He Needs Another Bullhorn

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Here's a very good column by Jay Nordlinger in National Review about how the President's message has not received attention... and, indeed, has been virtually ignored.

[[ It’s strange to say that a president doesn’t get enough attention — that his speeches and arguments are ignored. But I think this may be true of GWB. Over and over, he speaks clearly about the War on Terror, and other matters, and month after month, people say, “Why isn’t the president saying anything? Why doesn’t he speak out? Has he no defense of his policies?”

Problem is, Bush can give a speech to a few hundred people, and the rest of the world takes little notice (or isn’t given very much).

Poor president, I’m saying: Doesn’t have a big enough megaphone. “Get real, Impromptus guy!”

But consider — consider not just this latest Iraq speech (Wednesday’s), but the one he gave on Veterans Day (November 11). He spoke at the Tobyhanna Army Depot, in Pennsylvania, and I urge anyone interested to read this speech. He says why we are at war; he says who our enemies are, and how they’re related; he says how the war is going; he outlines his vision.

Now, you may disagree with Bush, and you may despise him: but it should be impossible to say that he has no clue.

People say, over and over, “Why isn’t Bush saying anything?” He is — but is anyone bothering to listen? It’s not all that hard, even if Dan Rather — or whoever the new guy is — won’t dump it in your lap. Again, I urge you to read the Tobyhanna speech — skip the boilerplate about veterans, and how much money the administration is spending on them, at the beginning. The guts of the speech will take you maybe 15 minutes to read. It will be worth it, if you want to know the president’s view. As I said, you may disagree with him, or think he’s full of it — but you should at least know where he (and, by extension, we as a country) stand.

I have said for many years that Bush should hold more press conferences. Prime-time ones, in the East Room, or whatever. It would give him an opportunity to speak to people — lots of people, not just a crowd gathered in an auditorium. Let the questioning be hostile — the more hostile the better. Bush can handle it, and he would impart information, or opinion, that people should have. The White House staff should feel no need to protect him. He can talk. In his fashion — homespun and unpolished — but he can talk. ]]

This really is a must read... in fact, I really hope that someone in the White House reads it. This new rhetorical offensive that the President has been on is going to yield much fruit... if he keeps it on.

Most of us have felt frustrated at both the President's lack of "telling it like it is" and the media's refusing to tell it like it is.

I think it's getting better.

Listening To Bush

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