If George W. Bush had a thousand lifetimes and an army of speechwriters...

[WilliamPitt]

...he could never, ever, ever, not even once, deliver the kind of speech that William Jefferson Clinton just dropped on that crowd without a single sheet of paper to look at. No teleprompter, no earpiece, no team of experts teaching him how to pronounce words, no blizzard of banal, stupefying catch phrases and buzz words.

Bill just did it.

There are plenty of reasons to be angry at Clinton, plenty of reasons to disagree with him, plenty of things he did that we all have to get together and fix.

But watching him stand there just now and do that is to see the vast gulf between what we had and what we've got. Only an utter and complete fool could fail to see how very far we have fallen, and how hard it will be to get back to that which we had, and perhaps, that which we didn't really appreciate at the time we had it.

Speaking of utter and complete fools, George W. sat behind him for that speech looking like he was sucking on a lemon. That, maybe, was the best part of all.

[CatWoman]

1. amen to that, Will

AMEN!!!

[mdmc]

2. I have to go watch..

:kick:

CHARISMA!

[Midlodemocrat]

3. Yeah, but what about the

integrity part? :sarcasm:

Bill is a phenomenal orator. How far we have fallen. I can only imagine how much the world is laughing at us.

[EFerrari]

7. I talk to my friends in Europe nearly every day.

They think we've lost our minds.

They may be right.

[MissB]

4. You are correct.

[BlueEyedSon]

5. But ya know, people just wanna have a beer with him (bush)....

[TahitiNut]

18. I would. I'd serve it stale in a tin plate.

Then I'd watch as he slithered in and drowned. :puke:

[EFerrari]

6. Did he? I couldn't make myself look.

It's gonna take weeks of screened audiences for That Felon to get over this event.

:toast:

[Swamp Rat]

8. The Bushlers were undergoing EXTREME MENTAL ANGUISH the whole time.

Have a nice day. :)

[Ilsa]

9. W. knows that Bill is now Poppy's favorite. No wonder he has a

sour pickle face.

I mentioned this in the funeral thread... Bill quoting scripture, speaking from the heart so eloquently. Bush knows he'll sound like a preschooler when he gets up there with his black binder of oversized type and 1-2 syllable words. I hope he remembers not to lean over the podium and lecture down to CSK.

[Road Scholar]

10. Well said, my friend. nt

[Cleita]

11. I know.

It would be wonderful to have an articulate and intelligent President again.

[Atman]

12. Isn't that kinda like the "thousand monkeys at a thousand keyboards?"

His speeches sound as if budget cutbacks forced him to lay of 2/3 of the monkeys, though. And he made them use crayons.

[MissB]

:spray:

[11 Bravo]

13. Bush is, and always will be, a jug-eared little prick.

A soulless, inarticulate, mean-spirited, little shitstain, who's only claim to sentience is the ability tp repeat the words he is instructed to speak. Lord knows, I have my differences with the Big Dog, but the man can give a speech that will, depending on his intent, grab you by the head, the heart, or the balls.

[NNN0LHI]

14. Agree but Hillary came in a strong second n/t

[zbdent]

15. it would be a total waste of a thousand lifetimes and an army

of speechwriters . . .

[Arkansas Granny]

16. Bush could never deliver a speech like that because he lacks

empathy. He could no more imagine the struggles against racial injustice than he can imagine the struggles of those in poverty. It just doesn't even register with him.

[leftstreet]

17. Jimmy Carter outdid them all.

He spoke truth to power. At a funeral for the wife of a man who was killed for speaking truth to power.

[NanceGreggs]

19. It's not often talked about ...

... but I've always thought that THIS must piss-off Republicans more than anything else. Clinton can speak on a moment's notice, without preparation, to virtually any crowd, anywhere, and have the audience enthralled within a matter of minutes.

It can't possibly be missed by the Republicans that THEIR boy can't open his mouth without making a fool of himself, and the comparison to Clinton is just TOO obvious.

There's also the matter that Clinton is still revered and respected, world-wide, for his activities post-presidency -- and every Republican KNOWS that the BushBaby will spend his post-WH years clearing brush at the HellHole Ranch - just like he's done for the past five years.

He's an IDIOT - and what's more, he's THEIR idiot!!!

[Stephanie]

27. Oh lord no - the Bushes are moving to Houson after he leaves the WH

You think they are going to spend their retirement at the Potemkin ranch? Not on your life.

[Bridget Burke]

28. One small correction....

Bush will sell his "ranch" the minute he leaves DC. It will have served his purpose.

Texas gossip: He'll move into a gated community in Dallas.

[quiet.american]

37. "....He'll move into a gated community in Dallas....."

Yeah, Federal Prison! (I can dream, can't I?).

[Lisa]

45. perhaps his new Dallas neighbors will get a much clearer perspective

... on him, once he is out of office and can ditch the "folksy" mannerisms as well as the stage-set ranch! I can just imagine Bush becoming "the neighbor from hell" who picks fights with everyone and exasperates the strata council (or equivalent).

[catmandu57]

20. You don't know what you had till it's gone

Slumping in his chair looking like a whipped pup, I wish they had booed the fucker out of there.

[greiner3]

21. I sure wish I had seen it;

I'll look for it on video and will watch when it comes on line. Bill, he IS a great speaker.

[WinkyDink]

22. You TELL it!!

Brilliance, humor, empathy, did I mention brilliance??

[MoonRiver]

23. Oh God...

:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:

I miss him so much.

[amitten]

24. It's called a "President". Once upon a time, in a Washington far,

far away, America used to have one.

Now, of course, we've got a squinting monkey-man with a fake accent with all the brainpower and gravitas of the latest American Idol reject. Can I wake up now????

