Obama: The Talker in Chief

President's frequent speeches starting to sound empty
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 9, 2011 10:00 AM CDT
Obama: The Talker in Chief
US President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the US economy from the State Dining Room at the White House, August 8, 2011.   (Getty Images)

Every president has a major flaw, and Andrew Malcolm of the LA Times thinks he’s figured out Barack Obama’s: He loves to talk. Obama seems to think “he can talk his way in or out of virtually any opportunity or difficulty,” Malcolm observes. “When in trouble, give a speech. Even if there’s no visible audience.” And hey, the guy’s a great talker. “Trouble is, real leadership is more than talking and calling for things.”

“It takes a while, but over time listeners begin to notice rote rhetoric, predictable patterns, empty words.” Take yesterday’s speech on the S&P downgrade. “We didn’t need a rating agency to tell us” we needed deficit reduction, Obama said, “That was true the day I took office.” Well, that was 931 days ago—and he still hasn't offered a real plan. “Obama is still saying ‘Yes, we can,’” Malcolm writes. “But he never explains why we haven’t.” (More Andrew Malcolm stories.)

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