inauguration Day: ""I've coined new words like misunderstanding and Hispanically."" ""I haven't had a chance to talk, but I'm confident we'll get a bill that I can live with if we don't."" "Our nation must come together to unite." "There's no question that the minute I got elected, the storm clouds on the horizon were getting nearly directly overhead." These and many other presidential pearls are hilariously on display in More George W. Bushisms."
About the Author
Jacob Weisberg is chief political correspondent for Slate magazine and editor of George W. Bushisms. He is also a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine. He lives in New York City.
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