Okay, I recognize that there have been some very sensible comments offered up in an effort to make sense of this little puzzle. So this post may go over like a lead balloon, however. . .
I thought, "Okay, what if? --What if the Sci-Fi explanation were actually true; that Bush had been killed and replaced by something else? --How could that kind of thing be verified?"
And when I thought that, I immediately recalled something which had been bothering me for the last few years. I remember all through his first term, Bush Jr. would regularly come out with these astonishing comments during interviews and press conferences; the term, "Bushism" was invented.
It seemed like every week or two, he'd dish out another monumentally weird comment. And when the study of psychopathy was coming into focus here on the SOTT pages, those early Bushisms readily offered themselves up as pristine examples of the kind of damaged language common among those psychopaths which had been captured and studied. --There was clearly something very wrong with the president. It became so bad that some people out there in Official Culture began to take notice. The talk began to grow beyond the simple notion of, "Oh, isn't that stupid?" to "Um, what if our president is suffering from actual brain damage?"
Then around 2005, something changed. I remember noticing that the steady stream of whopper-sized Bushisms seemed to dry up. --He still said some outlandish things, (as the list below will show), but the quality of those comments had shifted. I had this weird feeling about it all; I even remember thinking several times, "Hm! I guess they finally worked out a system to prevent him from making verbal flubs. Maybe the media has collectively agreed to stop reporting his blunders. Maybe his handlers started training him better before putting him in front of microphones. Whatever the case, something has definitely shifted!"
But that was just a feeling. --If I was going to be thinking about this in a more serious manner as we are here, then I needed to examine my odd notion more closely. So I spent an hour or so gathering up all the Bushisms I could find on those websites which collect them, and I've arranged them by date. --I left a couple out because they were un-dated, and I left out ones which were not blunders but were instead famous bald-faced lies which changed history. Those, I felt belonged in a different category. In any case, I think this is a fairly complete list of George Bush Jr.'s verbal blunders made from 2000 to 2008.
And then I read through them. . .
It's entirely possible to trick oneself, and I admit that I am not doing this in a very scientific way at all. It's not double-blinded, I had the theory in mind before I studied the evidence. This is basically like trying to work out if Asian astrology works by reading a bunch of Chinese place mats. BUT, when I read through them it DOES honestly seem to me that around the end of 2004, the kind of broken-ness of Bush's blunders really does seem different.
--They appear more forgiveable; like the kinds of honest verbal gaffs a normal, (albeit not very bright human who should never have been president), might make. --Things like number flubs, mistaken names, tripping up with awkward grammatical use, etc. But not frontal-lobe damage style broken. I've bolded the ones after Dec 2004 which I thought were truly truly catastrophic, but even they seemed like more logical errors. Saying "elevate" instead of "aleviate", for instance, is an error I can understand. --Whereas "coexisting peacefully with fish" is just. . , weird in a way I cannot follow back through any mind-maze I've ever wandered through myself. Anyway, I was only able to bold-face three examples.
Maybe he just got smarter. Maybe he changed his medication. Maybe the media simply eased up. Or who knows. --Maybe he was replaced by a more reliable model.
Or maybe I'm completely out to lunch. Please read and compare for yourself and see what you think; (I've divided the list in the middle where I think the shift occurs). . .
--Oh, and for the record, I'm actually quite partial to the notion that the C's see things in terms of probabilities, and that the stream of events simply changes course slightly as we move along it. That sits with me a lot more easily than the idea of a Bush-bot roaming about.
