October 3, 2012 - 6:37 pm
I am watching the debate and as I watch the non-verbal and verbal behavior of President Obama, I just don’t get the “great speaker” part that so many liberals say about him. He seems hesitant, his words are unsure, and he looks like a sourpuss. Romney, on the other hand, is cheerful, confident, looks up and seems like the kind of guy who looks you in the eye, rather than darting his eyes away, like the President. And what is with the moderator, Jim Lehrer, so sternly interrupting Romney when his time is up, and then softly and demurely saying “Mr. President, we are going to have to stop.” Come on, quit with the acquiescence.
Racist.
I can’t watch Obama, because something would go through the big screen, but I’m enjoying reports from various friends and silently cheering.
er… I probably should go feed my family…
(Sigh. Neglectful mother.)
Sarah, I am with you. I cannot stand listening to these politicians, but I am glad somebody IS listening. Bryan Preston had a good recap.
Obama is the reason why my mute button is worn out on my remote control. I can’t stand the sound of the man’s voice. The sooner he’s relegated to the dustbin of history, the better.
Maybe Lehrer just has pity on the poor shlump.
“President Obama is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.”
- Clint Eastwood
This is because the man is not up to the challenge. He’s been socially promoted for forever.
Pity on Lehrer, but expected.
Obama looks peeved and panicked. He’s rambling all over the place to fill his 2 minutes– how many unrelated subjects and strawmen can he deliver?
So, I expect it will be all over the media tomorrow how about Obama wiped the floor with what’s-his-name, right?
Romney is on fire. He is tossing out details with ease. I like this guy!
Because he’s not a great speaker – he’s a pretty good reader. Take away the teleprompter, and he’s any ole Chicago pol.
He seems to be rather fond of his shoes.
If hearing Obama speak around issues bugs you like it does me you can hear the song of all of his debate points on youtube right now. Freaking hilarious! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOWr2AzK2uY
I think Barry’s (alleged) speaking prowess has always been an artifact of a sort of media groupthink. He exceeded a relatively low standard back in early 08, and from there it became an article of faith among the media elite that he was some kind of brilliant orator. Puh-leeeze. His speech writer is also vastly overrated. Peggy Noonan that fellow is not. How many times have: “Let me be clear” and “Make no mistake” shown up in Obama’s prepared remarks? These are trite, meaningless, and really bloody annoying.
Anyway, you’re right Helen, Obama is decidedly NOT some kind of oratorial savant.
“How many times have: ‘Let me be clear’ and ‘Make no mistake’ shown up in Obama’s prepared remarks? These are trite, meaningless, and really bloody annoying.”
As well as strikingly Nixonian. I have long thought that Obama was the second coming of Nixon and has the same character flaws.
Add “We have to make sure . . . [insert pander]“ to the list of trite, meaningless, and really bloody annoying phrases used excessively by the ostensible great orator.
>> As well as strikingly Nixonian. I have long thought that Obama was the second coming of Nixon and has the same character flaws.
DCA, that comment has no content whatever. Pure feel-good malarkey. Obama isn’t half the man Nixon was.
” I have long thought that Obama was the second coming of Nixon and has the same character flaws.”
And none of Nixon’s virtues.
I’m with Stephen Green the Vodkapundit. Just once I’d like him to obfuscate.
Good point on “let me be clear” and “make no mistake”. Whats even worse is those phrases always seem to preceed some point that is definitely NOT clear, but is a particularly bad piece of ofuscutory BS. So I use it as a tell, once obama trots it out I know a real groaner is coming.
RE: Obama, the great speaker.
It’s the voice. As long as all he has to do is read the words, that great voice works. As long as the audience is tuned into the cadence, it works.
There have been many ‘great’ Hollywood actors who couldn’t really act, but as long as all you heard was the voice, and the story line, and the drama, you could believe that the Martians really were invading.
