Did George W Bush have a speech problem when he was campaigning or did that develop after he was elected?

Question

Yeah, I've seen the video of when he was a governor and could speak intelligently so I was wondering when it started. Wouldn't it have been hard to get elected if he spoke like that when he was campaigning for the presidency?

Answer 1

Apparently, he always had issues with speaking.  The so called "Bushisms" were always a part of his "strategery" to win.

Answer 2

He is getting worse. You noticed.

Answer 3

He has a learning disability - for real. I'm not making excuses for him. I'm definitely no fan.

I have heard that he was a pretty good governor (compromised with Democrats, wasn't so extreme right wing), but his frat boy, good ole boy humor didn't fly in Washington so maybe it left him less confident such that his disability became more prominent.

I also agree with the everyman theory, that he perhaps dumbed himself down maybe on Rove or someone's advice to appeal to voters.

Answer 4

It stems from the consumption of too many drugs and alcohol.

Brain damage.

Seen enough people with this problem after being lifelong abusers to recognize it.

Answer 5

If you remember, his dad had trouble speaking too.  He talked in phrases, not sentences.  "Not gonna do it. Wouldn't be prudent".

But there's a theory that Bush once spoke very well.  He ran for congress in Texas, and from what I hear, he came off as very smart, with all the facts and figures at his command.  He lost that election, and his handlers though he lost it just because he came off as 'too smart'.  Americans, and Texans in general, don't trust someone who seems too smart.  So Bush affected this tongue-tied cowboy persona and was a smash hit as a do-nothing governor.

During his first campaign it did seem to me that Bush was only pretending not to be able to pronounce 3- and 4-syllable words.  For instance, when Republicans were accused of airing 'subliminal' ads on TV, Bush wasn't able to pronounce 'subliminal'.  He said 'subliminable', and he said it over and over.   I think it was his way of showing us that he couldn't have done them if he couldn't pronounce the wordl

Answer 6

I get it now to link to it but there is a video on youtube which shows Bush as Governor of Texas vs as President. In the former, he is fast talking and intelligent and in the latter he stumbles and mispronounces words like he has had a lobotomy. It is quite amazing and puzzling.

I think if you search youtube for "Bush has dementia" you can find it.

Answer 7

He may not enunciate all words correctly, but at least he speaks the truth.

Wish Obama and Hillary would take those lessons.