George W. Bush, Motivational Speaker
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In a karmic sense, Bush should be in chains in a prison somewhere, but going around as a sad sack motivational speaker may also be a fitting fate. I remember in 2001 Republicans blasting President Clinton for giving speeches to business groups and the like for big money. Somehow I think they’ll be silent about Bush working the rubber chicken circuit. My guess is Bush is able to demand far less money, but then unlike Clinton, Bush’s presidency failed.
54 Responses to “George W. Bush, Motivational Speaker”
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© 2000-2011 Oliver Willis
[insert youtube video of Chris Farley's "living in a VAN down by the RIVER" sketch here]
I don’t remember a whole lot of blasting by Republicans going on with Clinton’s speaking engagements. Only with what looked like paybacks in some instances, but who could be against a guy making money for giving speeches if he was in demand?
Pinochet meets Tony Robbins
Just got an image of a political cartoon in my head. But the one cleaning up is Obama and the dog is Bush.
How can you forget that Mr. “Noun, Verb and 9/11″ was there as well. Are Bush and Powell in separate dressing rooms? Do they even cross each others paths at these things?
I don’t remember a whole lot of blasting by Republicans going on with Clinton’s speaking engagements.
Ending a two term presidency with an approval rating at 66% while leaving the treasury with a surplus might have something to do with that.
Paul_D,
So you’re agreeing with me that Clinton wasn’t blasted by Republicans for his speaking engagements?
From the article: Just last week he gave three speeches in Canada, and he has joined the Washington Speakers Bureau. He is scheduled to give another motivational speech next month in San Antonio. Former presidential adviser Karen Hughes said he has “quite a few speeches planned” during the fall.
Along with his book, due out next year, Bush is planning his new presidential library and policy institute at Southern Methodist University — the alma mater of Laura Bush.
Poor guy — nothing to do, no future.
Having seen the protests at his Canadian speechifying on local TV, he should open a shoe store chain. Many a Canuck brought extra footwear to anoint Walker: Texas Pharaoh.
I was setting the bar.
Clinton; Good
Bush; Not
Trust me, he was. It was part of the post-election 2000 b.s. spin pushed out there by the right. I’ll look around for articles.
Of course you don’t.
Here’s something for both sides to get hot and bothered over:
http://wcce.ajula.edu/Content/forms/pls2010preorder.asp?CID=1137
No one seems to be asking the obvious question. How does a man who has failed at absolutely everything he has ever attempted, “motivate” others? “Hey kids, make sure you drink and use drugs while you’re young, because you can quit later and still be president! If your daddy was once the president.”
I think we all know the answer. He’s not there for the motivation, but for the $$. It’s the easiest and lowest profile way for the crooks he enriched to funnel money back to GWB. Perhaps some here can remember how Reagan, who could still read a teleprompter even though he could no longer remember his wife’s name, made millions after his presidency giving speeches to people who didn’t give a shit about what a brain dead guy with no remaining authority had to say.
Doing the math, at $4.95 a ticket the 15,000 in attendance generated $75,000 at the door. Touring rock bands charge $20-$150 depending on the popularity of the act to get into the same building, but of course they want to make money and rock bands are more popular than George W. Bush. I suspect that the ticket prices are kept at rock-bottom to guarantee attendance, because 5000 empty seats in front of W. would be an irresistible photo op, and $20 a ticket would probably accomplish that.
After renting the building, paying the security, insurance, advertising, janitorial staff and cost of selling the tickets, my spider-sense says the promoters have already spent more than they took in at the door.
W is only one of several speakers, but obviously the best known, and presumably the headliner. Who is paying W, and how much is he getting of the nothing that is being generated?
When I worked for a rock band, it was a common practice for someone wanting to launder money to hire a band and put on a concert. Then he claimed it was a sellout and that it generated a huge cash profit, just about the time the harvest came in.
Repack — you are a vicious bastard.
“Along with his book, due out next year”
Just has to finish up with the Crayolas.
Frank, that’s like Charlie Manson telling a fellow prisoner what a sick fuck he is………….
