Posted on 05/18/2006 5:29:51 PM PDT by RWR8189
What the president's immigration speech and "The DaVinci Code" have in common.
What was missing in the president's approach the other night was the expression, or suggestion, of context. The context was a crisis that had gone unanswered as it has built, the perceived detachment of the political elite from people on the ground, and a new distance between the president and his traditional supporters. The president would have done well to signal that he knew he was coming late to the party, as it were; that he'd come to rethink his previous stand, or lack of a stand, and had begun to consider whether there was not some justice in the views, and alarm, of others.
Without an established context the speech seemed free-floating: a statement issued into the ether, unanchored to any particular principle and eager to use, as opposed to appreciate, whatever human sentiment flows around the issue of immigration. It was a speech driven by an air of crisis, but not a public crisis, only a personal and political one.
To acknowledge what he apparently thinks are the biases of the base, he used loaded words like "sneak"--illegal immigrants "sneak across the border"--as if to establish his populist bona fides. This was, not to put too fancy a rhetorical term on it, creepy, and managed to be offensive to everyone.
What was needed was a definitive statement: As of this moment we will control our borders, I'm sending in the men, I'm giving this the attention I've given to the Mideast.
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
If Peggy were twenty years younger she and I would be a couple
A couple of what ?
That clever riposte was already asked in post 35.
And three times might be intentional.
yep. She captred the nature of the speech exac tly and exlains why it was so unsatisfying. Even though GW appeared to say all the right things, it just didn't ever get off the ground, because he stolidly ignores the implications down the road.
This more than most anything else is leading me to conclude that while he is a man of faith he really has no instinct for the treasury of traditional American values. He may have been raised in Texas but at heart he is an east coast Episcopalian.
Note to self read all replies before posting gmta
"If Peggy were twenty years younger she and I would be a couple."
In your dreams! You would have to stand in line!! Besides I wouldn't mind being 30 years younger with her myself!
Nutmeg talks to himself!!(see post #46)
"Why would Tom Hanks lend his prestige to such a film? Why would Ron Howard? They're both already rich and relevant."
They've made their deals with the Left---or they wouldn't be the successes they are in the movie business. When the orders come down, they march.
the perceived detachment of the political elite from people on the ground, and a new distance between the president and his traditional supporters.
My definition of a political elite in this context is that Americans are too stupid understand when amnesty is repackaged under the name of earned citizenship. The Senate Bill with Hagel's name on it was written by Kennedy staffers. Political elitism and disdain for the common sense of the American people has always been spelled K E N N E D Y.
Peggy Noonan has been sour on Pres. Bush for quite some time now. She's been putting the worst possible spin on everything he says or does, including that idiotic column on how he had "too much God" in the SOTU. She no longer has any credibility with me.
half a million ...Maybe....Twelve million...No Way!!!!
She can't ever find very much good to say about President Bush, but considers that leftist West Wing writer a "good friend."
"..Reagan's speech writer..he gave amnesty to 3 billion illegal aliens.." I guess most of 'em went home then, 'cause there aren't nearly that many here now.
She can't ever find very much good to say about President Bush, but considers that leftist West Wing writer a "good friend."
Is that the detective in you saying that!!
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