Posted on 08/31/2004 8:41:49 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Text of a speech by Jenna and Barbara Bush delivered Tuesday at the Republican National Convention, as transcribed by e-Media Inc.:
JENNA BUSH: It's great to be here. We love Arnold. Isn't he awesome?
Thanks to him, if one of us ever decides to marry a Democrat, nobody can complain, except maybe our grandmother, Barbara. And if she doesn't like it, we would definitely hear about it.
We already know she doesn't like some of our clothes, our music, or most of the TV shows we watch.
Gammie, we love you dearly, but you're just not very hip.
She thinks "Sex and the City" is something married people do, but never talk about.
We spent the last four years trying to stay out of the spotlight. Sometimes, we did a little better job than others.
We kept trying to explain to my dad that when we are young and irresponsible, well, we're young and irresponsible.
BARBARA BUSH: Jenna and I are really not very political, but we love our dad too much to stand back and watch from the sidelines.
We realized that this would be his last campaign, and we wanted to be a part of it.
Besides, since we've graduated from college, we're looking around for something to do for the next few years.
Kind of like dad.
JENNA: Our parents have always encouraged us to be independent and dream big. We've spent a lot of time at the White House, so when we showed up the first day, we thought we had it all figured out. But apparently my dad already has a chief of staff, named Andy.
BARBARA: When your dad's a Republican and you go to Yale, you learn to stand up for yourself.
I knew I wasn't quite ready to be president, but number two sounded pretty good.
Who is this man they call Dick Cheney (news - web sites)?
JENNA: I think I know a lot about campaigns. After all, my grandfather and my dad have both run for president, so I put myself in charge of strategy. Then I got an angry call from some guy named Karl.
BARBARA: We knew we had something to offer. I mean, we've traveled the world; we've studied abroad. But when we started coming home with foreign policy advise, dad made us call Condi.
JENNA: Not to be deterred, we thought surely there's a place for strong willed, opinionated women in communications. And next thing we know, Karen's back.
BARBARA: So we decided the best thing we could do here tonight would be to introduce somebody we know and love.
JENNA: You know all those times when you're growing up and your parents embarrass you? Well, this is payback time on live TV.
BARBARA: Take this. I know it's hard to believe, but our parents' favorite term of endearment for each other is actually Bushy.
And we had a hamster, too. Let's just say ours didn't make it.
JENNA: But, contrary to what you might read in the papers, our parents are actually kind of cool. They do know the difference between mono and Bono. When we tell them we're going to see Outkast, they know it's a band and not a bunch of misfits. And if we really beg them, they'll even shake it like a Polaroid picture.
BARBARA: So, OK, maybe they have learned a little pop culture from us, but we've learned a lot more from them about what matters in life, about unconditional love, about focus and discipline.
They taught us the importance of a good sense of humor, of being open-minded and treating everyone with respect.
And we learned the true value of honesty and integrity.
JENNA: When you grow up as the daughters of George and Laura Bush, you develop a special appreciation for how blessed we are to live in this great country.
We are so proud to be here tonight to introduce someone who read us bedtime stories, picked up car pool, made us our favorite peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cheered for us when we scored a goal, even when it was for the wrong team.
BARBARA: Someone who told us we actually looked cute in braces, always welcomed our friends and was there waiting when we came home at curfew.
JENNA: Ladies and gentlemen, one of the two most loving, thoughtful people we know.
BARBARA: Your president and our dad, George W. Bush.
John John also delivered an awkward speech when he introduced Uncle Teddy some years back and he was older than the Bush girls at the time. It is no small thing to speak in so intimidating a setting. I'd like to see some of the Bush girls' critics on this thread try it and see how well they do.
Yeah their delivery was awful but they tried, and they're not politicians anyway so it's all good.
I don'e see many disagreeing with this. Just that I felt the grandmother joke inappropriate and the material poor.
If nothing else , these two have kept us entertained these last four years though:')
I work pretty hard at being studiously non-hip (it actually takes a lot of effort to feign complete ignorance of pop culture) -- and I found much of this completely embarrassing, as did my teenagers -- who actually are pretty hip.
What it proved was that while the twins haven't completely absorbed the proper raising that their parents and grandparents certainly gave them, Pres and Laura Bush love their daughters. And that's what being family is all about.
If it were a political ploy, I'm not exactly sure who the "Sex and the City" line was aimed at attracting. Talk about a show well past its hip prime...
Well - if they did write it then I'm somewhat impressed.
We get so used to watching everything just perfect on the tube. Newscasters that make millions 'cuz they speak flawlessly. Politicians who are in government to a large degree on the ability of their speechwriters to bring their message out in a clear manner with just the right humor, patriotism, etc. - and the politician's ability to deliver a decent speech. Actors who do this for a living.
A couple of 23 year olds giving a televised speech for the first time (especially if it was written by them) they did okay.
Are all freepers paranoid Calvinist prigs who cannot laugh at themselves and cannot stand when others have a good time? Or is it just that you have no class?
You are a square.
Now you're sounding like my mom!
Its really hard when you are a no class humorless prig.
Must you so viciously insult a FReeper because they may not share your "liberal" view of slut-shows like SITC? Does that show you are more enlightened?
Ah never try to be young with an audience of fuddy duddies.
I learned that lesson opening for Jackie Mason at the Catskills one holiday weekend....
I'd love to be that upset! LOL
Jackie Mason is hysterical! Wow what a honor :-)
I've heard Barbara Bush speak; you and I both know she didn't hear anything "new" tonight......LOL.
hehehe you're right!LOL
The girls are not relentlessly controlled by their parents. Some people are very upset by that.
My personal opinion is that W and Laura are secure enough in themselves, their values, and what they have taught their daughters that they can allow the girls to be independent and not worry and fuss and fume over "what will the neighbors think?"
They came off as a little silly and immature. I prefer that to an affected little policy wonk who has been schooled by her parents to be perfect at all times because THEY are control freaks.
College aged kids probably liked it, and parents who are raising their kids like W and Laura probably liked it too. Families who tease will relate to it, and parents who have been occasionally embarrassed by their young adult offspring will also relate.
Neither W or Laura were angelic. Like their parents, these girls are going to turn out just fine.
Thank goodness for Republicans that the only thing I hate more than humorlous moralizing prigs is liberals. The folks who think that what Jenna and Barbara did was out of bounds have no clue what class is. Using intergenerational stereotypes to have a bit of fun hurts absolutely no one - at least no one with any sense of self-worth.
I can tell their grandmother is all torn up about it:
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