I think a big problem with the liberals / radicals such as Obama is that they can’t talk comfortably about their true beliefs and still get elected. Conservatives tend to be proud of conservative values, and willing to talk about them, and try to persuade people to their point of view. But the liberals need to hide their true beliefs.
Consider that Rick Warren seminar. Obama said thinking about when life begins is above his pay grade. He doesn’t give a **%*% when life begins, because he is pro-abortion. He doesn’t want to discuss any aspects of abortion. He wants abortion on demand and that’s the end of the discussion as far as he’s concerned. But he can’t just say he’s pro-abortion, and the mother’s “choice” trumps all other concerns. And he can’t say that when life begins is irrelevant, but in his mind it is irrelevant.
And that’s part of the reason he leans on the tele prompter. In the written speeches, they carefully choose and parse their words. In an interview setting, he can get lost with exactly how he wants to say something without disclosing his real radical views.
You may have hit it on the head there. It’s not that Obama can’t speak eloquently off-the-cuff. It’s just that he knows that if he does speak frankly, he’ll horrify his audience. Therefore, each. Little. Word. Has to be carefully vetted before he lets it out. And that’s why he’s so awkward without a script.