Then there were times when one had to wonder if the first President Bush really had all of his marbles. Such as when he visited some children in a Head Start program and said, “And let me say in conclusion, thanks for the kids. I learned an awful lot about bathtub toys – about how to work the telephone. One guy knows – several of them know their own phone numbers – preparation to go to the dentist. A lot of things I’d forgotten. So it’s been a good day.”
Or even during his first presidential conference when he talked to reporters about a present Reagan left him:
Let me see whether I dare read you this. “Dear George:” – this is from Reagan – “You’ll have moments when you want to use this particular stationary. Well, go to it. George, I treasure the memories we share, and wish you all the very best. You’ll be in my prayers. God bless you and Barbara. I’ll miss our Thursday lunches. Ron.” And the heading on the paper is, “Don’t let the turkeys get you down.” So, nobody here should take personal this at all. I mean this is a broad, ecumenical statement. “Do not let the turkeys get you down.” And it shows a bunch of turkeys trying to get an elephant down. Then it says “Boynton” on the bottom.
Or the time during his 1992 Presidential campaign when he said, “Don’t just ask me about what’s wrong with our legal system. Check with the opinion of that famous enforcer of American justice. I’m not talking about Oliver Wendell Holmes or John Marshall. I mean someone even more famous than that – Hulk Hogan.”
Or how about when he greeted some international tourists with (note, “nihaoma” is Mandarin for “how are you?”), “Hey, hey, nihaoma. Hey, yeah, yeah. Heil, heil – a kind of Hitler salute.” This unusual greeting, no doubt, left them completely bewildered.
And then once while he was still vice president he exclaimed, “There’s no difference between me and the president on taxes. No more nit-picking. Zip-ah-dee-doo-dah. Now, it’s off to the races!”
Source:
Stephens, John Richard. “American Presidents.” Weird History 101: Tales of Intrigue, Mayhem, and Outrageous Behavior. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2006. 266. Print.
Further Reading:
Terry Gene Bollea / Hulk Hogan
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Hilarious! The first was definitely a bit of that dry New England wit.