Speech pathologist Chwat says the governor is probably modeling his speech after that of his famous father, consciously or unconsciously. It's simply the way he learned to talk, Chwat says. Indeed, some of the gaffes of Bush fils sound like his father's. It was us versus them, and it was clear who 'them' was. Today, we're not so sure who the 'they' are, but we know they're there.
Tired cliches breathe new life on the governor's tongue.
Better call the credit bureau. Other scientists are convinced that nature has some role. Robert Shprintzen, an otolaryngologist and speech pathologist at the State University of New York's Upstate Medical University, says Bush's speech pattern, like everybody's, is influenced by genetics. Much of the way people talk is biological, Shprintzen says, dictated by the physical structure of the brain, the number of brain cells and the level of neurotransmitters such as dopamine. The disorder, often caused by a stroke, disrupts the neural programming of speech-related muscles, causing trouble selecting, timing and ordering sounds, and a tendency to shorten words.