14 DAY TRIAL // If you ever had one of those moments when you wanted to say something in front of an audience and you opened you mouth to speak, and only weird things came out, then you know only too well how President George W. Bush often felt during his public speeches in eight years of office. Since on January 20, his run as “the planet’s most powerful man” will come to an end, BBC has comprised for a us a list of his funniest slips of the tongue.
Being a public figure can be extremely taxing, especially if you’re often in the habit of speaking first and thinking only afterwards. George W. Bush has not only made history with his many verbal “mishaps,” but he even made a couple of dictionary entries, which is clearly something not all presidents can brag about.
For one, the term “bushism” has been coined specifically to refer to his characteristic slips of the tongue that have, over the years, made the delight of millions of people worldwide. One such bushism is “the Internets,” which is, as of now, a very popular entry in pop culture dictionaries such as the Urban Dictionary, and a by-now well established term in the blogosphere.
From his own person, to foreign affairs, technology, war on terrorism, education and the national health service and even governing, nothing has been left untouched during the eight years that George W. Washington was at the helm of the strongest country in the world. At the end of the day, even if some of his actions might have left a bad taste in our mouth, at least we know that we’ll always have his bushisms to bring a smile on our face.
Below is a short list of some of Bush’s words that caused the most laughter. For a complete list, please go here.
On himself:
- “They misunderestimated me.” (Bentonville, Arkansas, 6 November, 2000) - “I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe - I believe what I believe is right.” (Rome, 22 July, 2001) - “There’s an old saying in Tennessee - I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on... shame on you. Fool me - you can’t get fooled again.” (Nashville, Tennessee, 17 September, 2002) - “I want to thank my friend, Senator Bill Frist, for joining us today. He married a Texas girl, I want you to know. Karyn is with us. A West Texas girl, just like me.” (Nashville, Tennessee, 27 May, 2004)
On foreign affairs:
- “The war on terror involves Saddam Hussein because of the nature of Saddam Hussein, the history of Saddam Hussein, and his willingness to terrorize himself.” (Grand Rapids, Michigan, 29 January, 2003)
On education:
- “Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?” (Florence, South Carolina, 11 January, 2000) - “Reading is the basics for all learning.” (Reston, Virginia, 28 March, 2000) - “You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.” (Townsend, Tennessee, 21 February, 2001)
On economics:
- “I understand small business growth. I was one.” (New York Daily News, 19 February, 2000)
On governing:
- “I’m the decider, and I decide what is best.” (Washington DC, 18 April, 2006) - “All I can tell you is when the governor calls, I answer his phone.” (San Diego, California, 25 October, 2007) - “I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office.” (Washington DC, 12 May, 2008)
On technology:
- “Will the highways on the internet become more few?” (Concord, New Hampshire, 29 January, 2000) - “Information is moving. You know, nightly news is one way, of course, but it's also moving through the blogosphere and through the Internets.” (Washington DC, 2 May, 2007)