# Obama's speechifying **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 16, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837 "2011-01-16T17:26:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/121 "2011-01-17T23:04:56Z")
Considering that it kept Nixon in public life for an additional 22 years, I’d consider it plenty significant. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/122 "2011-01-17T23:05:45Z")
> [@InterestedObserver](#): > > You consider THAT “stammering”? THAT is your example? He never loses his train of thought, and delivers an articulate message throughout, responding to questions “on his feet” deftly and articulating his views clearly (W/O any teleprompting). > > His manner of thoughtfully pausing for a second or two, often interjecting an “uh” or a “ah” is hardly “stammering”…it is a natural mode of speech many of us use, taking those brief moments to clearly formulate the words we are about to speak. > > I suggest that if you see this clip as an example of Obama’s failings as a speaker, it DOES have something to do with partisan/ideological bias. > > P.S. THIS is “stammering” (mental and otherwise): > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ux3DKxxFoM](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ux3DKxxFoM) I guess you were never graded in college for a speech. Adding “uh” after every other sentence is a grade killer. You’re injecting your own partisan ideology in something that is quantifiable. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/123 "2011-01-17T23:13:13Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > He stammers when he talks. So did Reagan. Deal with it. Let me get this straight: 1. Reagan was a good speaker. 2. Reagan sometimes stammered when he spoke. 3. Obama sometimes stammers when he speaks. 4. Obama is not a good speaker. Is that about how your reasoning goes? ---
**Author:** ![InterestedObserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@InterestedObserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InterestedObserver)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/124 "2011-01-17T23:16:32Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I guess you were never graded in college for a speech. Adding “uh” after every other sentence is a grade killer. You’re injecting your own partisan ideology in something that is quantifiable. Actually, I HAVE, frequently, been graded for speeches, presentations and performances, including monologues, both while earning my first degree 20 years ago and while earning my second currently (never gotten less than an A, FTR). Nice try. :rolleyes: It is an important point that this clip was NOT of a speech, but of an interview…big difference in the manner of speech typically involved. Believe me, if I honestly felt that Obama was a terrible speaker, I’d admit it…as I’ve already noted, I don’t consider speaking skill to be necessarily linked to intelligence or governing ability. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/125 "2011-01-17T23:18:16Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Let me get this straight: > > 1. Reagan was a good speaker. > 2. Reagan sometimes stammered when he spoke. > 3. Obama sometimes stammers when he speaks. > 4. Obama is not a good speaker. > Is that about how your reasoning goes? Yes, I never said he was a bad speaker. Give him something to read and he delivers it very well. You think it’s easy to shift form teleprompter to teleprompter and keep a good pace or look down at a sheet of paper? he doesn’t do as well on his feet. He’s very much like Reagan right down to working with the writers. ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/126 "2011-01-17T23:24:10Z")
Come on. You don’t have to “like” the content of his answers, but surely you can pick out of your own cited video where despite the occasional pause filling noises, Obama answers in complete sentences which render complete thoughts that are pertinent to the question asked. In what universe is that considered bad on his feet? Please contrast him to speakers you feel are good at extemporaneous Q&A so that I have points of comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/127 "2011-01-17T23:26:35Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Give him something to read and he delivers it very well. You think it’s easy to shift form teleprompter to teleprompter and keep a good pace or look down at a sheet of paper? he doesn’t do as well on his feet. This, despite all the examples to the contrary that have been posted here? I can only conclude it is the content you find wanting, not the extemporaneous ability of the speaker. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/128 "2011-01-17T23:27:13Z")
… ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/129 "2011-01-17T23:29:28Z")
> [@xenophon41](#): > > Come on. You don’t have to “like” the content of his answers, but surely you can pick out of your own cited video where despite the occasional pause filling noises, Obama answers in complete sentences which render complete thoughts that are pertinent to the question asked. In what universe is that considered bad on his feet? Please contrast him to speakers you feel are good at extemporaneous Q&A so that I have points of comparison. The universe of good speechifying. Why is so hard for you to objectively rate his ability to speak? ---
**Author:** ![InterestedObserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@InterestedObserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InterestedObserver)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/130 "2011-01-17T23:30:46Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > The universe of good speechifying. Why is so hard for you to objectively rate his ability to speak? It’s not. We have. The only difficulty is yours. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/131 "2011-01-17T23:31:24Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > The universe of good speechifying. Why is so hard for you to objectively rate his ability to speak? Well, Mr. Pot, I’ll answer that if you can give me some counterexamples of good speechifying. Apples to apples please; teleprompter/written word speeches or extemporaneous speaking compared to same. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/132 "2011-01-17T23:39:26Z")
Submitted for your awe. Cole Younger, famous bandit of the James/Younger Gang on the occassion of his execution. Asked if he had anything to say: “Didn’t come here to talk. Came here to get hanged.” ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/133 "2011-01-17T23:56:05Z")
> [@xenophon41](#): > > Well, Mr. Pot, I’ll answer that if you can give me some counterexamples of good speechifying. Apples to apples please; teleprompter/written word speeches or extemporaneous speaking compared to same. To start with, I don’t understand your need to think Obama is some kind of speaking god. He’s a human being with different skill-sets just like anybody else. Being able to speak on the fly without adding words is a learned skill just as writing is a learned skill. It is, however, harder to do than writing because it is done on the fly. Reading from a script is one skill, answering questions in real-time is another. An example of someone who can speak well on the fly is Newt Gingrich. [Here](http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-february-9-2010/exclusive---newt-gingrich-extended-interview)is an 8 minute dialogue with Jon Stewart. You can’t count the number of “ums” because there aren’t any. Compare that to Stewart who stammers right out of the gate. He talks for a living and has difficulty. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/134 "2011-01-18T00:38:23Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Submitted for your awe. Cole Younger, famous bandit of the James/Younger Gang on the occassion of his execution. Asked if he had anything to say: “Didn’t come here to talk. Came here to get hanged.” Cole Younger was not executed. None of the Northfield Raid bandits were executed. Cole was paroled in 1901, and died in 1916. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/135 "2011-01-18T01:41:09Z")
That was the other Cole Younger. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/136 "2011-01-18T01:59:05Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > That was the other Cole Younger. Oh, you mean the cowboy psychiatrist: Cole Junger. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/137 "2011-01-18T02:55:55Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > An example of someone who can speak well on the fly is Newt Gingrich. [Here](http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-february-9-2010/exclusive---newt-gingrich-extended-interview)is an 8 minute dialogue with Jon Stewart. You can’t count the number of “ums” because there aren’t any. Compare that to Stewart who stammers right out of the gate. He talks for a living and has difficulty. You’re absolutely right. He doesn’t say “um” at all. Instead, he takes long pauses in the middle of his sentences. In the first 20 seconds of the interview, no less. Clearly, a much better speaker. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/138 "2011-01-18T03:20:17Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > You’re absolutely right. He doesn’t say “um” at all. Instead, he takes long pauses in the middle of his sentences. In the first 20 seconds of the interview, no less. > > Clearly, a much better speaker. :rolleyes: He is a much better speaker. Obama pauses on top of his continued use of “uh and um”. So sorry that there are actually people on the planet that have skills the President isn’t a gold medalist in. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/139 "2011-01-18T04:00:44Z")
> [@InterestedObserver](#): > > Believe me, if I honestly felt that Obama was a terrible speaker, I’d admit it…as I’ve already noted, I don’t consider speaking skill to be necessarily linked to intelligence or governing ability. You know who was a great speaker? Hitler!!! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837/140 "2011-01-18T04:07:36Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > That was the other Cole Younger. Cole Younger the Younger? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-speechifying/567837.md?page=8)