I am sorry I didn’t get here until today. Here is my complete report, which I filed with Howlin and the others on our private site:
REPORT ON PRESIDENT BUSH’S APPEARANCE IN INDIANAPOLIS
I am SO glad I got to go to this! It was really nice.
President Bush looked great, very tan and relaxed. Lines on his face seemed less noticeable. We had seats fairly close. As I told Howlin, absolutely no cameras were allowed. They searched my handbag.
The speech was in two parts. The first was his reflections on his presidency and life after. He told some stories about getting home, including the one about walking through the neighborhood and having to clean up after Barney. What was interesting was that he said that he hadn’t walked through a neighborhood in 10 years, and Barney NEVER had...all he knew was the South Lawn of the White House, Camp David, or Crawford.
He painted a picture of what the Oval Office looked like and how important it was. Talked about going therre with his dad the first time. GET THIS: When he saw the desk he looked at the chair behind it and there was a wire coming out of it. He said he thoughr “What the heck is that?” It was a VIBRATING CHAIR! Bioll Clinton had a vibrator chair behind the desk in the Oval Office!! Bwahahaha!
He also talked about September 11 and discussed not seeming to react when he was in the classroom and Andy Card told him. He said he could see the press in the back of the room taking calls and making them, and he knew they were getting the same news. The reason he stayed put was not only to not scare the children, but he knew that every action he did would be magnified, and if the people saw him jump up and run out, they would assume he had panicked and then panic would roll in waves throughout the country. It is very important in a crisis to remain calm, and keep everyone else calm, is the advice he gave us if we have to face a crisis.
He again said that he would not criticize because he didn’t like it when he was criticized, and he felt like he should act as he wanted others to act. Woman down the row from me said very loudly, “Don’t worry! We will do it for you!” HA!
I also found it interesting that he still will not blame anyone else (Karl Rove) for not answering his critics. He said that he always felt that “Presidents come and go, but the Presidency goes on and the Ship of State sails forward.” (Actually, I found this very comforting because it makes me think someday our current occupant will go away.)
He used lots of self-deprecating humor and his story-telling was relaxes and very humorous. NO nasty comments about anyone, although he did say his mother used to call and say “Did you hear what Senator so and so said?”
When decorating the Oval Office, he had to choose a presidential portrait to hang over the mantle. He said he chose Washington because “who else are you gonna put up there, Rutherford B. Hayes?” Then he had to select a second presidential portrait and people usually choose their favorite president for a place seen when visitors first enter. “On this I had a big conflict,” he said. (Pause for this to sink in.) Then he talked about how much he admired his father, but how Lincoln was an inspiration. “So, he said, 16 hangs on the wall but 41 hangs in my heart.” I thought this was very touching.
(Break while I check on the dog. There is more.)
OK, dog is settled.
I am telling you guys this as I remember it. Some is probably out of order, but I am afraid if I don’t get it all down I will forget something.
Most satisfying time was his second Inauguration, because it meant that the people had seen his good points and bad points (and here he went into a quick riff of all of the stuff the left has bitched about for years...”Dead or alive, mission accomplished,...) which everyone CHEERED! I think he was a little surprised by that.
Oh, when he was talking about going into the Oval Office for the first time in January 2001 he said it was a little bit unbelievable, “even though I had been elected about 10 times.” HA!
Condi Rice was the one who called him the first time and told him the first plane had hit. “By the way, I just love Condi.”
He is working on his book and he said he asked a bunch of presidential historians if he should write one, and they all said yes. Then he asked them which president had written the best autobiography, and they ALL said “Ulysses S. Grant.” So, he read Grant’s book and he liked how it was done, in a series of anecdotes, so that is how he is doing his. He said he would even tell us the very first line of the book.
“Can you tell me the last day you didn’t have a drink?”
That was what Laura said to him when he was drinking, and he realized that he actually couldn’t remember when he had gone a day without a drink, and that was when he realized he was drinking too much.
