bush’s bulge
I am as fair as the next guy. Even though you all might think I am a right-wing nut job, you are wrong. I am actually pretty much a centrist, but I lean right on the economy and defense. I will be supporting GW in the upcoming election.
With that said, this photo looks “pret-ty sneaky sis!” I could be wrong. Salon.com could be wrong. It would be really controversial, but actually a little bit cool if this turns out to be real.
That’s a bulge on Bush’s back that looks very much like some type of wireless communication device, ala The Real World. Could W have been wired up for the debate?
One would think he would have done better if Carl Rove were on the other side of an earpiece I guess.
Here’s a what I think, and I may be naive. I watched the VP debate the other night and couldn’t help but notice that Cheney (who I thought clearly won the debate despite forgetting (or lying about) meeting Edwards in the past) kept accidentally blocking his body mic that was attached to tie with his Vader-like arms. It was muffling his voice and was quite annoying. Now I know the podiums during the president’s debate had visible mics, but it is possible that both men were additionally mic’d up just like Cheney and Edwards. We have all seen press conferences where multiple visible mics are used. I imagine that is to get the best quality no matter what the head position is. I am not a sound engineer, but I bet this will come out really soon and turn out to be nothing.
UPDATE: 10/11/04: CNN finally picked up this story which would explain many of the extra hits I’m getting this week. Bush representatives deny the whole thing as “Internet conspiracy theory” but I have yet to see a real explanation.
UPDATE: 10/16/04: Here’s a great series of photos from the different debates and other evens showing the bulge from many different angles. It’s probably fuel to the fire, but even most responsible democrats are now dismissing this one as conspiracy. I am pretty sure this is nothing, unless Kerry was wearing something as well. It doesn’t matter anyway.
I am thinking that it is either an extra mic pack, so that he can walk freely around the stage and not lose voice, or perhaps a bullet proof vest? Or he really is as stupid as he seems and is playing Simon says with someone feeding him his words… Hmmm
I am pretty sure that is not a bullet proof vest.
I think it is likely that the extra wireless mic would be for moving around the stage or even away from the mic a little bit, and keeping the voice intact.
If it turns out to really be a secret headset, that is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard of. My honest opinion is that Bush did pretty poorly in that debate and missed many opportunities to pounce on Kerry. If Rove or some other campaigner were on the other side of a earplug, he would have done much, much better.
One last point. I watched the debate and then I watched all the follow-ups showing still shots and video of Bush’s pissy expressions. Millions and millions of people scrutinized his face and posture and not a single person saw any type of earpiece or even bone vibration-type speaker. I think something would be visible on his head or ear somewhere.
I will go back and re-watch my TiVoed debate and look for both mic and headset of any kind. I doubt this is anything important.
I think this will turn out to be a non-issue. I think the best proof that it was nothing nefarious was his poor performance in the debate. (I say that in all seriousness) Had he been equipped with an earpiece wired to one of his policy / speechwriter guys, he would have performed much better, and they would have told him to stop making that sour lemon face.
Having worn and used wireless mics, that would be the most ridiculous area to place the transmitter. Normally they are placed at the hip and at the very least toward the back belt line. The fact is the only person who knows what that is is GW himself. I wouldn’t rule out a bullet proof vest though and how do you actually win anything when you lie?
I couldn’t be a wireless mic pack. James Baker explicitly requested that neither candidate be able to walk away from their podium, since he had seen Kerry do that with great success in a Mass. senatorial debate.
Maybe a bulletproof vest, but my best guess is that it’s a bro.
…or a Manzeer.
Why did Bush suddenly say “Let me finish!” in the middle of his time allocation? The green light was still on.
Someone was taliking to him…and it wasn’t Jim Lehrer.
it seems that it has been confirmed that bush was not provided with any wireless mic devices and it was also confirmed that he was not wearing a bullet proof vest. the bush camp is stating that it was simply a wrinkle in the fabric. umm, there is also reason for beliving that bush was wired as a news broadcaster picked up someone feeding bush lines and then hearing him repeat them at the d-day ceremony earlier this year. do we have a puppet government, and if so, who is at the helm?
