Can anyone explain to me, why you would vote for someone to run the country, and meet with foreign leaders when they can't maintain a decent "poker face" during a debate?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1574-2004Oct1.html

Why would anyone vote for someone who doesn't have any interest in diplomacy. We will
not deal with someone who is "one way" in our own lives.  Calling someone "one way" is
a way of deriding them, but for some reason their are those who seem to think that is a virtue
in a president. In my opinion, maybe I am old fashioned, but there is a difference between
standing tall and puffing out ones chest, standing firm and intransigence. Diplomacy is not
the same as giving in.

Can anyone explain to me, why you would vote for someone to run the country, and meet with foreign leaders when they can't maintain a decent "poker face" during a debate?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1574-2004Oct1.html

I agree with Danoota.  I tried to click on your link, but the Post says I gotta register first.  Fuddat!

I agree with Danoota.  I tried to click on your link, but the Post says I gotta register first.  Fuddat!


bugmenot.com solves that.

Why would anyone vote for someone who doesn't have any interest in diplomacy. We will
not deal with someone who is "one way" in our own lives.  Calling someone "one way" is
a way of deriding them, but for some reason their are those who seem to think that is a virtue
in a president. In my opinion, maybe I am old fashioned, but there is a difference between
standing tall and puffing out ones chest, standing firm and intransigence. Diplomacy is not
the same as giving in.



Here, here, Danoota!

Tanya

Beautifully put, Danoota, I couldn't agree more.

One thing the article says is:
But the public has generally not seen the president's more petulant side, in part because he is rarely challenged in a public venue

...this is the "man of the people" they're trying to sell, is it?  Just a regular guy... who does his best to avoid any other regular guy who isn't a sycophant?

Petulant!  That is the word that describes him perfectly.  He has lived all his life getting his bum
kissed and being treated like a little prince and has accepted that role without question, now
all of the sudden, he is not the son of a congressman, son of the head of the CIA, son of the
president, son of the former president.  Now he has to stand on his own merit before the world
and explain what he has done and why, and not only does he not know how, he doesn't feel
that he has to.  He is an American president who thinks he doesn't have to answer to the American
people.

That's something I've always wondered about the American system of Government.  Every system has it's flaws but one thing Bill Clinton said about one of our former Prime Ministers is how quick he was on his feet answering questions.
Since Canada, Britian and I think Austrialia use the Westminster parliamentary system the leader is called upon by the oppostion almost daily to answer questions.  Even though they are just a weasally in their answers as any other pol they do learn to at least appear to listen and formulate an answer without looking like a deer in the headlights or constipated.

Tony Blair, Jean Cretien and John Howard could handle tough question thrown at them since if they didn't have that skill they would not have stayed in office long.

That's something I've always wondered about the American system of Government.  Every system has it's flaws but one thing Bill Clinton said about one of our former Prime Ministers is how quick he was on his feet answering questions.
Since Canada, Britian and I think Austrialia use the Westminster parliamentary system the leader is called upon by the oppostion almost daily to answer questions.  Even though they are just a weasally in their answers as any other pol they do learn to at least appear to listen and formulate an answer without looking like a deer in the headlights or constipated.

Tony Blair, Jean Cretien and John Howard could handle tough question thrown at them since if they didn't have that skill they would not have stayed in office long.

Bush has held fewer press conferences than any President in modern history.  The Bushes don't even like to hold state dinners.  All their "crowds" are handpicked syncophants.  They want no untoward questions or frank opinions coming their way.  The illusion of popularity created their popularity.