George W. Bush, by far the dumbest President since Warren G. Harding, perhaps even beating out Millard Fillmore, according to the 'intellectual' left, probably is incapable of spelling 'style' without using tracing paper. With awkward pauses and then malapropisms tripping off his tongue whenever he opens his mouth, Bush can't avoid being regularly lampooned and skewered on a daily basis by the likes of Maureen Dowd.  After a hundred years, he will still fall ridiculously short of Abraham Lincoln's posthumously awarded style points; but so would every other President.

Revered only years later as the most eloquent condensed speech ever delivered by an American statesman, Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was virtually ignored the day it was delivered.  Lincoln wasn't even the featured speaker.  He was an appendix following Edward Everett, former Governor of Massachusetts, Secretary of State and president of Harvard, a gasbag who talked non—stop for over two hours.  Lincoln's words consumed all of two minutes.

According to an account by Shelby Foote in The Civil War, A Narrative , on the day before, previews of Lincoln's appearance were dismissive, like the remark by Thaddeus Stevens, prominent Pennsylvania congressman and radical Republican, 'Let the dead bury the dead'.  The day after, far from being universally admired, the address was widely scorned. Typical of the editorials was the Chicago Times  'The cheeks of every American must tingle with shame as he reads the silly, flat and dishwater utterances of a man who has to be pointed out to intelligent foreigners as the President of the United States.'

No style points there, even for the Great Emancipator.  Lincoln barely won 40% of the popular vote in 1860, was routinely vilified by the press, held with disdain by even some fellow Republicans and undermined by members of his own Cabinet. Lincoln narrowly escaped being tossed overboard and denied re—nomination in 1864.  Instead he went on to win re—election by an electoral landslide 221 to 21.

We now know, all too well, style points derive from diplomatic double—speak, especially the 'oui—non' pas de deux of the ever baroque and ethereal John Kerry.  While trouncing President Bush in last Thursday night's debate by overwhelming polling margins  for 'style, stature and commanding presence',  Kerry still has little to show for his graceful pirouettes.  The Pew Research Center on October 4 released the most startling opinion scores yet, debunking the hyperventilated style points :

Strong Leader:    George Bush 57 John Kerry 32
Honest and truthful:   George Bush 47 John Kerry 34
Good in a Crisis:   George Bush 51 John Kerry 37
Willing to Take
   An Unpopular Stand:  George Bush 68 John Kerry 23

And 'W' still leads in 4 out of 5 national polls and virtually all battleground state polls.  To the dismay of the mainstream press, George W may be positively Lincolnesque in his moral courage and steadfast leadership.  Style points don't really matter, afterall.

Geoffrey P. Hunt   10 05 04