# Does Pres. Obama have a speech impediment?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pres-obama-have-a-speech-impediment/590418
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 26, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pres-obama-have-a-speech-impediment/590418 "2011-07-26T19:36:54Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pres-obama-have-a-speech-impediment/590418/1 "2011-07-26T19:36:54Z")
During his speech last night I noticed he sort of ‘whistled’ almost all the time when he said an S sound. I’d never noticed that before, but once I did I almost couldn’t follow what he was saying due to listening to see if it would happen again on the next S.
Has anyone else noticed this?
Or is it an artifact of a flawed microphone or something like that? (I did switch channels and the same whistling on all of them, but if they were using a feed from the same microphone…)
Yeah, I know I should be talking about the content of the speech, but this was just so distracting. ☹
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### Author:  [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pres-obama-have-a-speech-impediment/590418/2 "2011-07-26T19:53:14Z")
It’s an overly sibilant s - many of us have this. A good sound tech can filter this out.
We forget sometimes that even in a “live” setting most politicians are speaking through amplified equipment, and this affects the sound of their voice.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pres-obama-have-a-speech-impediment/590418/3 "2011-07-26T19:55:06Z")
If it’s taken this long to notice it, I’d say it’s not much of an impediment.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pres-obama-have-a-speech-impediment/590418/4 "2011-07-26T20:10:11Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> If it’s taken this long to notice it, I’d say it’s not much of an impediment.
Just google “obama sibilant” and see how many results there are. People have noticed before now.
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### Author:  [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2011, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pres-obama-have-a-speech-impediment/590418/5 "2011-07-26T20:56:46Z")
I’ve noticed a throwing impediment and a bowling impediment too.
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### Author:  [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pres-obama-have-a-speech-impediment/590418/6 "2011-07-26T21:03:47Z")
He seemed a little stiff during the beer summit, too.
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### Author:  [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pres-obama-have-a-speech-impediment/590418/7 "2011-07-26T22:06:05Z")
I noticed it and assumed that it was a stuffy nose. I didn’t think it was related to his speaking, but rather his breathing.
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### Author:  [@isaiahrobinson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isaiahrobinson)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pres-obama-have-a-speech-impediment/590418/8 "2011-07-26T22:06:12Z")
You mean in [this speech](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyG0kFCx-qE), on the debt ceiling? I hear what you’re talking about. I’d never noticed it before, although listening to his interviews again, like the [Superbowl interview](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6HyXCHndmk) with Bill O’Reilly and [this interview](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQG20gGU0wA), it’s even clearer. It’s obviously not a major impediment if most people have never noticed it but now you point it out it’s definitely there.
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### Author:  [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2011, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pres-obama-have-a-speech-impediment/590418/9 "2011-07-26T23:17:54Z")
Okay, so it’s not my imagination.
Now I have to desensitize myself somehow so I can go back to listening to what is said rather than how it’s articulated.