Just Noticed

**UPDATE 6/29: Well nevermind. I watched the speech when I got home (thanks Tivo). It was still rough in places but was much better than my first impression over the radio. The President was earnest and sincere and his facial expressions/body language made up for his mediocre elocution. And the soldiers there seemed to love him.**

I was hoping for a speech from the President tonight that would be a powerful, persuasive stem-winder that would light a fire under American public opinion. Instead, listening on the radio, I heard a rather boring, disjointed, 28-minute accounting of reasons why we're in Iraq.

Now I know our president is not a gifted speaker. But yikes! What was that? I was reaching a point of frustration: You're not connecting! Stop pausing between each line like you're reading this for the first time! Address us directly! Stop sounding like you're reading the phone book!!! Argh!!!

But then immediately afterwards, ABC radio played several soundbites of the president's speech. And by themselves, out of context (or the lack of context) they sounded alright!

That makes me think that the president was speaking for the sake of the soundbite, not the live audience. That's too bad. A better speaker (like Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan for instance) could do both. Personally, I think if you're being recorded the best thing is to focus on the people there with you. Make communication with them a priority and let the soundbites worry about themselves. Perhaps the President's speech writers feel they must choose one or the other and they know most Americans will not sit through a half-hour speech but will see snippets of it later.

I think history will forget President Bush's speeches but will remember his character and principle.