But still. . . When I read these quotes, something doesn't quite add up for me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bushisms from 2000 - 2004
"You're working hard to put food on your family." —Presidential candidate George W. Bush, Nashua, N.H., Jan. 27, 2000
"We ought to make the pie higher." —Presidential candidate George W. Bush, South Carolina Republican Debate, Feb. 15, 2000
"We cannot let terrorists and rogue nations hold this nation hostile or hold our allies hostile.'' —Presidential candidate George W. Bush, Des Moines, Iowa, Aug. 21, 2000
"I don't think we need to be subliminable about the differences between our views on prescription drugs." —President George W. Bush, Orlando, Fla., Sept. 12, 2000
"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." —Presidential candidate George W. Bush, Saginaw, Mich., Sept. 29, 2000
"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream." —Presidential candidate George W. Bush, LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 18, 2000
"Mr. Vice President, in all due respect, it is — I'm not sure 80 percent of the people get the death tax. I know this: 100 percent will get it if I'm the president." —Presidential candidate George W. Bush, third presidential debate, St. Louis, Mo., October 18, 2000
"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." —President-elect George W. Bush, at a photo-op with congressional leaders during his first trip to Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., Dec. 19, 2000
"You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.'' —Townsend, Tenn., Feb. 21, 2001
"We both use Colgate toothpaste." —after a reporter asked what he had in common with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Camp David, Md., Feb. 23, 2001
"My plan reduces the national debt, and fast. So fast, in fact, that economists worry that we're going to run out of debt to retire." —radio address, Feb. 24, 2001
"For every fatal shooting, there were roughly three non-fatal shootings. And, folks, this is unacceptable in America. It's just unacceptable. And we're going to do something about it." —Philadelphia, Penn., May 14, 2001
"I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe — I believe what I believe is right." —Rome, Italy, July 22, 2001
"We need to counter the shockwave of the evildoer by having individual rate cuts accelerated and by thinking about tax rebates." —Washington, D.C. Oct. 4, 2001
"I couldn't imagine somebody like Osama bin Laden understanding the joy of Hanukkah." —at a White House menorah lighting ceremony, Washington, D.C., Dec. 10, 2001
"But all in all, it's been a fabulous year for Laura and me." —summing up his first year in office, three months after the 9/11 attacks, Washington, D.C., Dec. 20, 2001
"We spent a lot of time talking about Africa, as we should. Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease." —Gothenburg, Sweden, June 14, 2001
"It is white." —after being asked by a child in Britain what the White House was like, July 19, 2001
"I am here to make an announcement that this Thursday, ticket counters and airplanes will fly out of Ronald Reagan Airport." —Washington, D.C., Oct. 3, 2001
"Do you have blacks, too?" —to Brazilian President Fernando Cardoso, Washington, D.C., Nov. 8, 2001
"This foreign policy stuff is a little frustrating." —as quoted by the New York Daily News, April 23, 2002
"I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace." —Washington, D.C. June 18, 2002
"I promise you I will listen to what has been said here, even though I wasn't here." —at the President's Economic Forum in Waco, Texas, Aug. 13, 2002
"I try to go for longer runs, but it's tough around here at the White House on the outdoor track. It's sad that I can't run longer. It's one of the saddest things about the presidency." —interview with "Runners World," Aug. 2002
"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002
"People say, how can I help on this war against terror? How can I fight evil? You can do so by mentoring a child; by going into a shut-in's house and say I love you." —Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2002
"We need an energy bill that encourages consumption." —Trenton, N.J., Sept. 23, 2002
"Haven't we already given money to rich people? Why are we going to do it again?" —to economic advisers discussing a second round of tax cuts, as quoted by former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neil, Washington, D.C., Nov. 26, 2002
"I don't know why you're talking about Sweden. They're the neutral one. They don't have an army." —during a Dec. 2002 Oval Office meeting with Rep. Tom Lantos, as reported by the New York Times
"The war on terror involves Saddam Hussein because of the nature of Saddam Hussein, the history of Saddam Hussein, and his willingness to terrorize himself." —Grand Rapids, Mich., Jan. 29, 2003
"I'm the master of low expectations." —aboard Air Force One, June 4, 2003
"I'm also not very analytical. You know I don't spend a lot of time thinking about myself, about why I do things." —aboard Air Force One, June 4, 2003
