I think how the speech was made, in terms of crafting it, is quite simple. He found a voice the other day in a press conference-- the stuff leading up to "Dead or Alive." (That line was a Bad BooBoo.) But before that line, he had begun to preach. He had begun to find a voice and to say what his heart had in it. This speaking from the heart shooting from the hip, continued since that day.

So I think the speechwriters studied THAT-- George at his best till then-- someone they had probably never seen-- and wrote accordingly. Also some of the lines in tonight's talk also were clearly his.

I think his lifetime of church-going simply kicked in-- he has obviously heard a lot of good preaching, that's all, and now he's using those lessons to preach what he thinks matters in this situation. In between talking about what matters, he is as dum as ever, and terrified about speaking-- see the fear just before and after he steps up to the plate. I mean podium. But in the grip of something that has affected him deeply, he is coming out of that terror to preach, because the "cause" is more important to him than the fear. And I don't mean the stuff about prayer-- for a Christian that part was amazingly restrained, I thought. I mean, preaching his mission, our need for resolve, etc., and to fight terrorism.

Another thing that has changed is that he is actually being himself much more-- he is clearly having a lot of feelings, not just mouthing a lot of rehearsed positions his handlers have fed him. He is connected now to his gut-- a lesson George Senior never did learn. From this place I think he can actually think much more clearly.

Finally I think he is finding (God help us all), a project he can truly own, completely separate from his father's legacy or the demands of the fragile Republican coalition who "elected" him and who have been running his game for him. He has had to be let loose to BE the Prezz, and he clearly relishes it--- poor Dick Cheney having to back off to stay in a safe place--- George is out of the nest now probably for good.

Oh yes, and one other thing he did tonight-- didja miss it? I saw a man starting a project he knows full well will almost certainly require that we send him back to Penny Ave. for another four.

First and ten!

yours truly,

I remain,

~Not a Bush Supporter, Just a Keen Observer