He also talked about how his faith has grown, both after quitting drinking and then again after becoming president. I wish I could explain to you all how sincere he was about his faith, and how he said the seeds that were planted were falling in essentially a briar patch, but that eventually it grew. In the question section he was asked about how he would like for people to pray for him now, and he talked about how much he appreciated the prayers for him while he was president, and that sometimes people turn to God more in times of crisis, and when the crisis goes away they sort of forget about God. He said he wants not to be like that, and that it is a continuing journey, and he would like prayers for his faith. It was very moving, and I wish I could explain it better.
All of this was done without notes, without a teleprompter, without stammering, without any garbled speech. He is really an excellent speaker and if any of you get the opportunity to see him, I urge you to go.
Also, the crowd was 100% in support of him, of course, This older church lady type sitting behind me talked to me about how Obama was a socialist (apparently that is sticking) and she said there were only about 6 demonstrtors with their “George Bush war criminal” signs. We didn’t see them because we parked in the parking garage and came in through the aerial walkway.
My son and I were discussing the speech afterwards and my son said that while he didn’t say one word against Obama, the principles he stated were so much NOT what we are seeing in the Oval Office that it’s an indictment of Obama. They include the following:
You serve the greatest country and the greatest people in the world.
To whom much is given, much is required. (Why he felt we needed to help Africa.)
God has given us much, but the most important gift he has given to humanity is freedom, and it is our duty to preserve and spread it.
Get the very best people around you, because you can’t be an expert in everything.
You are only a temporary resident of the White House.
I will probably think of more things later, and when I do I will tell you. He got several standing ovations.
(This was added as a reply to Txsleuth.)
He had lots of nice things to say about her. OH! Funny story...when they were picking out the things for the Oval Office (talking to the Smithsonian curator) he kept talking about the pictures he wanted hung, and he said “Laura was sitting sort of behind me and to one side, and she whispers real loud ‘They’re referred to as PAINTINGS.” He laughed at himself and said “I told her they knew what I was talking about.”
I could just see that. LOL!
Adding this this morning: NO TELEPROMPTER. In fact, he rarely glanced at note, mainly to look at a list of people to thank and only a couple of other times. The second half was him sitting and asking audience-submitted questions, and all were answered without a single note.
Anyone who says this man is a poor speaker or stupid is simply lying or has never seen him. What really makes me the maddest is that the reporters KNOW this, and persisted in their character assassination.
Ping to my report of President Bush’s speech. (Post 180.)
Sorry I am so late. Things are busy around here.
I didn't know until Karl's book that Condi was the first one to tell GWB about 9/11. I loved reading GWB's response to Andy Card. I always assumed he didn't react in a panic so as to not scare the children, but I found it so interesting to read the other thought he had about his reaction being magnified.
Loved the story of the Presidential portrait that both you and DrDeb mentioned. So funny and sweet.
I am thrilled that you had this opportunity. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
I am so proud of GWB. What an amazing man.
Thanks for that good and interesting report of the President’s speech.
Excellent report. *sigh* Ah, well...God bless us to weather this current storm and be the better for it.
Can’t wait for his book!
You told it very well! It's sort of a "stream of consciousness" thing, and very effective. :)
THANK you SO much! I am glad I was where I was for Eric (it was amazing!), but your telling about what I missed is bittersweet.
Thanks again!
Extra special DITTO on President Bush’s speaking ability. Having heard him live and without notes, I can concur that he is an excellent speaker. Thanks for including that Miss Marple!
THANK YOU so much for your full report . . . And I concur: President Bush is a phenomenal speaker — he held that audience in the palm of his hand for the entire 60 minutes (and could have continued for MUCH longer). He speaks from the heart, which trumps speaking from a teleprompter every time!!
I miss him so...
Thanks for heads up /ping. Great report & sounds like you had a wonderful time
Wow, Wow, and Wow. Thank you both so much for taking the time to share with us. I absolutely loved your reports on our W’s speech and event.
He and Laura are amazing people, and Thank God they were in our White House when we needed them the most.
I will continue to pray for him and Laura as he has asked. He deserves our prayers and thanks for a job very well done.
Thank you for attending and representing the undying support so many of us continue to give him. I miss him EVERY day!