"My answer is bring them on." —on Iraqi insurgents attacking U.S. forces, Washington, D.C., July 3, 2003
"I saw a poll that said the right track/wrong track in Iraq was better than here in America. It's pretty darn strong. I mean, the people see a better future." —Washington, D.C., Sept. 23, 2004
"I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read the news themselves." —Washington, D.C., Sept. 21, 2003
"See, free nations are peaceful nations. Free nations don't attack each other. Free nations don't develop weapons of mass destruction." —Milwaukee, Wis., Oct. 3, 2003
"Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere!" —President George W. Bush, joking about his administration's failure to find WMDs in Iraq as he narrated a comic slideshow during the Radio & TV Correspondents' Association dinner, Washington, D.C., March 24, 2004
"I wish you'd have given me this written question ahead of time so I could plan for it…I'm sure something will pop into my head here in the midst of this press conference, with all the pressure of trying to come up with answer, but it hadn't yet….I don't want to sound like I have made no mistakes. I'm confident I have. I just haven't — you just put me under the spot here, and maybe I'm not as quick on my feet as I should be in coming up with one." —President George W. Bush, after being asked to name the biggest mistake he had made, Washington, D.C., April 3, 2004
"I trust God speaks through me. Without that, I couldn't do my job." —to a group of Amish he met with privately, July 9, 2004
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." —Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004
"Tribal sovereignty means that; it's sovereign. I mean, you're a — you've been given sovereignty, and you're viewed as a sovereign entity. And therefore the relationship between the federal government and tribes is one between sovereign entities." —Washington, D.C., Aug. 6, 2004
"The really rich people figure out how to dodge taxes anyway." —explaining why high taxes on the rich are a failed strategy, Annandale, Va., Aug. 9, 2004
"Can we win? I don't think you can win it." —after being asked whether the war on terror was winnable, "Today" show interview, Aug. 30, 2004
"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." —Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004
"I hear there's rumors on the Internets that we're going to have a draft." —presidential debate, St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 8, 2004
"After standing on the stage, after the debates, I made it very plain, we will not have an all-volunteer army. And yet, this week — we will have an all-volunteer army!" —Daytona Beach, Fla., Oct. 16, 2004
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And After 2004. . .
"You work three jobs? … Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that." —President George W. Bush, to a divorced mother of three, Omaha, Nebraska, Feb. 4, 2005
"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda." —President George W. Bush, Greece, N.Y., May 24, 2005
"It seemed like to me they based some of their decisions on the word of — and the allegations — by people who were held in detention, people who hate America, people that had been trained in some instances to disassemble — that means not tell the truth." —President George W. Bush, on an Amnesty International report on prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay, Washington, D.C., May 31, 2005
"Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." —President George W. Bush, to FEMA director Michael Brown, who resigned 10 days later amid criticism over his job performance, Mobile, Ala., Sept. 2, 2005
"I would say the best moment of all was when I caught a 7.5 pound largemouth bass in my lake." --on his best moment in office, interview with the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, May 7, 2006
"You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror." --interview with CBS News' Katie Couric, Sept. 6, 2006
"Anybody who is in a position to serve this country ought to understand the consequences of words." --interview with Rush Limbaugh, Nov. 1, 2006
"I think -- tide turning -- see, as I remember -- I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of -- it's easy to see a tide turn -- did I say those words?" --asked if the tide was turning in Iraq, Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006
"I will not withdraw, even if Laura and Barney are the only ones supporting me." --talking to key Republicans about Iraq, as quoted by Bob Woodward
"I said I was looking for a book to read, Laura said you ought to try Camus. I also read three Shakespeares. ... I've got a eck-a-lec-tic reading list." --interview with NBC's Brian Williams, New Orleans, La., Aug. 29, 2006
"The only way we can win is to leave before the job is done." --Greeley, Colo., Nov. 4, 2006
Maria Bartiromo: "I'm curious, have you ever googled anybody? Do you use Google?"
