The president told Harry Reid that there was something special about his talent for speechifying:
Everyone knows President Barack Obama can deliver a great speech, including the president himself, according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
The paperback version of Reid’s book, “The Good Fight,” is coming out May 5 with an epilogue called “The Obama Era.” Reid said he was impressed when Obama, then a freshman senator from Illinois, delivered a speech about President George W. Bush’s war policy.
Reid, D-Nev., writes: “‘That speech was phenomenal, Barack,’ I told him. And I will never forget his response. Without the barest hint of braggadocio or conceit, and with what I would describe as deep humility, he said quietly: ‘I have a gift, Harry.’”
Yep.
President Obama’s speech at the National Academy of Sciences Monday morning hit a brief snag when Obama got ahead of his script.
Laying his plan for a President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, Obama began to name the members of PCAST listed in his prepared remarks – before realizing he’d already introduced them, earlier in his speech.
“In addition to John – sorry, the – I just noticed I jumped the gun here,” Obama said, pausing for several seconds as he looked at the prompter. “Go ahead. Move it up. I had already introduced all you guys.”
It is indeed a gift to know one’s limitations.
everytime I watch the President give a speech I mentally start saying Tick-tock as his head swings from side to side reading the TOTUS.
Most MLB players would likewise – and actually do – admit privately that they too have a “gift”; and most fans quickly agree. They are blessed with rare talent. But even the best in their profession actually fail, nearly two-thirds of the time at the plate!
While individual techniques may vary, most politicians do in fact use Teleprompters.
Yet with regard to great oratory, most politicians are at best, minor league players compared to President Obama.
The consummate professional works with specialized tools. Indeed, when a hitter’s personal 38 oz. fat-barreled bat is suddenly substituted with a 32 oz. skinny-handled bat, poor performance – even for a major league hitter – is guaranteed.
So why not give the guy a break, hey? And why should gifted athletes be able to publicly thank God for their gift on TV, but President Obama be criticized for what was a personal and a private comment? ….Even though he is quite obviously gifted.
Most true fans of the game admire great hitting, even if it is from a hitter on the opposing team.
When speaking of players of sports, the consequences of a .500 or a .321 batting average (or pick your favorite sports stat) really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, except maybe some guy in Las Vegas, or at the local bookie’s office makes more or less.
When someone speaks, and happens to be “The President of the United States,” those words matter. Much hinges on them. When I was but an Ensign, the words coming out of my mouth were generally ignored. When I was XO, I found it was necessary to refrain from making light of a circumstance, or declaring something to be such frivolously, for people listened carefully, but still largely ignored the Ensign at the other end of the Wardroom table.
Now, I can train a great speaker at Toastmasters, but if that person is supposed to actually comprehend the meaning being each and every word, and, most likely had many strategy sessions to come to those words, and has the responsibility to manage the current superpower on the plent, then I cannot support a “savant” in the position.
It’s too important, too crucial, and humanity rests the hopes and dreams on him. Way to important to just “give him a break” when real lives of real people, our and those of other countries, are at risk because he can only read what his teleprompter shows to him. He needs to know the reasons for his tone, tenor, meter, and body language, as well as the words, because it’s that important.
What don’t you get about the man with a finger on the nuclear button cannot be a rank amateur or are you blinded by some “hope” it will be all right.
Again, too important. Play with your own life, not the rest of ours.
Frankly, teleprompter or no, he’s not that impressive a speaker. GWB was pretty bad sometimes, and got worse as time went on. But when he was good, he was very good.
Still, for all the praise for Obama’s speaking skills, I don’t find him the least bit impressive compared to either GHW Bush, or Bill Clinton. Both were much better speakers.
Flit,
I just don’t get the left’s and drive by media’s fawning praise for the one’s ability as a quick on his feet instant/brilliant communicator. I watch him during hunting season (you know, when he’s off the teleprompter and has to think reason and respond verbally and he’s a bigger gaffe than Biden or Bush). Frankly, the guy is a low grade moron when off the prompter.
I realize you don’t get out much but have you ever watched Prime Minister’s Question Time? That has always represented the top notch of oratory skill and deep background knowledge. Obama the “great orator” is a complete pissant and inarticulate jackass in comparison with any PM.
