Alexander Downer has taken time out from his busy international relations work, as Member for Cyprus, to blame "the media" for ex-President George W. Bush- btw, that's ex-President George W. Bush - talking and performing in ways that convinced billions he was either inherently dim, downright dumb, or somewhat brain damaged from alcohol abuse.
"I think a big function of it is the way he appears in the media as a slightly nervous, unconfident and bumbling Texan," Downer said.Downer doesn't bother to mention that this son from one of America's most elite families dolloped on the "gee shucks, I'm just a good old boy from Texas" as a part of a cultivated image.
Mr Downer says Mr Bush's performance in front of the cameras has been a major problem for the US government.
"I don't think in the media he was ever good actually, I don't think he improved," he said.
Unlike Alexander Downer, who was an outstanding media performer, even when drunk. Downer is the only politician in the country who made Brendan Nelson look like a natural in front of the cameras. Downer's speciality, of course, was to start whining when the questions got too hard, a whine that became so intensely grating, for the interviewer and just about everybody watching at home, that you wanted Downer sent to bed, immediately, without ice-cream.
"I've not of course said that to (Bush's) face...."
Of course not, Alex.
"...but I've said it to a number of people in the administration."
Who then saw you doing interviews and thought, 'You know, we don't have a lot to work with here....But people really seem to like his Bushisms. We can build on that. But this Downer guy has nothing.'
It's interesting that Alexander Downer is on JJJ's Hack doing interviews. He used to despise the program, and then prime minister John Howard refused to even do one interview with the radio show that reached more than half a million young Australians, in every town and village across the country. Downer always made it sound like he was doing Steve Cannane some huge favour by reducing himself to speaking to Yoof Radio.Now, of course, Downer has plenty of time for Hack. It's one of the few media outlets that reaches a huge audience in Australia that is still interested in what he has to say.
