I was reading Talking Points Memo and came upon a reference to John Hinderacker and an diary he posted suggesting that President Elect Obama needs to take points from George Bush on the art of....
Public Speaking.
Now I know what a fine site TPM is and I have the utmost respect for their journalistic integrity. However, I also believed that, maybe, this time, they had gotten it wrong. Because to hold Pres. Bush up as a model of oratory skills would be bizarre beyond, well, words.
So I wandered over to the actual site and I hereby offer my formal apology to Josh Marshall and his intrepid gang of reporters for my doubts.
Here is the closing paragraph of Mr. Hinderackers thoughtful advice to Barack Obama:
Obama thinks he is a good talker, but he is often undisciplined when he speaks. He needs to understand that as President, his words will be scrutinized and will have impact whether he intends it or not. In this regard, President Bush is an excellent model; Obama should take a lesson from his example. Bush never gets sloppy when he is speaking publicly. He chooses his words with care and precision, which is why his style sometimes seems halting. In the eight years he has been President, it is remarkable how few gaffes or verbal blunders he has committed. If Obama doesn't raise his standards, he will exceed Bush's total before he is inaugurated.
I don't believe there is anything I can add to this. Like Sarah Palin's answers to Katie Couric, this is beyond satire. It stands alone to be admired and examined.
I just wanted to share this wonder with you and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I.