Try to find a decent standard before setting the bar so low. You know the difference between limbo and the high jump? In limbo you win by snaking under the bar. In oratory you win by going over the highest bar not snaking under it.
Not really worthy of an honest response, but I can’t help it. Sorry.
” Frankly, the guy is a low grade moron when off the prompter.”
FYI, “Low grade morons” could never enter, or more notably ever get elected by our nation’s best and brightest to lead them – especially one of the more ethnically challenged of their peers – to the Harvard Law Review. (And there were no “Telepromters there” either. Ergo, a cheap shot.)
The bar that he bounded is a bar far higher than you or I could probably aspire, much less equal. Ya think?
Already in the 1st hundred days – in breath and volume – he impresses by most all historical standards… Some sour grapes, notwithstanding.
“FYI, ‘Low grade morons’ could never” fly F-106s, either, but that never seemed to make much of a difference.
DaveG/
Late. Been meaning to say, Bush flew 102s, not 106s, IIRC. Could be wrong. but I don’t think he ever was even checked out in 106s.
Flit,
I am left puzzled when people such as yourself tell me how smart the one is. I ask you to prove it. What was his Harvard GPA? I know all Editors of Law Review prior to the one had top GPAs and saw mention that all that ended for the one. What were his SAT scores? What does his transcript at Columbia show us about his brilliance? How about if you cite from any law review article written by the one. Just pick your favorite brainy bit and copy it out for my overdue education. Just out of curiosity what Federal Judge invited the Editor of the Harvard Law Review to clerk for him when he graduated from Harvard? Most of the really smart brainy lawyers out of Harvard accepted a clerkship but not the one. I don’t think he was asked. Do you suppose every federal judge he applied to asked to see his transcripts and perhaps some written opinion on the law?
But you can’t produce any of that can you?
With due respect, Fliter, it wasn’t the nation’s best and brightest electing him to the Harvard Law Review that placed him in a position of power and influence. It was, in fact, the nation’s voters who elected him a President that did so.
As editor of the Harvard Law Review he’d be yet another Ivy-League opinion the rest of the country is free to ignore. Pretty much a George Will without the bow tie. Pardon me while I yawn.
Once in place as CIC, power and influence flow from the choice of the electorate.
You’ll pardon me if the choice of the electorate leaves me wondering. I’m looking at the accomplishments of the first 100 days, and all I can see are spending other people’s money into the third generation.
I’ve yet to see where that Ivy-League education was a factor of benefit.
On the plus side, I have to admit, within 100 days he’s managed to increase the deficit at least four-fold in an attempt to spend out way of of debt. He’s managed to spend our money and dictate terms to what were before companies with boards of directors and shareholders who would normally exercise those rights. He’s done so mainly via assertation, with acts of Congress who actually hold the power of the purse assumed.
And while claiming tax increases upon variable values of the the rich will fix the financial problem, he continues to ignore the $40 Billion dollar deficit that is social security, let alone other entitlements.
So, no, I disagree with your conclusion.
Now for the argument– Reagan and Bush 43 were elected twice. By your own admission they could not have been elected if they were low-grade morons.
Point out the sheer brilliance in their terms, and if you prefer point out where the electorate was fooled.
It’s the same electorate, the same premise, if you get Reagan two terms and Obama one term there’s a lot more to be said about the electorate than you’re letting on.
– Max
Can he write a great speech and deliver it with skill? YES.
Can he articulate those same views in the same way without a teleprompter? NO.
But most telling of all, do his actions match his speech; that is, does he live up to what he says he’s going to do? Does he walk the walk? At this point, I’d have to say that’s a big NO as well.
There’s a difference between looking/sounding good and actually being good.
So he’s a halfway decent orator whose grand speeches soar far beyond what he actually intends to deliver. That doesn’t sound like a brilliant man or “consummate professional” to me – that sounds like a shyster.
And yes, fliterman, I know what it means.
Already in the 1st hundred days – in breath and volume – he impresses by most all historical standards…
Seizing private companies and dictating the composition of their boards? Yep.
Spending more money than anyone has ever even dreamed of, with 20 minutes of deliberation by the Congress. Yep.
Having more tax cheats in his Cabinet than any predecessor? Yep.
