The Wire: Greatest Show Ever Made

  • Guest, it's time once again for the massively important and exciting FoH Asshat Tournament!



    Go here and give us your nominations!
    Who's been the biggest Asshat in the last year? Give us your worst ones!
Tuco

Tuco

I got Tuco'd!
<Gold Donor>
47,300
80,505
BrutulTM_sl said:
That interview was cool, but has the president always had that much trouble spitting out a sentence? Seems like everything he said had 5 pauses, 6 ums, and a couple of "and and and and" type pauses. Has he always been like that?
Click to expand...
I thought the same thing. He's always had those characteristic pauses but man, it's like he's mentally exhausted.

How many presidents have we had in the last 50 years that were just falling apart at the end of their terms?
 
Royal

Royal

Connoisseur of Exotic Pictures
15,077
10,643
That would take us back to Johnson. He was before my time, but by all accounts he was a broken man by the time he left office and died just 4 years later. Nixon seemed to do ok, I think he had reclaiming his legacy driving him. Jerry seemed downright chipper as an ex-pres, and he had 2 attempts on his life in office. Same with Carter, for a while anyway. Reagan was knocking on the door of alzheimers towards the end. Bush Sr seemed to be more affected by the election loss than the rigors of the job itself. Clinton was certainly a little worse for wear. The job has chewed up W and Obama pretty thoroughly though.
 
iannis

iannis

Musty Nester
31,351
17,656
Tuco_sl said:
I thought the same thing. He's always had those characteristic pauses but man, it's like he's mentally exhausted.

How many presidents have we had in the last 50 years that were just falling apart at the end of their terms?
Click to expand...
Probably most of them.

I think with Obama though it's very very much that he's trying to not say the wrong thing. If he used any sort of racial phrases, while it would be utterly appropriate in discussing The Wire, the CNN headlines would be President Obama called Omar "muh Wakandan".
 
Royal

Royal

Connoisseur of Exotic Pictures
15,077
10,643
He's Muslim, like Brother Mouzone. He readsThe EconomistnotThe Advocate.
 
Royal

Royal

Connoisseur of Exotic Pictures
15,077
10,643
The co-op was a cartel, which aren't generally popular with socialists. However he was down with Hamsterdam.
 
Arden

Arden

Blackwing Lair Raider
2,728
2,055
Iannis_sl said:
Probably most of them.

I think with Obama though it's very very much that he's trying to not say the wrong thing. If he used any sort of racial phrases, while it would be utterly appropriate in discussing The Wire, the CNN headlines would be President Obama called Omar "muh Wakandan".
Click to expand...
This. Obama has become progressively more hesitant as a speaker since taking office. If you watch his pre 2008 speeches, vs. his speeches while campaigning, vs. his speeches since gaining office, you will notice a pretty clear evolution (devolution may be a better word).

I also agree that the main source of this devolution is his fear of saying the wrong thing and getting nailed to a cross for it. Obama takes criticism very personally and is more careful than many previous presidents at trying to avoid it (not that he has succeeded). He talks like he believes he is walking through a minefield and it shows.

One of the interesting things about Obama is that one of his great strengths (traditionally) has been that he excels at writing his own speeches and going off script. You can't really do that as a president. The best presidential orators (in the modern era) are those that can stick with a script. I.e. don't think about what you are saying, just say the things the speech writers put in front of you and do it convincingly.
 
Royal

Royal

Connoisseur of Exotic Pictures
15,077
10,643
Arden_sl said:
One of the interesting things about Obama is that one of his great strengths (traditionally) has been that he excels at writing his own speeches and going off script. You can't really do that as a president. The best presidential orators (in the modern era) are those that can stick with a script. I.e. don't think about what you are saying, just say the things the speech writers put in front of you and do it convincingly.
Click to expand...
He may have Martin Luther King in the back of his mind when he does that. The most moving part of the I Have A Dream speech is when King went off script and just started ... preaching. You're right though. King wasn't a president and Obama isn't a minister.
 
Adebisi

Adebisi

Clump of Cells
<Silver Donator>
27,712
32,824
1671538-inline-inline-zoom-the-wire-lineup-huge-download-by-dennisculver-d30s7vl.jpg
 
Adebisi

Adebisi

Clump of Cells
<Silver Donator>
27,712
32,824
Downloaded a sample of David Simon's book Homicide A Year on the Killing Streets.

It's like reading The Wire!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.