Obama's verbal tic

Saturday

Nov222008

Saturday, November 22, 2008 at 08:23AM

For those of us who were once English teachers, to funny not to share... Doug

Obama’s Use of Complete Sentences Stirs Controversy: Stunning Break with Last Eight Years - Andy Borowitz

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.

Doug Johnson |

13 Comments |

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Reader Comments (13)

laughed up until your last paragraph. not that i don't mind some satire of sarah, but Jo and Tito.... smart, hard-workin dudes. show em some respect.

November 22, 2008 |

Amy S.

Hi Amy,

Ah, this is why I rarely post political humor on the blog. It offends more easily than almost anything I write.

All the best,

Doug

November 22, 2008 |

Doug Johnson

best be goin out to chop some kindlin to stoke the fire, its cold out there what with all the long winded polar sentences

English teachers can look forward to studying Mr. Obama's fluent speech making skills.

November 22, 2008 |

Paul C

Either Amy's post was scathingly brilliant or a sad comment on how we've managed to internalize the ridiculous stereotypes perpetuated by folks who have too much money to know how to fix their own toilets, change their own tires, cook their own food, and count their own houses.

I suspect it was the former.

Thanks for the heads up, Doug.

November 22, 2008 |

Michael Doyle

I just can't resist. At the risk of being offensive - it isn't only David Letterman who will miss these inspirational quotes from the past few years:

'Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream.'

'I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family.'

'They misunderestimated me.'

'Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?'

November 22, 2008 |

Jacquie Henry

Sigh. I know that Borowitz was trying to be funny, but people forget: Bush outdebated Ann Richards. Read this if you're not convinced that Bush wasn't playing a role that appeals to many Americans.

November 22, 2008 |

Lazygal

Oh well! Perhaps English teachers will have a subject and predicate lesson with his speeches. He is a very nice speaker.

November 22, 2008 |

Adrienne

I am a devout reader of your blog (not that I always agree with you), but I felt, as an English teacher, the need to point out the irony of the mistake in your first sentence...

"For those of us who were once English teachers, to funny not to share"

"too funny"

No offense intended!

November 22, 2008 |

Michelle K.

Am I the only one who's uhhh noticed that uhhh, when Obama's off the teleprompter that he uhhhh uses uhhhhh ALOT?

November 22, 2008 |

CMartin21

@Doug
As a communitarian anarchist by default I find most political humor drab. But I can't help getting a kick from this video that I occasionally watch for a laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QdjRS-4AXQ

November 23, 2008 |

Charlie A. Roy

@ Hi Paul.

I think you have the Southern drawls down fine, but you should be workin’ on yer Sara Palin from the da nort, dontcha know?

Doug

@ Hi Michael,

Thank goodness you included “count their houses.” (I own 3/4ths of a house; the bank has the other 1/4.)

Doug

@ Hi Jacquie,

I suspect if one is in the public eye (or ear) long enough, some doozies will creep through. But W sure seems to have done more than his share in keeping us laughing about verbal blunders.

All the best,

Doug

@ Hi Lazy,

Come on, even YOU have think this was funny. But I would agree, Bush is a pretty good actor. He memorized a lot of lines!

Have a good one,

Doug

@ Hi Michelle,

OK, here are the possibilities:
I deliberately left out the second “o” because my computer is running low on them and I need to conserve.
I’ve always been confused about to, too, and 2 (as well as tutu – both the costume and the politician).
This was actually a contest to see who could find the error – AND YOU WON!
Like the Navajo blanket weavers, I purposely make an error in each thing I write to honor the notion that only God is perfect.
I suck at proof reading my own writing and need to slow down and proof-read.

Anywho, I will leave the error as is as a lesson in humility. Thanks for the catch.

All the best,

Doug

@ Hi Cheryl,

I’ve noticed that he is rather slow and deliberate. And I can’t tell when people are on or off the teleprompter, I’m afraid.

All the best,

Doug

@ Hi Charlie,

So is it legal for communitarian anarchists to marry in California? I love the sound of the term. I suppose I should look it up and see what it means. (The anarchist part I think I know.)

I’ll check out the video. Thanks for passing it along.

Doug

November 23, 2008 |

Doug Johnson

>but Joe.... smart, hard-workin dude.<

Ummmm... Not sure why Joe was worried about his taxes, since apparently he never bothers to pay them in the first place. LOL

http://apps.co.lucas.oh.us/onlinedockets/Docket.aspx?STYPE=1&PAR=LN200701803-000&STARTDATE=01/01/1900&ENDDATE=01/01/2100&PARTY=0

November 24, 2008 |

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