The Moderate Voice - Latest Comments in http://themoderatevoice.com/31829/george-w-bush-was-funnier/

Re: http://themoderatevoice.com/31829/george-w-bush-was-funnier/

fraida — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:28:50 -0000

I watched Obama but thought he was very bland compared to Bush.

Re: http://themoderatevoice.com/31829/george-w-bush-was-funnier/

Piepiepie — Wed, 13 May 2009 01:17:29 -0000

Nonsense, Obama did plenty of jokes about his position at the Alfred E. Smith Dinner -- his looks, ayers, his name, messiah stuff etc.

I think it is a bias issue in regards to the deprecation, Obama&#39s supposed flaws are his :
arrogance, professorial nature, naviete, the teleprompter, etc.

He made fun of the teleprompter bit x2 , the airplane snafu, press adoration, meeting with captain hook, building a library tribute to his first 100 days etc.

I think a lot of it just has to do with taste and bias.

Which of the last presidents has been humble in the 20th-21th Century?

The only three I can think of are Truman, Ford and Carter, the latter two of which were both horrible presidents but seemed quite humble.

Re: http://themoderatevoice.com/31829/george-w-bush-was-funnier/

CStanley — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:21:01 -0000

The self depracation thing is the main difference. Obama did the one teleprompter joke and then at the end made a Messiah reference (which was poking fun at his image, but hardly in a depracating way.) Whatever qualities people like so much about Obama, you have to admit that he&#39s certainly not humble (not that most presidents or politicians are, but with Obama any hint of humility seems affected and not very genuine.)

His comic timing has improved (it was pretty lousy during that event in the campaign where he and McCain both did a schtick.) He seems to have worked it out though and as a head to head comparison here I didn&#39t find Bush&#39s timing to be much better. When Bush does comedy like this though, I have to say I&#39m reminded of Johnny Carson- it&#39s not that edgy but he seems to be having a lot of fun and to me that&#39s infectious (generally I prefer that kind of humor to &#39edgy&#39 stuff, though a few people do edgy well.)

Re: http://themoderatevoice.com/31829/george-w-bush-was-funnier/

Piepiepie — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:17:32 -0000

In almost any roast Obama is much more sardonic than others. I think conservatives forget they have created the image of Obama as "the one," and an "egghead professor" as well as "naive idealist." As a result, Obama&#39s conventional self-depreciation is much different from G. W.s and McCain&#39s.

Re: http://themoderatevoice.com/31829/george-w-bush-was-funnier/

marcustulliuscicero — Tue, 12 May 2009 23:51:48 -0000

President Bush is witty, relaxed, nice and authentic. He acts the way he is. Obama acts the way he wants to be.
That&#39s the difference.
I miss W.

Re: http://themoderatevoice.com/31829/george-w-bush-was-funnier/

Ricorun — Tue, 12 May 2009 22:21:27 -0000

Arguably, this is a venue where John McCain would have glowed. And I think the "real giant-sized titanium balls" award still belongs to Steven Colbert.

Re: http://themoderatevoice.com/31829/george-w-bush-was-funnier/

pacatrue — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:31:38 -0000

I&#39m going with Bush is funnier just because it&#39s fun to debate the comedic stylings of our Presidents.

Re: http://themoderatevoice.com/31829/george-w-bush-was-funnier/

yaboo — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:58:57 -0000

O.K., now I watched both and there just must be no accounting for taste. Obama&#39s stuff was much edgier, braver, and funnier. The Bush stuff is so bland. I can&#39t even really analyze the styles, because the material is of such higher quality. But to say "Bush was funnier?" Egads. Next.

Re: http://themoderatevoice.com/31829/george-w-bush-was-funnier/

yaboo — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:43:00 -0000

You have to be well disposed to Bush to even stomach that. Up to about 4:30 it was atrocious, then he was just introducing a bunch of clips from other years, then maybe two acceptably well-timed and well delivered lines near the end, with bad material. Overall really quite bad. He does seem comfortable, but with the material that weak, I think that&#39s even off-putting. I can&#39t imagine too much worse.

Bush relies on a kind of silent smirking to let jokes gently settle on the audience, but the material is weak ba-dum-dum stuff. If you are not especially well disposed to Bush, you will find that really off-putting. I didn&#39t think any of the material was strong either, though that&#39s probably not his fault. The only thing well suited to him was showing Jeb&#39s baby picture, which he did well. Of course, the joke that somehow he was "mad" at his brother about the recount seems totally weird. Maybe you have to be a righty or something to understand that.

Two opposite types of people are in the room, so it&#39s the end of the world--my dog is named spot, aren&#39t I creative... maybe not his fault. There&#39s nothing the least bit edgy or funny there.

Re: http://themoderatevoice.com/31829/george-w-bush-was-funnier/

JackAbramoff — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:16:52 -0000

Thought Dubya&#39s timing was completely off, not exactly sure how you and I could have possibly been watching the same video.

Re: http://themoderatevoice.com/31829/george-w-bush-was-funnier/

D. E.Rodriguez — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:15:32 -0000

Tony:

I guess, it&#39s all in the eye of the beholder. I found Obama&#39s performance so much more genuine and lighthearted than any of Bush&#39s performances. But, again, that&#39s just my opinion.

Anyway, with respect to what have been called "inappropriate" comments, especially the one (not by Obama) on Limbaugh being the 20th hijacker and dying of kidney failure, of course they were definitely inapproriate.

But looking back at some of Bush&#39s inappropriate performances, CorHart just stole my thunder.

Bu let me say it anyway.

I will never forget, nor forgive, Bush&#39s atrocious so-called joke on "looking for WMDs under his desk, here, there, everywhere---no WMD&#39s here, no WMDs there.." while as CorHart says thousands of our finest had already died, and are still dying, for that lie.

Unforgivable!

Re: http://themoderatevoice.com/31829/george-w-bush-was-funnier/

CorHart — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:03:22 -0000

You know, after George Bush creates a video of himself keystone kopping all over the White House looking for missing WMDs, while soldiers and civilians were (and they still are) dying because of that oh-so-funny mistake, I&#39m sorry, it takes balls, real titanium sized balls, to claim that anything George Bush did was "funny".

He was a monster made more monstrous by his blistering ignorance of that fact.