[Blue_Roses]

25. there is no comparison

in dignity and presence between the two. No matter what anyone may say about Clinton, he truly cares about the "little people" having come from the same roots.

[MuseRider]

26. No matter how many times

I think about how awful some of the things Clinton did were I can never deny that he is one hell of a brilliant man.

You hit the nail on the head with this Will. I will always have a lot of respect for Clinton even if I did not care for a lot of what he did. I will never have respect for Bush** even if he changes and makes up for what he has done, not ever not one ounce.

[Booster]

29. If I had known what a beautiful service this was going to be I would

have taped it and viewed it over and over again. The only thing out of place so far has been the Dimson's speech; everybody else was totally sincere and right on. I loved the preacher's speech the best, then Clinton's. Mrs. King is beaming right about now, and she deserves every bit of it. Rest in peace, Mrs. King. You were truly loved.

[Jeanette in FL]

34. It will be repeated on CSPAN tonight at 8pm

I am going to do the same thing. It was one of the most beautiful tributes to a beautiful woman. Plus to watch Smirky squirm over and over again will be wonderful. Forgive me, dear Lord, for seeking pleasure in someone elses pain.

[Booster]

40. Thanks for that information. I will most certainly tape it tonight.

[robbedvoter]

30. No, the best part of all was the ovation Bill got at the end (none for W)

And the way W scuttled out of there.

[Rocknrule]

31. Oh God, don't say that

If W had a thousand lifetimes, he would have the time to destroy not only the world, but the entire universe

[spanone]

32. Never has a President been so lacking in the ability to articulate.

Sincerity within the spoken word is something our current president has never experienced. He is a sham and a shame.

It's just so unbelievable. It's a Mel Brooks movie gone psycho.

[Just Me]

33. I think it's a matter of not mere intelligence but also pure-heartedness.

President Clinton really did care about the best interests of his people and his country even if his judgment on certain matters was mistaken or wrong.

Bush's life has ALWAYS been about him. He was born and bread to be that way, prolly 'cause he had no talent that would ever actually elevate humanity (plus his father and grandfather had been absolute scum).

BAH!!!

[Bluerthanblue]

35. Bill spoke as only one who truly knows love, loss, sorrow, and

grief truly can. He spoke his heart, and spoke it elequoently- in fricking plain english. Reminding EVERYONE that inside that casket, was not an "icon" but a woman, a mother, a beautiful child of this world- and spoke as one who knew her suffering, and courage-
And to everyone within earshot- about how real the sacrifice was, is, and will be for everyone who refuses to turn away from what we KNOW is the only true path to change-

He was awesome- sex is a physical act-
LOVE- honest, real, life-changing, compassionate LOVE is a a 'way of life'-

We need a new leader who speaks his language-

[malaise]

36. Well said Will n/t

[underpants]

38. ** VIDEO??? ****

Anyone have a video link?

[underpants]

39. VIDEO link here

http://www.canofun.com/cof/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=16325&mid=99667#M99667

[jeanarrett]

43. Oh THANK YOU!!!! That was beautiful!

Makes me want to cry my eyes out though when I remember him and compare it with what we have now.

[deadparrot]

41. Clinton is far from my ideal president,

but my god, do I miss him. :cry:

[bigtree]

42. I loved every glorious minute of Bill Clinton's presidency

the campaigns before and his post-presidency too.

[ClayZ]

44. Peace!

:kick:


The Weight of a Snowflake

"Tell me the weight of a snowflake," a coalmouse asked a wild dove.

"Nothing more than nothing," the dove answered.

"In that case I must tell you a marvelous story," the coalmouse said. "I sat on a fir branch close to the trunk when it began to snow. Not heavily, not in a raging blizzard. No, just like in a dream, without any violence at all. Since I didn't have anything better to do, I counted the snowflakes settling on the twigs and needles of my branch. Their number was exactly 3,471,952. When the next snowflake dropped onto the branch--nothing more than nothing -- as you say -- the branch broke off."

Having said that, the coalmouse ran away.

The dove, since Noah's time an authority on peace, thought about the story for a while. Finally, she said to herself, "Perhaps there is only one person's voice lacking for peace to come to the world." - Source unknown

[andyhappy]

46. can't bill just run again?

I know he can't do three terms in a row...but what about skipping a few and then getting back in the mix?

[in_cog_ni_to]

47. So true!

Bill was WONDERFUL.

[Bake]

48. The Big Dog was simply BRILLIANT.

Freaking BRILLIANT.

Bake

[jeanarrett]

49. Please tell me what was yelled out by someone in the

crowd after Clinton said he was happy to be there with his president and former presidents. Someone in the crowd yelled something out and the crowd started cheering again and Bill, just said, "no, no. . . "

[democrank]

50. Watching Bush react to

eloquent speakers today was like watching one of those little wooden pegs in a Playskool workbench get beaten by a mallet down into the little hole. Priceless.

[MissWaverly]

51. He look like he was a million miles away

maybe he was trying to do a mental fly over like he did in Katrina

[Pachamama]

52. Clinton is the perfect example of when the mind, the heart and mouth are

actually connected and in the right place....Something that George W. (and even his own father) will never have....In *'s case, its because he's an idiot and there is nothing in the heart, so what spews from his mouth, even if it was a "brilliantly written speech" could never be delivered like what Bill Clinton can deliver. And say what you will about Bill, the man is brilliant and I believe has his heart in the right place. The only time Bill has screwed up is when Clenis enters the fray.... :eyes:

[grace0418]

53. Anyone have a different link than the canofun link?

I couldn't open that on my computer and I'd really love to see the speech. Great post Will, as usual!