bush's "uncanny" memory for "thousands" of "small details"

[rusty charly]

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/22/national/22LETT.html

-snip-

"But the teetotaling, early-to-bed president distinguishes himself at the parties by what guests say is an uncanny ability to remember small details about thousands of friends, acquaintances and staff members: the names of new babies; the number of children a guest has; the fact that an old college classmate played the trumpet his freshman year. Mr. Bush, a former Yale fraternity president who stunned his fellow pledges when he was able to rattle off all 55 of their names, may be aggressively anti-intellectual, but his social recall is formidable."

-snip-



should come in handy for future war crime trial?

[Atman]

1. idiot savant?

Or just idiot?

[democrat in Tallahassee]

2. just like Clinton, uh? this is crap. n/t

*

[PsN2Wind]

3. Except that detail

of his last year+ of Guard duty.

[phaseolus]

4. It's a politician thing.

Since knowing that his 'bread and butter' depends on knowing that stuff, I wouldn't be surprised if he puts a lot of effort into remembering little personal details like that. Just to name another, Tip O'Neill was legendary for the same thing.

Doubt if Bush knows little details such as what the "Carbon Cycle" is, or who the Druzes are, or any of zillions of other things you'd want any educated adult to know...

[NJCher]

5. unlike minds

There might be something to this and here's why. Many years ago, like over a decade ago, I did some research into absentmindedness and in particular, the stereotype of the absentminded professor. What I learned is that some people, particularly those high in ability to synthesize and theorize, spend their mental capital working with higher level concepts. For example, while driving to work, a professor might be mulling over how thoughts might be put together in a research dissertation. Meanwhile, this very same professor may not know where the keys to the office are.

Other people focus on minutia and are able to recite baseball scores, etc. These people, needless to say, do not spend much time working on theories of the universe but they can find their keys.

I don't, however, think bush is good at much of anything mental. After all, that's why he goes in for nicknames.



Cher

[MrPrax]

6. Small details...like Africa being a Nation?

"aggressively anti-intellectual" is an understatement...he probably spends MOST of his time remembering the names of 'Pioneer' donors, who he bought dope from...

This was the ONLY news that the Times could find 'fit' to print?

[leftchick]

7. huh, Then why can't he recall where he was in the last year

of his Texas ANG duty?

[freesqueeze]

14. Had Trouble With His Arrest Record Also

I think Karen Hughes helped him to forget that one. Or was that a bald-faced lie.....sorry, wrong thread.

[rasputin1952]

8. "Selective Memory"...

He can recall inane items....but fails to pass any test of 'reality', i.e., Saddam was behind 9-11 in some way; or that he lost the election by 500,000+ votes; or that he cannot function without hours of preparation in front of a teleprompter, and STILL blow it, when he has to deliver!

I can recall many of my Army buddies, school friends, (and enemies), but there are times where I forget why I walked into a room; difference is, I eventually recall WHY I went into that room, bush just turns around and leaves.

O8)

[ima_sinnic]

9. it's a wealthy-networker skill

the world of the very wealthy--and evil empire families in particular--revolves around networking and gossip. The Chimp is particularly adept at playing that vapid game.

[doubleyoi]

10. "thousands"?

That sounds like Thurston Howell III, cocktail party hyperbole to me, like when Lovey calls having a stain on her dress a "tragedy". It's the kind of thing that impresses shallow people. People who think remembering the names of their kitchen staff shows their affinity for "the common man".

[pansypoo53219]

11. and other men

can rattle off players, stats and team records. no big deal. useless crap.

[zbdent]

16. Rain man, funny, funny Rain Man.

You have a point.

Bush may know thousands of details. Like the fact that shoes go on after socks, you have to wipe your ass after a shit, putting pants on before a press conference . . .

[eyesroll]

12. Oh, crap! I actually share something in common with *

I can do that too -- I don't always remember faces (in fact, I'm terrible with faces), but I can quote things back to people 10 years after they said it.

(And yet I keep telling the same stories, over and over, not remembering that I'd told them before)

[Cannikin]

13. Two words: Flash cards

'nuff said.

[Anaxamander]

15. When I saw Michael Moore speak here in Tallahassee...

...he mused about Bush's "uncanny" ability to rattle off 55 frat names, saying, if he ever got the chance, he'd ask him to name the last 55 people executed in Texas. Wouldn't we all love to see him squirm and smirk his way through THAT.

[RedSock]

17. ken lay

he seemed to "forget" that familiar buddy.

[LiberalFighter]

18. How much help and/or preparation did he get?

How many times on a regular basis did he have contact with these people? He has had how many years intermingling with political hacks and activists within his party?

What exactly were the circumstances where he rattled off the names of all 55 of their names? Was it with all 55 of them present and he placed their name as he met them or did he rattle off their names to some complete stranger?

Was he prompted by someone at his side before he got to the person about specific info?

[Cocoa]

19. damning with faint praise

this is the President of the United States we're talking about, and the NYT grasps around for some way he's not a moron.

Gephardt just quietly trashed Bush's knowledge of foreign policy. He said he's not dumb, but he doesn't have even a basic understanding of any of the issues. He said it in a matter-of-fact way that was very damning.