Great point about the voice, you are right. So Obama is very good when he is reading a long prepared speech. But he breaks down totally if there is no prepared script. That showed here, since there was no script. Obama had no ability at all to actually listen to romneys remarks and prepare a specifric reply to them, and no ability to think on his feet, it was all trite sound bites. But I noticed romney was able to tailor his reply’s to refute Obamas latest remark each time, and then immediately follow it with an attack. I thought Romney debated well vs gengrich in FL, but he did even better this time.
In addition to the “Great Speaker,” I don’t get the “Smartest Guy in the Room” thing.
“The Smartest Guy in the Room” actually says “me & him”? That’s worse than “nucular.”
When you can see Obama’s reactions to things other people say, there’s just too much withering and cringing and watching his face twist around in knots to say that’s he’s such a great speaker, when he’s not in 100% control of the environment.
helen SMith is a pathetic Ignorant Slut!
Another liberal self-identifies.
They always do.
at LEast everything was Spelled Correctly.
Were you touching yourself when you wrote that?
What’s that, another salvo in the War on Women?
Well, that’s a very intelligent rebuttal, and I’m now going to pause for several minutes and thoughtfully consider all the cogent points you made.
HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!
Obama has never been a great apeaker…. just listen to him on the radio
Back to the basement Nick. It’s past your bedtime.
I never got the great speaker thing, either. He’s an adequate reader of other people’s words. Obama’s only real talent is getting influential people excited about him. Which tells me we’ve slipped a bit in how we pick our influential people.
Helen, this is all because somebody important wasn’t there…
http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2008/09/hey-barack.html
I’m Sure Lehrer would be just as differential to Richard Nixon when he was president…. uh, maybe not.
[aw c'mon - he was trying to make up for this by being nice to Barack Milhouse Obama.....]
Dr. Helen, BHO is a patzer. A poser. A weakling. And whoever said this guy was smart is out of his mind.
Obama the “great speaker” — I’d say he has a well-developed ability to “snow” his listeners with B.S. and manipulative double-talk. He tells people what they want to hear; he manipulates them with glittering generalities and racial guilt-tripping. He rarely announces his real intentions and plans — his designs on our country. It’s a well-developed “Obalmer Gantry” spiel.
It’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but there are enough gullible people to make him popular.
I think when he has an adoring crowd and a teleprompter, he’s an excellent speaker.
But when he gets challenged, or has to think on his own rather than just read, he isn’t so hot. I don’t think I’ve heard so many “uh”s outside of an interview with a sports player.
I could never figure out what the smart people were hearing that I wasn’t when they proclaimed Obama a great speaker. I have never even thought Obama was that good of a reader. If you just listen to him on the radio where you’re not taken in by the oh so confident chin thrusts he sounds no better than an eight grade reader using his big voice.
But, if you have the ability to slow the rise of sea levels, do you really have any need for knowledge?
When watching Obama speak I have never gotten the impression that he knew what he was talking about on any subject.
To expose Obama as a habitual liar and a complete fool is critical to Romney’s prospects, and Romney has made an excellent start on it. Obama’s public persona, well developed over his years in the public eye and well burnished by his media allies, is that of a highly intelligent, highly knowledgeable, completely pragmatic statesman. Though nothing could be further from the truth, millions of Americans have bought that persona — and disabusing them of it is the golden road to ejecting him from the White House.
A point about Lehrer. Some think that Romney ran all over him, but I looked at the time stats at the end of the debate, and obama spoke 4 more minutes than romney. So the real filibusterer was obama not romney, its just Lehrer interrupted romney more. So the real truth is Lehrer tried to run over Romney, and screw him, but Romney wouldn’t let him.
Many commenters here agree that, off the cuff, Pres Obama is a poor thinker and speaker. I agree with that.
Now translate that to the Oval Office or the Cabinet Room. We have a person with a slim grasp of facts and low ability to operate spontaneously, but who has the duty to come up with policy and guidance for a $3.8T (should be more like $2.5T) enterprise. Put aside ideology — such a person would flounder and would take the enterprise down too. Which seems to have happened.
Mind you, I’d flounder in that situation too. But I’ve never asked to be in it.