Funny, Repack, he didn’t fail in 2000. He didn’t fail in 2002, when most Presidents whose same party is in power in both the House and Senate didn’t lose seats, and he didn’t fail in 2004. He didn’t fail in the Surge and he didn’t fail in keeping the US safe after 9/11 when everyone doubted anyone could. He didn’t fail with the Patriot Act, either.
Seems to me he’s done plenty that any rational person not as seriously demented with BDS as you might want to hear what he has to say that they’d pay $100 or so to go listen to him.
And making fun of someone with Alzheimer’s is about as classless a thing as anyone can do.
Seems to me he’s done plenty that any rational person not as seriously demented with BDS as you might want to hear what he has to say that they’d pay $100 or so to go listen to him.
It is to laugh at your baseless assertions! If you could GET $100, would you TAKE $4.95? You must be a wack bargainer!
I present actual evidence of what the market will stand: the tickets sell for $4.95, a little less than the price of lunch at Jack-in-the-Box. What are you bringing to support your $100 claim?
I take that as the highest compliment you are capable of.
*Blush*
You’re too kind.
You didn’t bring jack squat to the argument. I don’t think you even read the article, Repack. The seats up front went for $89. It doesn’t say how many paid that. You also didn’t read this:
I’ve seen that same outfit; they come to my town once a year and I’ve never gone, but I’ve always wondered how they get such a big-name line-up of motivational speakers and celebrities with such a low admission price. They must count on a significant number of people buying their products. You’ve got your own business and you’ve been around the block, you understand how something like that might work, don’t you?
The woman quoted in the article, Tamara Lowe, runs a motivational business and it appeared her company contracted all the speakers, so it wasn’t a speaking engagement put on by GWB, but part of an event he was asked to speak at. Neither he nor anyone who books speeches for him would have anything to do with setting ticket prices. You guys always do this, only read part of the story and then mock that part of it without understanding the whole picture. Only it’s surprising a small business owner like you would do that in this case. You should hope and/or pray that BDS isn’t a precursor to Alzheimers, Repack.
Dark Avenger, if I just viciously, and needlessly, maligned two Presidents, without a speck of evidence, I would expect to be called either a sick fuck or a vivious bastard.
But that’s just me. I’m not a liberal.
‘Funny, Repack, he didn’t fail in 2000.’
He sure didn’t; even the Supreme Court agreed.
‘He didn’t fail in 2002, when most Presidents whose same party is in power in both the House and Senate didn’t lose seats, and he didn’t fail in 2004.’
You can’t deny he was pretty popular before Afghanistan, Iraq and Katrina went to Hell on his watch.
‘He didn’t fail in the Surge…’
The success of which is still raining bombs all across Baghdad; how they must love him there.
‘…and he didn’t fail in keeping the US safe after 9/11 when everyone doubted anyone could.’
Wonder where people might get the idea he didn’t keep America safe during his brilliant tenure?
‘He didn’t fail with the Patriot Act, either.’
How could he? He was too busy breaking the law by wiretapping your own citizens illegally, and throwing people into secret jails and torturing them with no accountability.
It’s a total mystery why the GOP got hammered in 2006 and 2008 with that stellar track record.
‘…if I just viciously, and needlessly, maligned two Presidents, without a speck of evidence, I would expect to be called either a sick fuck or a vivious bastard.’
That’s a laugh, when you’re so obsessed with praising them without a speck of evidence that they deserve any.
Dark Avenger, if I just viciously, and needlessly, maligned two Presidents, without a speck of evidence, I would expect to be called either a sick fuck or a vivious bastard.
But maliciously and viciously maligning a Presidential candidate(google Fox terrorist fist bump) without a speck of evidence is okay, along with allowing commentators to malign a standing President as a “Socialist” without any evidence to back up such assertions as Fox has been know to do in the past is okay as well.
Dark Avenger, if I just viciously, and needlessly, maligned two Presidents, without a speck of evidence, I would expect to be called either a sick fuck or a vivious bastard.
