Andrew Sullivan: The speech

andrewsullivan.com ^ | 09/20/2001 | Andrew Sullivan

[Pokey78]

Nothing since Reagan has been as good in presidential oratory.

The president's speech writers crafted a luminescent call to arms. It was measured without being weak; it was moving without a trace of melodrama; it was stirring without being jingoist. And there was something about the president's demeanor that suggested to me at last that he knows why he got this office.

To speak of his growth at this point would be to condescend. He gets it. He means it. He knows what this war is fundamentally about.

My cherished moment was when he rightly described this threat - and its twisted ideology - with the other great evils that have threatened freedom in the last century and before. "The unmarked grave of discarded lies" is a phrase that resonates deeply and truly.

God bless the man and the country he finally indisuptably leads.

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

He has undisputably led this country since Jan. 20th!

[PoisedWoman]

I checked out tapes of Reagan's speeches from the library last week and have been listening to them. IMO, Bush's speech is easily as good if not better than anything of Reagan's.

BTW, my liberal librarian curled her lip when she checked those tapes out to me.

[JohnHuang2]

Bump!

[holyscroller]

Thank God we were not listening to President Gore tonight. Isn't that a frightening thought! And Mad Maddie Half-bright bombing her enemies. We'd be in nuclear war by now.

[Movemout]

You should have told her to put a little ice on that lip.

[MJY1288]

I saw someone post this "If Gore was President he would have our military planting trees in Afghanistan" I'm still laughing :-)

[nutmeg]

Thank God we were not listening to President Gore tonight. Isn't that a frightening thought!

Thank God indeed... I had the same thought.

[madison46]

Andrew has had some of the BEST writing since Sept 11th. Some of the best.

Hey Pokey, no more Jill or I'm going to be miserable for the next 4 weeks ;-)

Be with you Saturday from CA. RTR

[Pokey78]

All Jill....all the time! hehe

Until Saturday....RTR!!

[Not_Who_U_Think]

I must confess to have reveled this past week in asking a few friends who voted for the Democrat cadidate last year how they would feel having a President Gore in the White House...

None seemed pleased at the thought.

[pittsburgh gop guy]

Reagan's speech following the Challenger disaster is one of the best of all time. W's tonight will be up there as well.

[Plummz]

My cherished moment was when he rightly described this threat - and its twisted ideology - with the other great evils that have threatened freedom in the last century and before. "The unmarked grave of discarded lies" is a phrase that resonates deeply and truly.

I noticed he named as those evils in the last century, "Naziism, fascism and totalitarianism." Where was "Communism"? Did Uncle Prescott ask him not to cheese of the ChiComs by calling their twisted evil minds what they are?

Oh well, at least he didn't have the Congress stand and cheer their General Secretary.

[ChemistCat]

Remember that Gore said something like, "I'll win because I want it badly enough to do anything to get it, but Bush will be happy whether he wins or loses." I'll bet that 9-11 was the first time Gore felt a twinge of relief that he wasn't at bat.

I have said to several people that it would be a good strategic/political move at this point to offer Gore some symbolic job to do in this crisis. Planting trees in Afghanistan sounds like a good one. Thanks for the idea, I was having some trouble with that.

[pittsburgh gop guy]

"Naziism, fascism and totalitarianism."

I was at home watching it and said COMMUNISM - but alas, it was not included. That is why I give the speech a 99.6 out of a possible 100. W knocked it outta the park!

[sinkspur]

Where was "Communism"? Did Uncle Prescott ask him not to cheese of the ChiComs by calling their twisted evil minds what they are?

Communism is totalitarianism.

Or did you just want to nitpick?

[Timesink]

Somewhere, at this very moment, Al Gore is sitting on a sofa, eating from a giant tub of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. And resolving never to shave again.

[AquariusStar22]

Andrew Sullivan has expressed so beautifully and succinently how we all feel about this speech tonight.

He also has a fabulous article in Salon on why liberals and other Bush bashers should give him a chance.

Tonight we saw a man grow to the stature of the awesome office in which he has been entrusted. After 8 years of a diminished presidency it was a moving and inspiring thing to see it's occupant elevate the highest office.

I always knew in my heart that GW would live up to the honor we gave him..but now I see that he will exceed our best hopes and expectations.

The makings of greatness are there.

[FReethesheeples]

Big Bump!

[1John]

I know I've posted this elsewhere, but this article is a particularly apropos place to say it again.......

In "Fate is the Hunter", Ernest K. Gann tells us of a fellow pilot with whom he had occasion to share a long flight.  The pilot's name was Park and he was from Texas....

"Park was what so many Texans think they are, or would like to be. He was long and lean and hard. His pale gray eyes belonged behind the sights of a gun barrel and his walk seemed wrong without the clinking of spurs. He was a shy man and quiet spoken, a wonderfully simple man and if he had any nerves I had yet to observe them."

And later.....

"Park's voice suddenly faded away as it often did when he had pronounced the meat of his thoughts; He had no use whatsoever for verbal trimmings."

I cannot imagine a better description of one of America's finest Presidents - George W. Bush.