Obama's Use of Complete Sentences Stirs Controversy

[Straw Man]

Obama's Use of Complete Sentences Stirs Controversy

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's 60 Minutes on Sunday witnessed the president-elect's unorthodox verbal tic, 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.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-borowitz/obamas-use-of-complete-se_b_144642.html
Andy Borowitz is a comedian and writer whose work appears in The New Yorker and The New York Times, and at his award-winning humor site,

[Soul Crusher]

Get this straight. 

I did not vote for Obama, but actually pray for him to do the best job possible because if he screws up, we all suffer.

The election ended November 4, 2008 and he is my president.  I hope he betters the situation we are in and will give him more of a chance than any liberal would if McCain had won.

[tendonitis]

uhhhh.....uhhhhh.....uhh hhh....uhhh....and uhhhhhh......uhhhhh..... we'll uhhhhh....uhhhhhhhh

[Decker]

Grammar, education, literacy, and the like are all over-rated liberal ploys to make republicans look bad in the liberal media.

When honest to god normal people like Bush and Palin are granted an office so they can lead, we americans don't need you pointy-headed liberals, with your fancy evolution and your global warming and your "help the poor" brand of Socialism, gettin in the way.

Go to Canada or any other socialist country in europe if you don't like real america!

You liberals love your big socialist government but not God!


Nuff said!

[Soul Crusher]

Please dont place Bush and Palin in the same sentence.  The two have nothing to do with one another.

Bush is a spoiled ivy league moron.  Palin, whatever you may think of her, is self made and a self starter.

[Decker]

Please dont place Bush and Palin in the same sentence.  The two have nothing to do with one another.

Bush is a spoiled ivy league moron.  Palin, whatever you may think of her, is self made and a self starter.

I'm having fun.

Granted Bush is the product of nepotism whereas Palin is the benefactor of a pretty face and a caustic inner drive to get ahead.

[Soul Crusher]

I'm having fun.

Granted Bush is the product of nepotism whereas Palin is the benefactor of a pretty face and a caustic inner drive to get ahead.

Bush is Damien Thorn.

[Dan-O]

I'm having fun.

Granted Bush is the product of nepotism whereas Palin is the benefactor of a pretty face and a caustic inner drive to get ahead.

I disagree about Palin vis-a-vis the "caustic inner drive to get ahead."  I think her ingenuousness is actually just that.  I think she's for real.  Was she the best pick for VP?  No way.  She's no Mitt Romney.  She's no Rudy Guilani.  But I'll tell you, I'd sure as hell have her in the #2 spot over that snake Joe Biden.  He's not just an amusing gaffe machine, he's as unscrupulous as they come.

Bush is Damien Thorn.

I have to grudgingly agree with you on this.  I gave up defending him several years ago.  I really wanted to believe he was misunderstood, he was better than he appeared to be and just had a bad PR team.  But history will show otherwise.

[Soul Crusher]

I disagree about Palin vis-a-vis the "caustic inner drive to get ahead."  I think her ingenuousness is actually just that.  I think she's for real.  Was she the best pick for VP?  No way.  She's no Mitt Romney.  She's no Rudy Guilani.  But I'll tell you, I'd sure as hell have her in the #2 spot over that snake Joe Biden.  He's not just an amusing gaffe machine, he's as unscrupulous as they come.

I have to grudgingly agree with you on this.  I gave up defending him several years ago.  I really wanted to believe he was misunderstood, he was better than he appeared to be and just had a bad PR team.  But history will show otherwise.

Personally, I like Sarah Palin alot.  Has she made some mistakes, yes.  But, I trust her, she does not have to apologize or hide her past or her associations, worked her way up herself, and obviously has many more interests and experiences than politics alone.

She does not do the DC political speak where a person sounds eloquent while not saying a damn thing. 

I think she needs to brush up on a bunch of issues, and hope she comes back strong.   

[Decker]

I disagree about Palin vis-a-vis the "caustic inner drive to get ahead."  I think her ingenuousness is actually just that.  I think she's for real.  Was she the best pick for VP?  No way.  She's no Mitt Romney.  She's no Rudy Guilani.  But I'll tell you, I'd sure as hell have her in the #2 spot over that snake Joe Biden.  He's not just an amusing gaffe machine, he's as unscrupulous as they come.
...

She's a first rate birdbrain.  I've had it with stupidity haunting the executive halls of power in this country.  I don't really care how well-intentioned she might be or how she holds the same values as 'middle class' america...she doesn't have the brain power to rule the country.

