Here’s my problem with Obama…please tell me I’m wrong

[drmom]

I really want to like Obama. I’m guessing he will win the nomination, and I want to be able to get behind him. But, here is my problem:

I went to a house party for him this past summer. It was a relatively small gathering of maybe 75 people, and when Obama was speaking, he was using note cards. Even during the question and answers, he seemed to have a hard time really formulating answers without referring to his notes. Then, I saw him doing a local event a couple of weeks ago, where he met with 4 single mothers in the SF bay area. Again, even in this small setting, he was relying heavily on his note cards. In the debates, Obama has had obvious problems getting his point across, making me wonder if he can “think on his feet”.

I guess I’m just worried that he is too scripted. Yes, he is a brilliant orator. But I get the feeling that he’s doing more reading from the teleprompter than speaking from his heart. It’s just a bit too Reagan-esque for me to feel comfortable.

It’s an interesting election because I’m having a hard time finding real substantive differences between the two democratic candidates, so it seems to come down to a ‘gut feeling’.

I’d love to hear other’s views on this…we vote in 5 days and I’m still not sure who to support!

[styersc]

1. I will support the candidate but I have another problem.

Is it not true, that should Obama win athe Whitehouse and then a second term, it will be the longest time that he ever held a single job???? Is this really a "training" position?

[SammyWinstonJack]

8. It was for georgie. See how well that worked out?

[elizm]

2. That is total BS. I have heard him 8 times in SC and he never read a single word from anywhere.

I have to call bullshit on this. Send me one video of him reading from notecards and I will believe this isn't just a total lie.

[maximusveritas]

21. Yep. This is obviously BS

All you have to do is watch him at the editorial board meetings. There's a reason he's won the most newspaper endorsements. He does very well when speaking to small groups. It's only in the big debates that he gets nervous and stutters a bit especially when attacked.

[joeybee12]

41. Yeah, you two have been to the same talks as the OP's...

...guess the OP should have listened to you instead of seeing it with her own two eyes.

[maximusveritas]

44. Why would he use these notecards in some talks and not others?

Sorry, it just doesn't make sense. There are so many videos of him speaking at events and board meetings without any notes. Unless the OP can provide evidence to support this claim, then there's no reason to believe it.

[Radical Activist]

35. I've seen him speak numerous times over the last 8 years

and have never seen him use note cards either.

[Metric System]

3. That 20-something screenwriter he has writing his speeches deserves every penny he's paid!

[cali]

4. Well, I would say that just because he uses note cards

doesn't make him Reaganesque. It's good to keep in mind that this is a man who graduated magna cum laude from Columbia and Harvard Law and edited the Law Review. Maybe tonight's debate will help you make up your mind.

[Barack_America]

12. But cali, politics isn't about policy...it's about style.

You should know that.

(forgot my smilie...apologies...it was sarcasm)

[Big Blue Marble]

28. His style is amazing. n/t

[drmom]

46. I agree...

I totally agree. If the note cards contain his own notes, that is certainly different from one of his "people" writing most of what he says. I don't know which it is, which is why I asked the question.

[Jed Dilligan]

5. What do you think the next four years will bring?

Business as usual, or major national disasters? I think the latter, and that's a major reason why I'm voting for good oratory and inspiring leadership over the promise to win 15 year old policy fights.

[Metric System]

9. Except the oratory's only good when the screenwriter's involved

[in_cog_ni_to]

6. Obama's not going to win the nomination. After Super Tuesday, he'll be finished. Go with your gut.

When you do, you're usually right.:)

[cali]

you're no oracle either

And virtually every analyst out there says that ST will not be decisive, not to mention every poll out there showing he's closing in state after state. Hillary will probably come out of Tuesday with more delegates, but it won't settle it.

[JackintheGreen]

23. My gut says "No" to Hillary...

yours, "no" to Obama.

If one's gut is usually right, who wins?

[thoughtcrime1984]

38. I guess it's over because YOU said so

What's the weather going to be like in Eau Claire, WI on May 21st?

[dannofoot]

7. Did you watch the last debate?

During the second half, when they were seated, Obama was at his best...natural, conversational, and without any notes. He had no problem putting forth his policies and where he differed with Edwards and Clinton.

I've seen him speak to a small crowd before, stumping for other candidates in Illinois...he never stumbled once.

[LSparkle]

10. I see Obama as a serious, professorial type

Maybe not as slick on his feet but when he has the chance to prepare (as he does for his speeches) and isn't just speaking off the cuff, he expresses himself very well. The fact he uses note cards doesn't bother me -- better for him to get his point across correctly than to "wing it" and put his foot in his mouth. He isn't a soundbite candidate, true, but after 8 years of listening to a president who cann't speak in compound sentences (and uses few words over 3 syllables), I'm willing to be patient and let Obama express himself in his own time.

