Depending on which report you read, President George Bush spoke to anywhere from 11,000 to 15,000 people in a seminar called "Get Motivated", where he wasn't the most eloquent speaker, but the audience loved him and gave him a standing ovation at the end of his speech.
Then former Secretary of State Colin Powell got up to speak and told the audience "We are safer than we were before 9/11 because of President Bush."
Some highlights show Bush referencing his approval ratings by the end of his second term as well as his faith.
“It’s so simple in life to chase popularity, but popularity is fleeting," Bush said. "It’s not real."
[...]
Bush assured the families of war veterans that he wouldn't sell out "their loved ones for the sake of pure politics."
"And let me tell you," he continued. "I never did.”
[...]
he former president also emphasized the importance of generosity, noting how many people were surprised when he promised billions in aid to Africa to fight the AIDS epidemic.
“Apparently Republicans aren’t supposed to be compassionate, so it was a shock," Bush said.
[...]
“Another principle I believe in is that you can spend your money better than the government can,” Bush said to huge applause.
He added later: “The marketplace works. It is fair. It is equitable. It is a fair form of democracy.”
From Wapo:
Many people interviewed afterward said they liked Bush, perhaps even because he wasn't the best speaker of the day. He could have said a thesaurus was a big scaly creature that roamed the planet millions of years ago and they would have applauded.
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