President Bush: "Occasionally. One of the things I've used on the Google is to pull up maps. It's very interesting to see -- I've forgot the name of the program -- but you get the satellite, and you can -- like, I kinda like to look at the ranch. It remind me of where I wanna be sometimes." --interview with CNBC's Maria Bartiromo, Oct. 24, 2006
"See, the irony is that what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this s**t, and it's over." --chomping on a dinner roll while talking about the Middle East crisis with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the G8 summit, St. Petersburg, Russia, July 17, 2006
"I'm the decider, and I decide what is best. And what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the Secretary of Defense." --Washington, D.C. April 18, 2006
"And there is distrust in Washington. I am surprised, frankly, at the amount of distrust that exists in this town. And I'm sorry it's the case, and I'll work hard to try to elevate it." --interview on National Public Radio, Jan. 29, 2007
"I fully understand those who say you can't win this thing militarily. That's exactly what the United States military says, that you can't win this military." --on the need for political progress in Iraq, Washington, D.C., Oct. 17, 2007
"One of my concerns is that the health care not be as good as it can possibly be." --on military benefits, Tipp City, Ohio, April 19, 2007
"Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your introduction. Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit." --addressing Australian Prime Minister John Howard at the APEC Summit. Later, in the same speech: "As John Howard accurately noted when he went to thank the Austrian troops there last year..." --referring to Australian troops as "Austrian troops," Sept. 7, 2007
"My relationship with this good man is where I've been focused, and that's where my concentration is. And I don't regret any other aspect of it. And so I -- we filled a lot of space together." --on British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Washington, D.C., May 17, 2007
"You helped our nation celebrate its bicentennial in 17 -- 1976." --to Queen Elizabeth, Washington, D.C., May 7, 2007
"The question is, who ought to make that decision? The Congress or the commanders? And as you know, my position is clear -- I'm a Commander Guy." --deciding he is no longer just "The Decider," Washington, D.C., May 2, 2007
"Information is moving -- you know, nightly news is one way, of course, but it's also moving through the blogosphere and through the Internets." --Washington, D.C., May 2, 2007
"There are some similarities, of course (between Iraq and Vietnam). Death is terrible." --Tipp City, Ohio, April 19, 2007
"As yesterday's positive report card shows, childrens do learn when standards are high and results are measured." --on the No Child Left Behind Act, Washington, D.C., Sept. 26, 2007
"Thank you, your Holiness. Awesome speech!" --to Pope Benedict after he spoke at the White House, Washington, D.C., April 15, 2008
"First of all, I don't see America having problems." --interview with Bob Costas at the 2008 Olympics, Beijing, China, Aug. 10, 2008
"I didn't grow up in the ocean -- as a matter of fact -- near the ocean -- I grew up in the desert. Therefore, it was a pleasant contrast to see the ocean. And I particularly like it when I'm fishing." --Washington, D.C., Sept. 26, 2008
"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? ... That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." --at a news conference, Washington, D.C., Feb. 28, 2008
"And so, General, I want to thank you for your service. And I appreciate the fact that you really snatched defeat out of the jaws of those who are trying to defeat us in Iraq." --to Army Gen. Ray Odierno, Washington, D.C., March 3, 2008
"You know, I'm the President during this period of time, but I think when the history of this period is written, people will realize a lot of the decisions that were made on Wall Street took place over a decade or so, before I arrived in President, during I arrived in President." --ABC News interview, Dec. 1, 2008
"I reminded the president that I am reminded of the great talent of the -- of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House." --referring to White House chef Cristeta Comerford while meeting with Filipino President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Washington, D.C., June 24, 2008
"I think I was unprepared for war." –on the biggest regret of his presidency, ABC News interview, Dec. 1, 2008
"I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office." --Washington, D.C., May 12, 2008
"Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter." --in parting words to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy at his final G-8 Summit, punching the air and grinning widely as the two leaders looked on in shock, Rusutsu, Japan, July 10, 2008