I think he does have poor presence, and simply that he is judged by that. Simple sentences may be ok and even an asset in politics as you say, yet he even botches that. When he, to his credit, acknowledges his shortcomings with the language, he still seems embarrassed. I think he well knows everyone sees his weakness, and instead of being comfortable with that, he is constantly nervous about it. His inability to properly respond probably has more to do with psychological brain lock from nervousness, than an inability to think on his feet, if relaxed (something seldom seen).
I didn't listen to Clinton defend Brown, but having heard a large part of the first half of Brown's testimony, and sound bites of the worst of it all, I feel that Brown actually didn't do so terribly bad, all in all. He had lots to say in his defense which wasn't contradicted at all. He actually prepared for helping N.O. when the governor left it out of her request for help. While the bulk of the coast was under Mandatory evacuation, N.O. was not yet, despite his urging.
Say what you will about his experience, he'd handled as I recall, some 160 Federally declared disaster areas by the time Katrina hit.
He also noted what others have, i.e. the sorry state of FEMA, saying that he'd been fighting all along to prevent what happened to FEMA, to no avail and certainly by none of his doing.
Plainly, the reorganization of FEMA was a bi-partisan action which did not work out as expected.
Dan B. |
