James Fallows had an interesting column  on this in Atlantic back in 2002 or so.  He compared W’s performance in debates with Ann Richards in his ’96 run with his performance in the 2000 campaign and since.  In the Texas gubernatorial race he was not only very on message, as he has been since, but he also spoke a more sophisticated English, was mentally agile against a very skilled debater, and generally comported himself well.  Fallows thinks, and I tend to agree, that his later folksiness is a persona that has been very successful, one perhaps designed by Rove, and one that W seems to have been unable to escape, once he adopted it.

 

Herb

 

 

On GW Bush saying "nucular" (as did Jimmy Carter--who was a nuclear engineer!): I have heard tell that in the televised Texas gubernatorial debates, Bush did not speak as he has for the past 8 years, but rather sounded much more like the articulate, Yale-educated, upper-class Northeasterner that he actually is. The folksy, aw-shucks, malapropistic Bush is a character that he and his handlers created to make him a more marketable candidate. Does anyone know if this is true: that Bush did not always speak publicly as he does now?

BTW: I do not believe that Bill Clinton, George HW Bush, or Ronald Reagan said "nucular."

Best--
Seth

Dr. Seth Katz
Assistant Professor
Department of English
Bradley University


________________________________

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar on behalf of Carol Morrison
Sent: Wed 2/6/2008 11:57 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: McCain, Obama, Clinton...Who has the best grammar?


Yes, every time Bush says "nucular" it makes me cringe!

Patricia Lafayllve wrote:

Purely from a public speaking standpoint, all three do fairly well. McCain strives for an "everyman" approach, Clinton goes for "Powerful Woman" in her voice, and Obama is leaning toward an almost call-and-response flavor. I did hear Obama promise to pronounce the word "nuclear" as...well..."nuclear," which made me chuckle.

-patty


________________________________

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Carol Morrison
Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2008 10:18 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: McCain, Obama, Clinton...Who has the best grammar?

I am curious to see which of the candidates has the best grammar and who is the most well-spoken. I will be listening attentively to upcoming speeches, interviews, and press conferences. It would be nice to have a president who has a strong command of the English language. That person will get my vote (maybe). Any favorites?
CLM


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