For 15 years, I ran conferences. And I attended conferences for 15 years before that. During my time running conferences I'd say I had over 1000 speakers present at my meetings. In 30 years, I only saw something like Rudy Giuliani did the other day one time.
A speaker, in the middle of speaking on a panel got up and explained he had to pee. He left the stage and very awkwardly made us wait until he returned. That speaker's brain was fried. He'd been using ketamine, a short acting hallucinogen for too long.
Now, I don't think Rudy's brain is fried. But there's something wrong. You just don't interupt a talk to take a cell phone call from anyone, not anyone.
I don't care if it was his wife. Oh yeah, isn't she the attention whore control freak?
What does it mean when a guy doesn't have either the self discipline or assertiveness to turn off his phone, to not answer it when he's doing something important. A staged con?
Rudy has a pretty slutty reputation. He's a guy who does not respond with strength and integrity to temptation. I'd say his inability to control himself in response to a phone call is a sign of weakness that could, under pressure, in times of emergency, keep him from doing an effective job.
Or maybe he's just plain unable to say no to his wife. I'm not real comfortable with that either. Maybe she's just such a totally horrendous harpie he will avoid pissing her off at any cost. Or maybe he's really horny and knows, that if he gives her special attention, he'll get some. Or maybe she's got him so well trained that he ignores the way it looks when he interupts a speech to take a phone call.
None of the possibilities look very good.
Any way you look at it, a guy who can't control his phone behavior doesn't look very promising as a president we can trust.
But then again, maybe this was an intentional act. Why would he do it? Does it play well to wives? The call went like this, according to CNN:
"Let's see now, this is my wife calling, I think," he said as he answered the phone.
"Hello dear, I am talking to the members of the NRA right now, would you like to say hello?," he asked, as the crowd sat mostly silent.
She apparently did not.
"I love you and I will give you a call when I am finished, OK," he said, trying to wrap up the call. "Have a safe trip, talk to you later dear I love you."
I think my better half would think I was losing it if I took her call.
Does it come off cute, or funny? If so, to who?
Commenters on the CNN site have some interesting theories.
OMG. This is one of the most transparent publicity stunts I've ever seen. One of Guilani's achilles heels is that he is seen as putting his own needs above his family's (e.g., leaving his wife while she was ill with cancer). How convenient that he answers a cell phone call from his wife during an NRA meeting and probably in front of lots of cameras. Shame on CNN for failing to recognize this likely staged event aimed at increasing his chances of becoming president.
Posted By Dean A., Albany, NY : September 21, 2007 12:50 pm
Wow...that is obviously staged. I wonder who was really on the other line? An advisor whispering "Now say 'Have a safe trip' and 'I love you'"?
Posted By Jennifer, LA, CA : September 21, 2007 1:08 pm
Guiliani makes sure he has good phone communication with his wife, but did nothing to improve the inter-agency communication between the FDNY and NYPD even though they screamed at him for the need to do so before 9-11. Had he done so, more 9-11 first responders would be alive today. Guiliani, you're disgusting!
Posted By Pat, Huntington, NY : September 21, 2007 1:10 pm
Staging, theater-- he did it after 9/11 and he performed for the NRA. What a guy.
What's your interpretation?