Hey Frank, I don’t mind. I’m sure you agree that I am well within my First Amendment rights when I point out that Reagan and Bush were both morons and crooks and shills for big money, and that Reagan had the added burden of not having all his dogs barking. I know that reading unkind words about your heroes hurts, and you have to lash out impotently with unkind electrons of your own.
I understand.
It’s okay.
Gimme a hug.
Considering the source, it’s a compliment, and I am proud to have your support.
What could anybody possibly learn from W? Maybe it’s a mock star thing?
“What could anybody possibly learn from W? Maybe it’s a mock star thing?”
Dodge flying shoes.
“What could anybody possibly learn from W? Maybe it’s a mock star thing?”
Dodge flying shoes.
Maybe it’s a mock star thing?
Like Beatlemania, but instead of impersonating a successful rock group, he’s impersonating a successful President.
Dark Avenger: I don’t understand. I didn’t mention anything about “terrorist fist bumps”. Would you like to call the people at FOX News “vivious bastards”? Feel free.
Are you suggesting some hypocricy on my part? I am not FOX News, nor do I represent them.
But I see the Obamachine is in full operation, demonizing FOX News: If you are a conservative , you become FOX News, much like Judaism = communism …
Remember how that ended?
“successful president“
If liberals believe that government should do what people cannot do for themselves, and conservatives believe that government is the problem, then for liberals a successful president accomplishes stuff, while for conservatives a successful president is a complete screwup.
I say this is the secret to W’s “success”.
Bush is planning his new presidential library and policy institute
Filled with girlie mags and picture books. I hear the most intellectually stimulating piece in the library will be an abridged copy of “Goodnight, Moon”.
Two-term President. Kept us safe for 7 years (and successor has maintained for the most part the same foreign policies). Former Governor. Former owner of a baseball team. Getting paid 6 figures per speech in retirement. Still considered Great Leader by a majority of the Left who just cant seem to let him go….yeah Citizen George has certainly been an utter Fail alright.
Kept us safe for 7
But…he was president for eight, three of which were spent on vaation. Is 12.5% an “acceptable” failure rate in your view? Is there a president with a HIGHER failure rate in “[keeping] us safe”?
MrGreyGhost: Still considered Great Leader by a majority of the Left
Whaa…?
Keep up with the rhetorical questions, Repack, but the fact of the matter is you screwed up in your assessment of Bush’s drawing capacity and the gate receipts, and total oblivion regarding a simple business concept like drawing crowds in to fill a stadium so that you can sell more of your products to them, which is the standard model for many of these motivational seminars.
Your spider-sense needs some tweaking. You’re a small business owner and you have no clue about how business works, do you? You’re not the loon that keeps floating the conspiracy theory that no one really buys conservative books but big entities that buy them in bulk and then give them away, are you? Is that what spider-sense detects? Nonsense?
Bush is planning his new presidential library
Here’s a thought. They’re going to need at least one person on staff–maybe more–to find and remove all the copies of “The Pet Goat” dropped in the library by lefties.
Where do I apply?
Surely the Left wouldn’t be childishly immature like that. Then again, you do have a point: these are libs we’re talking about.
Then again, you do have a point: these are libs we’re talking about.
Yes. Conservatives do more mature things like send tea bags in the mail.
Would you like to call the people at FOX News “vivious bastards”?
You point out the mote in RRs’ remark whilst ignoring the beam of Faux Noise going after a candidate and later a sitting President with all guns blazing, and with more of an numerous, ignorant and credulous audience than either RR or I would ever be able to command.
Take a chill pill.
Are you suggesting some hypocricy on my part? I am not FOX News, nor do I represent them.
No, you funnel whatever you get from them over her, directly or otherwise, and they’re on the same side of many of the causes you believe important and shill here from time to time.
But I see the Obamachine is in full operation, demonizing FOX News: If you are a conservative , you become FOX News, much like Judaism = communism …
Yeah, I’m known as “The Cleaner from Cicero”, folks like you are part of my job.
Remember how that ended?
“Now, children, what do we say when someone concern trolls us?”
“Be afraid. Be very, very, afraid.”
