Centerfield

I completely agree with Brian's comment. At best this could be a nervous tick; at worst it could be construed as whining. Maybe President Bush's demeanor would be better if he had more chances to exercise it. I would be interested to know if there have been any Presidents since the advent of television who have had fewer Press Conferences than President Bush. I believe appearance is very important in politics. And right now President Bush's does not appear to be very resolute in his stances.

His public emotion generally appear backwards. He appears to tear up when making threats, and smiles about sad things.

You mean, we can't say it's because he's a jerk with an underdeveloped capacity for empathy?

Difficult as it is for me to avoid being gratuitously disparaging when talking about Bush, I shall attempt to do so. (Yes, I recognize that the previous statement was both gratuitous and disparaging, but c'mon, at least let me have that much)

I believe Bush has a problem dealing honestly with difficult news. He comes across as earnest and believable when he's talking about pride in America, or even when he's speaking in general terms about "taking responsibility." But when it comes to discussing with the public specifics and detailing events which are not going well or which require sacrifice, he speaks around the issue, stammers, and nervously smiles and laughs. You can spin Bush's frat boy charm in a positive or negative light depending on your personal stance, but you have to admit that it's geared toward playfulness and attempts to minimize or even deny any bad news. When forced to deal with issues that need to be taken seriously, he is simply out of his element.

My take on this is:
When GWB is being resolute he can come across as speaking from the heart and he can look the part. He does a good job of projecting that "hear me now, I really mean this" tone. He gets his "game face" on --- that's his style on offense.

When he is being defensive, trying to explain himself, trying to justify something, then comes the "smiley" look, the little smirk or playful facial gesture. He feels some tension in the air, some adversarial climate, and while he tries to counter it with words (not his strength) he also employs what seems to be almost a playful look --- one that tries to break the ice and seem like a "regular guy". The underlying intent, I suppose, is to ingratiate himself; because some are so repulsed by him, though, they see it as insensivity and/or shallowness, and/or cluelessness.

In some ways, Bush's frequently inappropriate demeanor reminds me of Sen. Dave Durenberger (R-MN). I once was in the audience for a speech by Durenberger in which he described how the death of a good friend's young son had a powerful effect on Durenberger's approach to politics. Yet Durenberger never stopped smiling. It was one of those obviously fake smiles that many nervous people and some politicians adopt when speaking in public, so it was clear that Durenberger was not secretly enjoying reminiscing about the death of his friend's son. Yet his expression was in such contrast to the content and tone of his words that it rendered the speech almost surreal.

So perhaps Bush is just a bit uncomfortable in the hot seat. On the other hand, this is a man who childishly mocked a Christian woman's pleas for mercy as he ordered her execution. While standing on a stage in 2000, Bush pointed into the audience and, on an open mike, and called a man "a major league asshole." He taunted America's enemies to "bring it on," which is to say, he invited terrorists and Iraqi insurgents to attack American soldiers. So maybe the inappropriate laughter and smirks are a sign that Bush is just a simple jerk you wouldn't want over to your house for burgers and a beer, not that he sufferes from mild stagefright like Sen. Durenberger. Given the stories I've heard about Bush's table manners from friends who have dined with him, and given how poor his character seems in other regards, I lean toward the annoying jerk interpretation, but the Durenberger-style anxiety is at least a plausible explanation for Bush's behavior.

I am a life-long Republican and local elected official who finds this administration terminally toxic to the Republic for which it stands. The Bush smirk is a congemptuous means of givng the back of his hand to those who don't buy his lies.
jk ridgefield ct