When words get in the way, Bush goes phonetic

[cynatnite]

When Bush addressed the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, the White House inadvertently showed exactly how -- with a phonetic pronunciation guide on the teleprompter to get him past troublesome names of countries and world leaders.

The White House was left scrambling to explain after a marked-up draft of Bush's speech popped up briefly on the U.N. Web site as he delivered his remarks, giving a rare glimpse of the special guidance he gets for major addresses.

It included phonetic spellings for French President Nicolas Sarkozy (sar-KO-zee), a friend, and Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe (moo-GAH-bee), a target of U.S. human rights criticism.

Pronunciations were also provided for Kyrgyzstan (KEYR-geez-stan), Mauritania (moor-EH-tain-ee-a) and the Zimbabwe capital Harare (hah-RAR-ray).

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070925/pl_nm/bush_phonetics_dc

It's funny, but embarrassing as hell at the same time.

[Kagemusha]

1. Sportscasters have to learn these names somehow too.

Of all Bush's vices, this is about the least offensive to me. Every effort he can make to sound less like an idiot than he already does is effort well spent.

[sarge43]

2. I'm merely surprise they cared enough to try to get it right. n/t

[cynatnite]

4. Was showing it on the teleprompter an accident?

Hmm...maybe not. :evilgrin:

[Marr]

3. I used to think Bush was just a puppet.

I still do, but it's a little more complex than that. He's a puppet who actually thinks he's running the show. He's so profoundly ignorant and incurious that his advisors can lead him anywhere they like, and he's so intensely stupid that he'll never catch on.

[madokie]

10. Yep you got him pegged

[rucky]

11. He's not a puppet, he's a Speak n' Spell. n/t

[Octafish]

5. DUMM aSSSSSS

Thuh LIT-tel terd frum KRAW-ferd is STOOP-it.



Him ree-lee MAY-k Dan KWALE luk sum-ART.

Alan Greenspan told Bill Press this morning that the smartest presidents he's worked with (since Nixon's day) are Nixon and Clinton. Nixon was evil, but at least he could speak for 15 minutes when the Tele-Promp-Ter kicked out the wrong speech one time.

[flordehinojos]

6. der führer seems like he is getting ready to spit.

[shanti]

12. or hurl

:puke:

[backscatter712]

7. Did you see the pictures of speech papers as Bush read them in the LBN thread?

I'm talking about the physical papers in front of Bush as he reads.

The letters are so large, it's like he's reading My Pet Goat...

See

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3005163&mesg_id=3005400

and

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3005163&mesg_id=3005430

[silverojo]

13. I'm guessing it's because he doesn't want to wear glasses

So if the text is large enough, he'll be able to read well enough without any visual correction aids.

Though glasses would go a long way toward covering up his drunken, bloodshot eyes....

[mark414]

8. of all his sins, this is the least offensive...though it may be the most hysterical

[rucky]

9. He puts the "fun" in "phonetic" n/t