Mark Crispin Miller

The Bush Dyslexicon

Observations on a National Disorder

An excerpt, Part 3 of 4

As a creature of TV, Bush is prone to flashes of illogic of a kind not based in any neurological disorder. He is especially given to tautologies—"A is A because A is A." While this tendency may well bespeak an inability to reason, it's just as likely to reflect on Bush's understanding of the fact that reason isn't needed on TV. "Talk on television isn't meant to be listened to," writes Peter Conrad. "The words merely gain for us the time to look at the talker." Any able propagandist knows this instinctively. He therefore orates not to make an argument but just to be there talking firmly on the screen—showing us that he is talking, and, ideally, emphasizing just those words that (focus groups have shown) make just the right impression.

Tautology is the inevitable product of such spectacle.

BRIT HUME: What if there isn't any unity at the Republican convention?

BUSH: I am confident there will be. I'm confident people are coming together. And the reason I believe this is because our party is united.

—"Fox Special Report with Brit Hume," Fox TV, July 19, 2000

"A reformer with results is a conservative who has had compassionate results in the state of Texas."

—New York Times, February 10, 2000

"There is a lot of speculation and I guess there is going to continue to be a lot of speculation until the speculation ends."

—On whether he'll run for president; Austin American Statesman, October 18, 1998

KING: Only 1 percent of Americans are even affected by [the death tax], right?

BUSH: Well, if that's the case, let's do it.

KING: Yes, but when 1 percent convinces 99 percent that it's in their best interest to lower their—

BUSH: Well, maybe we ought—maybe we ought—I don't know the figure of 1 percent or 99 percent, but if that—if it's good public policy, it's good public policy.

—"Larry King Live," CNN, July 20, 2000

"If you don't stand for anything, you don't stand for anything. If you don't stand for something, you don't stand for anything."

—Austin American-Statesman, November 2, 2000