The movie "W."

[Lone Clone]

I know you are a professional writer/communicator so I hesitate to contradict you on language issues. However, my own observations cause me to believe the opposite regarding presidential grammar.

................


President Bush used to at times, butcher syntax and sometime the pronunciation of certain words (Nuclear?). Notably however, he assumed his listeners had more than minimal intelligence and accordingly never spoke down to anyone or dumbed down his comments.

President Obama seems to be preachy, and commonly speaks as if his listeners are stupid. Additionally, he routinely drops his "g's" and uses slang and colloquial terms, even when talking to sophisticated audiences. (" Ya don't go messing with" ... stupid "Stuff" etc. etc.) It often seems that he just does not know of words or phrases that would be more suitable. His rambling conversational answers often leave him grasping for words and he comes up with street slang.

Overall, I never found myself going "Huh? What did that man just say?" after listening to President Bush ... something that happens time and time again with President Obama.

President Bush was notably concise and often this led the easily-fooled to be fooled. Some people think that the more words you use, the more articulate you are. President Obama benefits from this misperception.

I said "grammar" but you are right, that isn't actually what I meant. It's syntax and pronunciation and in some cases, making up words, as in "they misunderestimated me."

You also are right about Obama. He uses street slang because he doesn't think his listenders, generally speaking, are smart enough to understand him if he talks like the highly educated person that he is.

But he's entirely different when he's faced with people who disagree with him. I think the best description of his speaking style in those cases that I've ever heard was that he sounds like a college freshmen, home for Thanksgiving, lecturing his parents on the way life is.

Can't leave this topic without mentioning Jimmy Carter. One of the almost surrealistic things about him was his mastery of English usage. You could take a transcript of his extemporaneous remarks and diagram the sentences, with every part of speech in the proper place.

 

[BBHawk]

I saw this movie yesterday and I can't tell if they were trying to poke fun at the former president or they believed this is how his presidency went down. The longer it went on, I thought this was a parody.

Would a director dare to do this on the current POTUS, fearing that he/she may be called a racist?

This was basically in the same vein as Primary Colors. Mostly fiction, with some truth woven in. Both are interesting stories protrayed by decent actors, but I am not sure how realistic either really is.

 

[aflachawk]

Never saw the movie but what makes you think you need to be intelligent to fly a 20 million dollar plane?

In a couple words.........hell yes

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

President Bush used to at times, butcher syntax and sometime the pronunciation of certain words (Nuclear?). Notably however, he assumed his listeners had more than minimal intelligence and accordingly never spoke down to anyone or dumbed down his comments.

Are you serious?

 

[Titus Andronicus]

I saw this movie yesterday and I can't tell if they were trying to poke fun at the former president or they believed this is how his presidency went down. The longer it went on, I thought this was a parody.

Would a director dare to do this on the current POTUS, fearing that he/she may be called a racist?

The movie you are suggesting was released in 1979 and starred Peter Sellers. Interestingly, his character, Chauncey Gardiner had been raised by a black woman who seemed to be the only one who knew he was retarded; Everyone else took him to be brilliant.

The title was "Being There."

President Obama has reminded me of this character since I first heard him speak.

 

[theIowaHawk]

There's no way Josh Brolin's interpretation of George Bush could fly a 20 million dollar air craft.

 

[Hoosierhawkeye]

Mockumentary. . .

George W. Bush is portrayed as too stupid (and yes you do need intelligence to fly a military jet or any plane for that matter.) And Dick Cheney from what I remember was portrayed as almost cartoonishly evil.

 

[Titus Andronicus]

Are you serious?

Do you ever notice that President Obama often speaks a sort of Ghetto dialect when he is addressing urban or inner city audiences? Maybe he does it inadvertently, but to me it seems deliberate and shows a lack of respect for his audience. Those people MUST know that he is speaking down to them.

I think it is insulting ... and frankly, I cannot think of a single instance where a President did anything similar.

 

[fredjr82]

Do you ever notice that President Obama often speaks a sort of Ghetto dialect when he is addressing urban or inner city audiences? Maybe he does it inadvertently, but to me it seems deliberate and shows a lack of respect for his audience. Those people MUST know that he is speaking down to them.

I think it is rude ... and frankly, I cannot think of a single instance where President did anything similar.

 

[ottumwan in tx]

Do documentaries count? 2016: Obama's America was released in 2012 right around Obama's second term. I don't remember anyone calling Dinesh D'Souza a racist. Certainly didn't paint Obama into a pretty light but maybe because he wasn't portrayed as an idiot it flew under the radar. I remember some discussion when it first came out.

are you kidding me? he was jailed over this

 

[ottumwan in tx]

well, they claimed it was over campaign contributions which were illegal, but come on....

 

[millhawk]

OMG, have you seen those communities? That would take so much more skill and brainpower to actually organize IMO.

Yeah right. Who said he did a good job? Obozo is an educated idiot.

 

[GarryO37]

Then why did you mention flying as proof that he was intellectually capable?

Reading comprehension is hard, isn't it?

Swag didn't come anywhere close to saying that.

 

[Huey Grey]

Reading comprehension is hard, isn't it?

Swag didn't come anywhere close to saying that.

Apparently reading comprehension is hard for you. He specifically argued that being able to fly proved that he was intelligent.

 

[Titanhawk2]

OMG, have you seen those communities? That would take so much more skill and brainpower to actually organize IMO.

Then Jessie and Al are the most brilliant people on this planet

 

[GarryO37]

Apparently reading comprehension is hard for you. He specifically argued that being able to fly proved that he was intelligent.

This is weird. I have to ask. Do you understand what you were arguing?

FYI, they don't let dumb asses fly 20 million dollar jets of destruction. That's just common sense.

 

[Huey Grey]

This is weird. I have to ask. Do you understand what you were arguing?

FYI, they don't let dumb asses fly 20 million dollar jets of destruction. That's just common sense.

You realize that you just proved my point, right?

 

[Chewback]

Phew, I thought Phantom was dead, glad he's not.

He's been reduced to quoting himself, though.

 

[GarryO37]

You realize that you just proved my point, right?

Wow... You aren't breeding are you? No. You can't be. No woman in their right mind... Well, maybe? I suppose if you found one similar... Are you breeding?

 

[Chewback]

Mockumentary. . .

George W. Bush is portrayed as too stupid (and yes you do need intelligence to fly a military jet or any plane for that matter.) And Dick Cheney from what I remember was portrayed as almost cartoonishly evil.

Well, Dick Cheney WAS almost cartoonishly evil so documentary it is.