Posted on 01/14/2010 3:23:16 AM PST by rightwingintelligentsia
Along with President Obama's declining public standing has come a declining rhetorical reputation. There is, of course, a relationship between the two. Even Ronald Reagan seemed a less-than-great communicator after the 1981-82 recession, with his job approval rating in the 30s. And few would be criticizing Obama's speeches if unemployment were at 6 percent. Success is the best eloquence.
But Obama's rhetorical challenge runs deeper than the recession. In the most unexpected development of his presidency, what was once universally recognized as Obama's greatest political strength -- his oratory -- now seems a serious weakness.
The swift rise of Barack Obama was primarily a literary phenomenon. His accomplishments did not come on the Senate floor; they came at Barnes & Noble. His two autobiographies, along with his 2004 speech at the Democratic convention, raised expectations of a rhetorical golden age. One early profile in New York magazine referred to Obama as "our national oratorical superhero -- a honey-tongued Frankenfusion of Lincoln, Gandhi, Cicero, Jesus, and all our most cherished national acronyms (MLK, JFK, RFK, FDR)."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
The teleprompter broke
BINGO! The man can read a teleprompter, that is all he can do! Like most everyone that speaks publicly IF a speech is memorized it can SEEM more genuine. His use of the teleprompter is robotic and his speech is choppy.
The swift rise of Barack Obama was primarily a literary phenomenon. His accomplishments did not come on the Senate floor; they came at Barnes & Noble. His two autobiographies, along with his 2004 speech at the Democratic convention, raised expectations of a rhetorical golden age.
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One of those books he may not have written. Perhaps playing basketball while his book Czar Ayers did the heavy lifting? Cashill is pretty convincing imo.
I agree
He is a empty suited sock puppet, running on a teleprompter.
I could never figure out what these folks were swooning about. He said more of nothing than anyone I ever remember.
WHAT??
You mean to tell me that the Uh, Uh, Uh’s AND That D@MN annoying “CLIP” at the end of each sentence was considered ‘Great Oratory’?
Hold it right there. Lincoln could say in a sentence what that jackass Obama couldn't spit out in a volume.
“Brilliant”? Are they referring to all of his “Hopenchange”, adolescent-boy-’n’-da-hood patter?
Puh-leeze...........
Them words have lost their luster, and we'll tell him what we'll do, one of these days our votes are going to stomp all over you! Are you listening???
His mannerisms when he speaks now betray an inner recognition of his failures. His gestures are tentative, his eyes wander as his neck swivels back and forth, giving away his need for reassurance, a reassurance that he is not getting from his audience.
He is detecting a different reaction from all audiences now, it is not hard for him to sense the unease and lack of enthusiasm for what he has to say, such is the plight of a speaker who ignores the will of his listeners.
This was easy to see coming- with all their intellects the libs never noticed the difference between when he read speeches and and when talked off the cuff. That- combined with the near certainty that Bill Ayers wrote all or most of “Dreams” should give them some perspective on what they were really seeing.
Hook, line and sinker.
A GREAT perspective on body-language!
(I always hated that smarmy .. head up, chin in the air posture that he always takes)
That factoid still astonishes me. But it perfectly captures in three words the overweening narcissist that he is.
Like Hillary said during one of the debates: all he has is a speech he gave in 2004.
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