10.22.2004
Bush: A Man of His Words (ZNet)
By Saul Landau
Published: 11 October 2004
The Presidential debates revealed aspects of George W. Bush’s character that bear careful scrutiny – if not acute psychiatric care. The media made much of his body language and facial expressions, especially his reactions to John Kerry when his opponent appeared to be scoring a direct hit when he accused Bush of “misleading the American people.”
In his 2000 encounters with Al Gore, Bush occasionally flashed that “deer-caught-in-the-headlights” look, that befuddled, almost pathetic expression of surprise. But he recovered to resume the combative, jousting presence that his parents must have instilled in him as “proper” for a young man with limited intelligence and capabilities. Bush repeated phrases from his limited vocabulary. He used some of them again, with modifiers, in the 2004 debates, like “Leaders lead.” This kind of proclamation often followed an embarrassingly long pause in which Bush appeared to ponder whether he should offer an Alfred E. Newman grin – “What, me worry?” – or resort to the pugnacious posture with which he seems equally comfortable.
Bush’s behavior led Professor of Social Work Katherine Van Wormer to label him “a dry drunk,” (October 11, 2002 Counterpunch) referring to “a slang term used by members and supporters of Alcoholics Anonymous and substance abuse counselors to describe the recovering alcoholic who is no longer drinking, one who is dry, but whose thinking is clouded. Such an individual is said to be dry but not truly sober. Such an individual tends to go to extremes.”
(More ... ZNet > Bush: A Man of His Words > 11 Oct 2004) ¶ 13:16
Published: 11 October 2004
The Presidential debates revealed aspects of George W. Bush’s character that bear careful scrutiny – if not acute psychiatric care. The media made much of his body language and facial expressions, especially his reactions to John Kerry when his opponent appeared to be scoring a direct hit when he accused Bush of “misleading the American people.”
In his 2000 encounters with Al Gore, Bush occasionally flashed that “deer-caught-in-the-headlights” look, that befuddled, almost pathetic expression of surprise. But he recovered to resume the combative, jousting presence that his parents must have instilled in him as “proper” for a young man with limited intelligence and capabilities. Bush repeated phrases from his limited vocabulary. He used some of them again, with modifiers, in the 2004 debates, like “Leaders lead.” This kind of proclamation often followed an embarrassingly long pause in which Bush appeared to ponder whether he should offer an Alfred E. Newman grin – “What, me worry?” – or resort to the pugnacious posture with which he seems equally comfortable.
Bush’s behavior led Professor of Social Work Katherine Van Wormer to label him “a dry drunk,” (October 11, 2002 Counterpunch) referring to “a slang term used by members and supporters of Alcoholics Anonymous and substance abuse counselors to describe the recovering alcoholic who is no longer drinking, one who is dry, but whose thinking is clouded. Such an individual is said to be dry but not truly sober. Such an individual tends to go to extremes.”
(More ... ZNet > Bush: A Man of His Words > 11 Oct 2004) ¶ 13:16