Biden is head and shoulders above her.

[Decker]

Personally, I like Sarah Palin alot.  Has she made some mistakes, yes.  But, I trust her, she does not have to apologize or hide her past or her associations, worked her way up herself, and obviously has many more interests and experiences than politics alone.

She does not do the DC political speak where a person sounds eloquent while not saying a damn thing. 

I think she needs to brush up on a bunch of issues, and hope she comes back strong.   

You know her personally?

She's no different than any other egotistical politician.  Stupidity and verbal clumsiness are not refreshing honest traits.  Ignorance is not bliss...it's just ignorance.

[Soul Crusher]

She's a first rate birdbrain.  I've had it with stupidity haunting the executive halls of power in this country.  I don't really care how well-intentioned she might be or how she holds the same values as 'middle class' america...she doesn't have the brain power to rule the country.

Biden is head and shoulders above her.

Politicians dont "rule" us unless that is of course what you clamor for.

[garebear]

Personally, I like Sarah Palin alot.  Has she made some mistakes, yes.  But, I trust her, she does not have to apologize or hide her past or her associations, worked her way up herself, and obviously has many more interests and experiences than politics alone.

She does not do the DC political speak where a person sounds eloquent while not saying a damn thing. 

I think she needs to brush up on a bunch of issues, and hope she comes back strong.   

You can't be serious. She just isn't smart enough.

Do you think presidential hopefuls should cram?

[Soul Crusher]

You can't be serious. She just isn't smart enough.

Do you think presidential hopefuls should cram?

Well, considering that Obama got the Georgia-Russia thing completely wrong, said there are 57 states, completely lied about his tax plan, Palin is not alone in gaffes.

Do you want me to even discuss our new Vice President and his verbal embarassments??

Unlike Obama - Palin spent her time running a town and a state, not in DC with a political doublespeak where the more one says, regardless of the truth, is what matters most. 
 

[Decker]

Politicians dont "rule" us unless that is of course what you clamor for.

Oh I beg to differ.

OBAMA RULES!



JOIN US. 

[Soul Crusher]

Oh I beg to differ.

OBAMA RULES!



JOIN US. 

I am sure you have plenty of bathroom material with obama for yourself.

[Decker]

I am sure you have plenty of bathroom material with obama for yourself.

Yes I do. 

Or...is this another closet classic case of projection by a right winger?

[24KT]

I'm having fun.

Granted Bush is the product of nepotism whereas Palin is the benefactor of a pretty face and a caustic inner drive to get ahead.

I LOVE IT!!!

"a caustic inner drive to get ahead"

That's just brilliant! I've never heard an insult put quite so diplomatically before.
Reminds me of Colin Powell stating Obama was the candidate who'd demonstrated "an intellectual vigour"

[Soul Crusher]

Yes I do. 

Or...is this another closet classic case of projection by a right winger?

You found me out.  i confess.

[Parker]

Obama's Use of Complete Sentences Stirs Controversy

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's 60 Minutes on Sunday witnessed the president-elect's unorthodox verbal tic, 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.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-borowitz/obamas-use-of-complete-se_b_144642.html
Andy Borowitz is a comedian and writer whose work appears in The New Yorker and The New York Times, and at his award-winning humor site,

So A black man who speaks correctly, might have to "Dumb Down" his sentences. Who'd have Thunk It?

[24KT]

So A black man who speaks correctly, might have to "Dumb Down" his sentences. Who'd have Thunk It?

{lol} It might be the only way to stop people from gasping "Oh My! He's soooo articulate!" 24/7.

I'll bet one day someone is going to say that, ...and Obama will go postal on them. 

[Al Doggity]

I have to grudgingly agree with you on this.  I gave up defending him several years ago.  I really wanted to believe he was misunderstood, he was better than he appeared to be and just had a bad PR team.  But history will show otherwise.

Up until days before the elections, you were still claiming Bush was fairly intelligent and simply had a bad pr team.

[Dan-O]

Up until days before the elections, you were still claiming Bush was fairly intelligent and simply had a bad pr team.

But who's keeping track??  I don't think he's necessarily a "moron" in the sense of having a double-digit IQ.  But I have to acknowledge things are a mess and a lot of it happened on his watch.  Someone used the phrase "asleep at the wheel" and perhaps it was an apt description of his administration, at least some of the time.