Is Bush the worst orator the presidency has ever had? Not a politics question, just speaking ability.?

Question

I am only 27 and so am curious how older people feel about his speaking/inability, as compared to our long legacy of amazing orators...however, in watching newsclips of Presidents Carter, JFK, and of course watching Bill Clinton, as well as reading accounts of Lincoln, etc., it seems there is a huge difference...I was wondering what historians will think. Thanks!

Answer 1

Watching newsclips is no way to evaluate speaking ability. Carter was a completely ineffective speaker and president. Clinton simply said whatever would raise his standing in opinion polls. Bush's speaking ability will be ignored by historians.

Answer 2

I have to disagree ,My ex wife is most certainly the worst orator by far.
A good historian will present the facts and at the same time the government would not want future children to know that we elected a goof ball to the highest office so facts may get clouded in the history books. We now know that many of our heros through history were not exactly as portrayed.

Answer 3

No there were far worse than Bush. LBJ was horrific. It is unfair to compare Reagan to Bush because he was an action. Come on, he had decades of experience in front of crowds and the camera, so obviously he was going to be much better and have much more dramatic speeches. Certainly Al Gore isn't a fantastic speaker, nor was John Kerry the most exciting man in the room when he spoke. I think Bush has his off and his on days. I think he is very introverted and from what i hear, much better at speaking to people one on one rather than in a group.

Answer 4

Good question, in U.S. history I suspect yes..although I think jokes were made about Gerald Ford being inarticulate..

In Poland President Lech Walesa (an electrician by training) is remembered for being particularly horrible at speech and was rather embarrassing to the coutnry in the long run on the international stage. Yelstin was drunk more than a few times in public.. thats somehting to Bush's credit that he hasnt done.

Answer 5

I doubt it. Grant hardly ever gave a speech. Andrew Jackson had an eigth grade education. So I doubt it.

Whatever you think of Bush, he believes everything he says.

Reagan was by far the best orator of the 20th century. Watch his clips of the Challanger disaster, the Point Du Hoc speech on the 40th anniversary of D-Day, his speech in Berlin.

Answer 6

Calvin Coolidge was so bad Will Rogers could do a whole show on nothing but "Little Calvin". He may not have even been the worst, I wasn't around for Washington and some of those really old guys. LOL.

Actually I'm just a kid, not quite 60 yet. But I am a history fan...

Answer 7

You mean like Kennedy pronouncing Cuba as Cuber? Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton pronounced nuclear the exact same way George Bush did!

Answer 8

Maybe, maybe not. His Dad was not a great orator. Neither was Eisenhower. In fact, Lincoln was said to be a poor orator due to his high-pitched voice. Harding, considered a terrible President,was a spell-binding orator. It's good to be a great orator, but that doesn't make them a good or bad leader.

Answer 9

People should NEVER make fun or ridicule
someone's speech because they may have a stroke or an accident that may leave them
with a very serious speech impediment and I
hope that happens to certain people in government. Answer to the question is N O!!!!!

Answer 10

I think that he will go into the top 10 worst public speaking Presidents. I will say that Ford and Carter are up there for best speakers.