This is just one more slimy trick that Bush and his buddies have been engaging in since he stole the oval office. Let’s hear the truth for once from these guys!
If it had been Kerry who was spotted with a curious bulge, and heard interupting himself the republicans would have a TV spot produced in about two minutes,
Where are the Dems with this story? They need to put all of the video and audio together and get it out there on the mainstream media, as a paid commercial. Will Bush retain his folksy, plain talker image if he’s exposed to be using an earpiece and being spoon-fed responses? I doubt it.
Kerry in a landslide!
I saw it during the debate, and my impression was it had wires going from it over his shoulders. Would that make sense? It looked like a spider. m
All of these theories are well and good, but the bottom line is, I’ve Tivo’d the debate, watched it and it’s not a “bunch” in the fabric. It’s a rectangular box-like device with a coaxial cable snaking up his right shoulder. All the theories of it being a kevlar vest or back brace were denied by of all people, THE WHITE HOUSE itself! They are sticking to their story that it’s “bunched up fabric” from his suit. Amazing…A perfectly rectangular box of fabric between his shoulder blades…America is truly naive and gullible. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and flies like a duck, it just might be a DUCK…Or in this case, the puppet strings attached to Karl Rove in the wings.
Give me a break! Bush cheats at the most fundamentally sacred part of an election. The debates where they are supposed to voice “THEIR” views on their policies. Bush needs to listen to his own lines…”He can run, but he can’t hide”…
What makes us think that this administration would own up to ANYTHING? They haven’t played fair since 2000, so why start now? It’s just amazing to me the number of people who still think he’s this fantastic leader of the free world. That and I’m still kinda P.O.’ed about the way Natalie from the Dixie Chicks was treated after she spoke her mind. This is not what America should be like. Not at all. ‘Nuff said.
LEt’s be fair here. I know how stupid you all think Bush is, but as Jay mentioned above, days ago, “Having worn and used wireless mics, that would be the most ridiculous area to place the transmitter.” It’s important. In between your shoulder blades is not where a transmitter would go. They are typically in the small of the back because of the natural indentation. As dumb as you think Bush may be, he wouldn’t have wired himself up. Somebody who knew what they were doing would have. It would not have been there.
It is all very confusing. I don;t know what it is. I am pretty sure it is NOT “a wrinkle in the fabric”, Bush people deny the bulletproof vest (which I did not believe anyway), they deny the extra mic theory (which was my best guess), and I can’t believe it is a poorly placed receiver. I just can’t believe it would be in that location, and that his answers would be so bad if he had external couching.
So what else could it possibly be? A jetpack for quick getaway? A Camelback water pack? Cigarettes? Marajuana? Altoids?
Isn’t is obvious? The guy’s a fucking robot. A dumb one to boot.
Talking about deception, it’s funny that they can further their own lies as truth, but scoff at this so called “internet conspiracy theory.” This link rather humorously draws attention to that fact.
Isn’t it amazing that on a trivial non-issue, the arguments on both sides are relatively valid? On every other issue, those who are voting W simply have a mountain of homework to catch up on, but here, both sides make some sense. My initial response is “No, they can’t be THAT dumb and willing to risk it that much, and Bush was screwing it up hardcore anyways”, but certain incongruities (speaking style, posture both during speaking and when listening/taking notes, the unique shape of the bulge) make me wonder. (And remember, I’m incredibly critical of Bush and am roughly at the same point on the left that Noam Chomsky is, so I should be quite willing to check this out).
Yet, let’s do a thought experiment that’s tremendously revealing. If it were true, what would it matter? It would mean that the public relations holograms we call “candidates” are even more of puppets than we thought. It would further affirm that Bush cannot defend global imperialism, massive violence, violation of federal and international law, unprecedented assaults on civil liberties and the environment, and corporate whoredom. It would mean that Bush is an even duller knife than we thought.
In short, it’s a non-issue.