If you could point me to any stories about how conservatives overwhelming the Clinton Library with used cigars and blue dresses, I’d be eternally grateful.
Otherwise, my point stands.
Try this, Dark Avenger:
There was no “beam in my eye” — you referred to something done by FOX News, with whom I have no connection; you might as well have blamed for the decline in popularity of Davy Crockett hats.
As to “funneling” FOX news, that is exceedingly hard to do,when you can’t watch them on television. There are at least a hundred different things I could be watching on the computer and reading without reading them.
Of course, you make light of suppression of the Press, when there is a Democrat in the White House. But when Pres Bush was in office, you made it seem like the SS was marching in the streets, every time another paragraph giving the government power to fight terrorism was discovered. You called monitoring of telephone traffic, “wiretapping” when it was not. You made it seem like FBI or HSA agents were bashing down Library doors.
But now, with the Administration’s popping up everywhere dissing FOX news , well, who cares ? They’re not real news, anyway.
And Rush Limabugh is the secret, unchosen , unelected head of the Republican Party.
And Gov Palin can’t possibly beat a smart guy like Pres Obama in 2012…
There was no “beam in my eye” — you referred to something done by FOX News, with whom I have no connection; you might as well have blamed for the decline in popularity of Davy Crockett hats.
Actually, the point was that you didn’t get hot and bothered with the way they treated Obama but you get all hysterical(but in a manly way, as Jesus’s General would say) over what RR wrote here.
As to “funneling” FOX news, that is exceedingly hard to do,when you can’t watch them on television. There are at least a hundred different things I could be watching on the computer and reading without reading them.
Says you. “The hands are the hands of Esau, but the voice is the voice of Jacob.”
Of course, you make light of suppression of the Press, when there is a Democrat in the White House
You mean, when that Democrat reminds people appearing on Faux News of Chavez, a ruler who has actually shut down media outlets?
Link
The reality is:
But when Pres Bush was in office, you made it seem like the SS was marching in the streets, every time another paragraph giving the government power to fight terrorism was discovered. You called monitoring of telephone traffic, “wiretapping” when it was not. You made it seem like FBI or HSA agents were bashing down Library doors.
But now, with the Administration’s popping up everywhere dissing FOX news , well, who cares ? They’re not real news, anyway.
So who is the Democrat in the WH suppressing if not Faux News?
And Rush Limabugh is the secret, unchosen , unelected head of the Republican Party.
Apparently, to judge by the number of prominent Republicans who had to walk back statements that might’ve even hinted that Rush Limbaugh wasn’t at the forefront of advanced Republican thought, like that fella Michael, Michael, the last name sounds like “Steel” of something like that…………
And Gov Palin can’t possibly beat a smart guy like Pres Obama in 2012…
She has to convince a lot of people, say at least 22% of the current voting population, that she’s the one for the job:
Link
Was that a “But that’s completely different!” defense, Farris? Your point is both lame and boring.
Ever see the movie Frost/Nixon? Great film. Anyway, there’s a scene with a closeup of Nixon making a speech. This is after his resignation, and he is telling an anecdote. The camera slowly, very slowly pans out, and we see that this once incredibly formidable man is talking to a dentist’s banquet with about 50 people in the audience.
I rest my case.
But now, with the Administration’s popping up everywhere dissing FOX news , well, who cares?
OMG! Verbal criticism! How will the First Amendment ever survive this vicious abuse of Presidential power?!?!?!
LMAO! He WISHES he had a van down by the river!
More like David Duke meets Oral Roberts posing as Tammy Faye Baker and secretly dressing like Bob Tilton.
Oh, Monsieur Mambo…his favorite read is the Very Hungry Catepillar, read upside down for an extra intellectual challenge.
Dude, Reagan’s dementia was karma for eating all those toxic jellybeans while Nancy ran the country. Oh, and also for him refusing to fund alzheimer’s research!
he didn’t realize crayolas don’t have erasers on the ends.
Oh, not a speck of evidence? Like NO WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION? Good point, well taken Mr Righty.