He called this the result of the media becoming more “corporatized.”

“The public’s right to know seems to be yesterday’s trumpet, not today’s,” he said.

Phillips fielded questions ranging from George W. Bush’s born-again Christian experience—which he called “probably genuine” while charging that Bush’s religious discovery coincided with his political ambitions—to a comparison between the Bushes and the French monarchs Louis XIV and XVI.

Though Phillips said he does not support Bush in the upcoming election, he did not hesitate to criticize the Democratic challengers.

Phillips said that the Democrats have “less power than a wet Kleenex” and that “John Kerry doesn’t seem to evoke a huge amount of enthusiasm from anyone I know, even the most ardent Bush-haters.”

“I don’t think the die is cast,” he said. “I think [the Democrats] will do better this year, but I don’t know if they’ll do enough better.”

Audience members said Phillips provided a valuable perspective on the Republican president because of his previous close ties with the Republican party and candidates.

“The fact that he was a Republican made his claims seem more credible to me. I don’t feel like he would criticize his own party if he didn’t have a good reason,” said Joanna J. Parga ’07.

For others, however, it was Phillips’ candidness that made his speech appealing.

“He was very straight forward and willing to criticize both the administration and the media, the Democrats and the Republicans,” said Waheed A. Gardezi ’07.

At various times during the speech, Phillips called those pivotal in the Bush administration “no talent preppies.” He said that without his father, George W. Bush would be the “second vice president of the second National Bank of Amarillo,” evoking a laugh from the audience.