Latest Obama Controversy

[JesusA (imported)]

Obama’s Use of Complete Sentences

Stirs Controversy

Stunning Break with Last Eight Years

November 18, 2008

Associated Press

In the first two weeks since the election, President-elect Barack Obama has broken with a tradition established over the past eight years through his controversial use of complete sentences, political observers say.

Millions of Americans who watched Mr. Obama's appearance on CBS' "Sixty Minutes" on Sunday witnessed the president-elect's unorthodox verbal tick, which had Mr. Obama employing grammatically correct sentences virtually every time he opened his mouth.

But Mr. Obama's decision to use complete sentences in his public pronouncements carries with it certain risks, since after the last eight years many Americans may find his odd speaking style jarring.

According to presidential historian Davis Logsdon of the University of Minnesota , some Americans might find it "alienating" to have a President who speaks English as if it were his first language.

"Every time Obama opens his mouth, his subjects and verbs are in agreement," says Mr. Logsdon. "If he keeps it up, he is running the risk of sounding like an elitist."

The historian said that if Mr. Obama insists on using complete sentences in his speeches, the public may find itself saying, "Okay, subject, predicate, subject predicate - we get it, stop showing off."

The President-elect's stubborn insistence on using complete sentences has already attracted a rebuke from one of his harshest critics, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska .

"Talking with complete sentences there and also too talking in a way that ordinary Americans like Joe the Plumber and Tito the Builder can't really do there, I think needing to do that isn't tapping into what Americans are needing also," she said.

[Paolo]

Damn that education of his!

LOL

[Slammr (imported)]

Yes, just think how intiminating it is to have a president that's better educated and more intelligent than the average person. We didn't have one for the last eight years, and are we any worse off for it? :-\

[DeaconBlues (imported)]

Damn that education of his!

LOL

I think Mark Twain once said something about this, I cannot quote it exactly but it went like this"

"My parents, teachers, and many other well meaning people endevoured tirelessy to ensure that I recieved a full education in my youth, fortunately I was able to overcome it and become successful."

Mark Twain was clearly being humorous at the time, but honestly, there are many "successful" people who I really and truly believe would never have become successes were it not for the fact that they are so stupid, and most of the people around them are also stupid. They all just don't understand how dreadfully ignorant they are, and so they look at anything and think "Sure! Yeah! I can do that! I wanna be a brain surgeon!" or, "I wanna be a rocket scientist!" or...... "I wanna be the PRESIDENT!" I guess nobody ever really explained it to some of the idiots in charge of this country and many of it's major corporations, that real intelligence is required... and I guess real intelligence and education is NOT required from many of our "leaders" in government or business.

[Francis (imported)]

Well, I am generally not a BO fan but I do think that speaking grammatically correct English is a refreshing change from what we put up with from a lot of politicians, not to mention newsreaders. You have raised him a notch in my estimation. :)

[weestub (imported)]

Wasn't this "article" written by the humorist Andy Borowitz? It was posted on his website at www.borowitzreport.com/article.aspx?ID=6961 on November 18th.

[JesusA (imported)]

Wasn't this "article" written by the humorist Andy Borowitz? It was posted on his website at www.borowitzreport.com/article.aspx?ID=6961 on November 18th.

Thank you for the reference. It certainly sounds like Andy Borowitz. I received the piece as an email from a friend with no citation.

[socky1965 (imported)]

hmm, and I was thinking that this was from the Onion News Network.

[Dave (imported)]

David Letterman is the big loser, he does a nightly joke about Bush's inarticulate speech.

I find it nice to listen to well thought out, whole sentences. After all, you don't get an education to speak like stupid, you get an education to speak well. That's what I tell children they should aspire to...