WP: Birth of a Salesman: Pitching Social Security

[kskiska]

(snip)

The president is also pushing loftier products. He is touting "courage" (to act), "responsibility" (to our young people) and "freedom" (whether from tyrants or government-imposed financial burdens). Social Security is Bush's signature product rollout this year. It is a tough sale, even to the rent-a-choir audiences of ticketed supporters the president addressed last week. The issues are complex and the here-and-now is comfortable.

But some of the country's most celebrated hawkers marvel at Bush's gift for selling. They rave about how he connects and inspires. With exclamation points!

"You can tell he has God within him!" says Zig Ziglar, the sales guru and motivational speaker, in a phone interview from Montgomery, Ala., where he is hosting a seminar.

(snip)

Bush's fast-moving manner can make his listening skills appear suspect, Lahkani says. This point is bolstered during Bush's onstage "conversations."

In Omaha on Friday, a divorced single mother named Mary Mornin tells the president, "I have one child, Robbie, who is mentally challenged, and I have two daughters."

"Fantastic," the president exclaims, and he tells her she has "the hardest job in America, being a single mom."

Later, the 57-year old Mornin tells Bush that she works three jobs, which the president deems "uniquely American" and "fantastic." He asks her if she gets any sleep.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1548-2005Feb5.html

[Chipper Chat]

1. Wrong answer Mr. Pres (did the wire malfunction?)

To the divorced single mom you answered "you have the hardest job in america, being a single mom."
Where's your "marriage protection mantra?" The correct answer would be "get your ass out on the street and dont come home 'till you have a new husband. And no fags either (smirk smirk)."

[Kimber Scott]

2. Fantastic? Rent-a-choir audiences? ROFLMAO! Too bad they didn't

write this way BEFORE the election.

[Supersedeas]

15. don't you love the POST election lucidity of the press--Johnny come lately

[Missy M]

3. Works three jobs....

The woman tells Bush she works three jobs and the president deems that "uniquely American" and "fantastic" and asks her if she gets any sleep.
The woman has three children and has to work three jobs, I wonder how she has any time for the children. I would think his answer should be that Americans should have jobs that pay a decent wage so they aren't forced to work three jobs and can take care of their children. What a totally out of touch idiot Bush is and his followers can't see it.

[cornermouse]

4. 3 jobs + children.

The woman is killing herself. I strongly suspect she is not making enough off the combined jobs to have any extra for a Bush styled "retirement account", the children are no doubt raising themselves, and Bush thinks it's "fantastic".

[LizW]

5. This is a MUST READ

Where the heck was the Washington Post when Bush was running these dog and pony shows during the election? They know it's the exact same scam, they even point it out.

It is amazing to me how someone so incredibly FAKE, gets all this credit from his followers for being genuine. It's unreal.

[The Zanti Regent]

6. And this is yet ANOTHER ass-kissing article from the Post

When will the press whoring stop?

When?

[Eurobabe]

7. errr, wasn't the title DEATH of a Salesman?

[Atman]

9. Uhm....yup, it WAS

Which is why the editors chose to play off that well-known title. To title an article about Bush "Death of a Salesmen" would likely get them a visit from the SS, not to mention the fact that it simply wouldn't make sense in the context of the article.

But you knew that, right? You're just pullin' our legs, right?

[Judi Lynn]

14. Doncha remember?

Here's DEATH....



Here's the "BIRTH of a Salesman:"

[Demeter]

17. StillBorn Salesman, More Likely

so much for being born-again!

Bush couldn't sell water to drought victims--'cause it wouldn't be right! He'd have to hoard it, and make those lazy fuckers dig their own wells, to have pride of ownership, don't you know?

And if his big bucks buddies needed to water the golf courses in Desert Springs and Palm Beach, well, he'd have the water for it!

[acmavm]

8. The guy is nothing but a new version of the "Snake Oil Salsman'. His

cure-alls are worthless, even dangerous. But the huckster puts money in the pockets of himself and his depraved co-conspirators, all while they're committing crimes and frauds that are destroying our country.

The guy is pure evil. I don't care if he's not the brains behind all this obscene criminal and anti-American crap, he's just as evil because he's a more-than-willing accomplice.

[hollowdweller]

10. The GOP always said the gov't should be more like private business

If you look they have done it. Sold stuff based not on it's basic merit but based on hype and Frank Luntz marketing techniques.

Just as many businesses have tons of part time employees instead of a fewer number of full time employees so they don't have to pay the benefits. The GOP is doing this by using the guard so heavily in Iraq.

Instead of providing a pension they are pushing their own version of the 401K.

Then there's Blackwell and Halliburton and all this contracting out.

The only problem is that's may be the way to do stuff the cheapest but in the long run it is bound to wind up ruining our country.

[oly]

11. Repugs -- "You will get screwed, seniors will get theirs, boomers

are going to steal what is yours, survivors will get money they don't deserve, blacks will get more, blacks will get less, women will get more, SS is broke, and something is better than nothing." "Oh, and BTW I can make you rich, famous, handsome, beautiful, live forever, and retire in paradise."

Dems -- "Look at this graph, it shows that SS is solvent until 2042"

I wonder who will make the sale?

[Chico Man]

12. It's like a late night info-mercial

Call now!

Argh these people are so damn phony to me!!! AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! Please wake me up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[leesa]

13. He's been selling stuff for years now and WP has been helping

Everything he sells is a bad product.

[depakid]

16. The Post has lost all sense of shame

The drivel that's published in that paper these days never ceases to amaze me.

Why don't they just go ahead and declare the lying sack of shit emperor and get it over with.