Offending more of our historical allies while kowtowing to our adversaries? Yep.
Indeed, flit. He has accomplished so much in less than 100 days that I’m truly impressed. Good thing he gives a good speech.
XBTC:
For some, those things have been sweeping “accomplishments.” Lenin and Stalin would be proud.
fliter
My humble opinion is that words alone do not equal great oratory. I believe that BO could read every article of the Constitution in a passionate spirited tone, but he would still come across like one of the Saturday afternoon readers at kids time in the local Barnes and Noble. They can read a mean Harry Potter, but they don’t believe it. BO says what the masses – some of them even quite literate- want to hear, not what he believes. Winston Churchill was a great orator, I’d even say JFK was a great one – they gave eloquence3 to their beliefs. But BO – not even in the bush league – pun intended. Just wait til someone invents a TOTUS jammer!!
Unlike Churchill, BHO has no honor, no integrity.
BHO is a lying, deceitful crook, and has no trouble nominating and placing crooks in high government office as long as they serve his Oneness.
Flit, you are so in the tank for BHO and the Democrat/Socialist Party that I can barely see your nose (no offense Nose).
I can think of equally corrupt, crooked Presidents in our past, but I cannot think of another President who has done so much damage to our country so quickly. And BHO is not done -presuming he is allowed to continue.
And I think you meant ethically challenged, not ethnically challenged.
I never feel like P.BO is communicating; he’s just talking at all of us. Exhorting us. By every syllable he is telling us he knows what is good for all of us, and that we should just sit down, shut up and take it.
Flit – P.BO is playing in the ultimate World Series and there is more at stake than a new world record or a trophy & a big ole ring. Comparing the President of the U.S. to an athlete is not even apples to oranges – try apples to cars.
So, Flit-not that I like the guy, but by your definition, the “Bush is a Moron” crowd was WRONG?!!??
Other than his disastrous fiscal decisions, I’ve decided all he can do is talk – and without TOTUS, not very well. Has any president before him ever taken over the airwaves as he’s done? I don’t think he lives in the WH, but instead I think he lives in the TV.
I rarely turn mine on, but seems that every time I do, he’s going to have a press conference or give a speech exhorting us to do this or that, or he’s in the middle of doing one or the other. I’ve seen and heard enough of him to do me for the rest of his term.
Color me unimpressed after the first 100. More heat than light. Admittedly, BO has his hands full, but what if his “giftedness” doesn’t deliver and he becomes Bumbler in Chief?
We shouldn’t expect any real disclosures from the MSM. The slobbering love affair between Obama and the Press continues and will avoid highlighting deficiencies in his administration
The previous comment deleted by the siteowner for racist content.
I won’t tolerate such.
“I have a gift, Harry.”
That–and William Ayers as a ghost-writer…
Reid, D-Nev., writes: “That speech was phenomenal, Barack…”
And my dog continues to be amazed at my ability to turn the sun on and off in every room, as well as my miraculous ability to bring forth water whenever I so desire.
So, yeah, I guess I’m sayin’ consider the source.
True, dat!
How apt a comparison….
I’m with Miss Birdlegs here. As she says, “I don’t think he lives in the WH but instead I think he lives in the TV.” Like most narcissists, he needs constant reassurance of how very special he is. And his appetite for this gets stronger every day.
What he needs to guard against is becoming a very ‘old, dull story.’
Marianne
It was said that Adolf Hitler gave great speeches, too.
(but I thought George W Bush was Hitler?)
Thus – end of discussion
[Godwin's Law: as a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one. - Mike Godwin]
BO does get his point across, but the problem is what is the point and it changes like I change socks(twice a day). I had a CDR then CAPT as a CO twice. Dave Williams could speak without notes or any reference material. And he could field any question put to him directly and succinctly. Mike McCamish would be second on that list.
But from this old seadog’s viewpoint, he is so handled and scripted, it makes me wonder if he could assemble the toy in the box of Rice Crispies.
oooh, a TOTUS jammer! The loyal opposition needs a Queer fwd deployed wherever TOTUS goes.
As for the One living in the TV, my teen daughters may just kill my TV next time he preempts American Idol.
If it’s the same Dave Williams I knew, he was a heck of a guy. Never dealt with him as an officer, but as a man, he was OK in my book.