Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Babbin says it all.
Jed Babbin says it all, here.
I'd only add one thing: Clear communication doesn't require a unique genius like Reagan. FDR didn't have Reagan's smoothness and line-reading talent; if you listen to his Fireside Chats, you'll hear plenty of hesitations and mispronunciations. But unlike Bush, Roosevelt's words were powerful and effective, because his writers knew how to persuade and sell. They knew when to repeat, when to introduce new material, how to prepare the listener's palate for a bitter swallow.
Many good teachers and salesmen know the same techniques; there are probably two million Americans who could do the job. Why in the hell hasn't the Bush administration hired any of them? With billions of dollars to throw around, and the very existence of civilization at stake, why can't they find just one teacher, salesman, or advertising man who can sequence intelligently and write clearly? ¶ 9:38 PM
I'd only add one thing: Clear communication doesn't require a unique genius like Reagan. FDR didn't have Reagan's smoothness and line-reading talent; if you listen to his Fireside Chats, you'll hear plenty of hesitations and mispronunciations. But unlike Bush, Roosevelt's words were powerful and effective, because his writers knew how to persuade and sell. They knew when to repeat, when to introduce new material, how to prepare the listener's palate for a bitter swallow.
Many good teachers and salesmen know the same techniques; there are probably two million Americans who could do the job. Why in the hell hasn't the Bush administration hired any of them? With billions of dollars to throw around, and the very existence of civilization at stake, why can't they find just one teacher, salesman, or advertising man who can sequence intelligently and write clearly? ¶ 9:38 PM
