Obama’s most maddening verbal tic is the phrase “I’ve said many times in the past....”
It’s a combination of several factors:
1) It is supposed to convince the interviewer/questioner that he has some sort of consistent narrative to offer (false of course)
2) It is supposed to imply that he was right all along. Right about what? His own opinion? It’s a tautology.
We say it a thousand times a day but it still amazes to see so many - including 90% of the media - fall for these cheap rhetorical tricks simply because they agree with his politics.
This is the first time in my life the president is younger than me strange feeling