[sandnsea]

11. You're wrong

There. Now go vote for change and an America we can all believe in again.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

13. He's not the greatest debater - luckily McCain isn't too great either.

n/t

[Onlooker]

14. His campaign is superb

Given all his weaknesses, which are at least as many as Clinton's, look at how well he is doing. Not only has he erased Clinton's massive lead, he's threatening to pull ahead in places like California. He's very much like Reagan (though hopefully smarter). He's a great communicator surrounded by great handlers. He's the kind of person who the disinterested voter (who make up a huge percentage of voters) can easily like. His message is simple, his delivery inspiring, and even though he's not as affective in debates, when he's seen on the news, on talk shows, at rallies, and in commercials he's the best.

[Levgreee]

15. I believe you are wrong, he is very elequent

Hillary more often gives pre-manufactured answers/soundbites which don't directly address the question, while Obama always tries to directly address the question. It is completely normal for someone to slow down a little when they spend time thinking before/while they answer, instead of giving a rehearsed answer.


Watch some of this video of an interview with Charlie Rose, if you really are worried about his speaking abilities.

http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2006/10/19/1/an-hour-with-senator-barack-obama

[blm]

16. Last summer he was likely still refining his position papers before he posted them.

I don't find the use of notes unusual when a candidate is in the process of refining their message. Candidates continually refine their positions as they get feedback, positive or negative, from the public they speak with on that long campaign road.

After candidates drop out, you'll see parts of their messages adopted by the eventual nominee - and isn't that something we should applaud?

[BlackVelvet04]

17. Go with your gut...

I've found that I only regret that when I don't.

[Tom Rinaldo]

18. Get a comfortable chair and watch toniight's debate

With it just being Clinton and Obama, no one will make it through this debate on script alone.

[REDFISHBLUEFISH]

19. Hillary is a much more knowledgable candidate.

Obama is a great speaker, but tonites debate if it goes clean...Will show Hillarys greatest strength...KNOWLEDGE and a long history of hard work.

[rodeodance]

34. Hillary knows the issues--she knows the details. I trust her.

[glowing]

20. Personally, I think Hillary can run circles around Obama (as far

as being able to understand and think).. They're both DLC candidates.. so who knows.. I'm thinking Hillary.. She's had a lot of people who she's had to bend over for and a lot of personal "stuff" that was displayed... She may get there and say fuck ya'll...

2 issues she's been strong on are healthcare and children (education, care... that whole "village" thing). If we have educated people, we have the chance in the future for people like John and Dennis to trounce in the elections...

Obama is just too "Hopeful".. I know he's diff... but his advisors are not and they are not needed in the White House around another stuttering fool... and yes, Obama stutters unless he's reading a script... I don't think that speaks of a great leader with the brains and knowledge to do what we need him to do.

[Jane Austin]

43. Can you show me how Obama is a "DLC candidate"?

There are studies that show him to the left of Kucinich.

[BigDDem]

22. You're not wrong.

[elizm]

27. Link to video please. nt

[TwilightGardener]

24. If having notecards disturbs you, oh well...I would just assume that

maybe there was some statistics or quotes or something that he wanted to specifically remember, but that's just me. And I think he does quite well in debates--according to polls, he usually wins them--pundits sometimes give him a win too. So, if he's not the guy for you, that's the way it goes.

[frazzled]

25. You're wrong

I don't know which Obama you saw, but I was in the breakout session room with him at Yearly Kos last summer, probably around the time you saw him, and he held forth for a full hour with not a single note card. There were several hundred people in the room to testify to this.

Are you making this up?

[Big Blue Marble]

26. He was the President of the Harvard Law Review

He graduated from Harvard Law School Summa Cum Laude. He is a United States Senator.

It is not fair to call him Reaganesque because he uses note cards.

He is more than a brilliant orator; he has a brilliant mind. You will not graduate from
Harvard Law School Summa Cum Laude without an extremely brilliant mind.

Edited to add: I saw him in the summer with a small group of about three hundred.
He spoke without either note cards or teleprompters. He was superb.

[Dogmudgeon]

29. Absolutely amazing

When I ask someone about all these lies Hillary is supposed to tell, they can't cite a single one, but they are sure she is a liar.

But when you relate a story about Obama that you witnessed, they scream that you're a liar, too. They demand evidence ... proof.

I've concluded that Liar = "People who won't tell me what I want to hear" and Evidence = "What I read online".

--p!

[Tweed]

36. Sorry

My evidence comes from first-hand eye-witness accounts dating back to 2003 before the big spotlight was even on him or he had big time speech writers. I'm wondering what the context was. Did he use notecards for people's names at the beginning? This isn't uncommon and I could see that happening. The idea that he would use notecards to help him make political points is at least WAY out of character.

[Dogmudgeon]

49. I don't hold the notecard thing against him

I was commenting on the nature of the criticism of Hillary. There is a persistent trope (usually called a "meme") that she is an inveterate liar when, in fact, she is not. It's an easy accusation to make and it doesn't stand up to scrutiny. There are plenty of points to criticize her on; why go for malicious gossip?

I consistently defend Hillary, but if you check my journal, I seldom, if ever, directly criticize Obama per se. What criticisms I do make are made in good faith and as a wonk, not as a combatant. Like Hillary, I think Obama is a remarkable statesman. We have the best problem imaginable -- two of the most amazing politicians in American history competing for the nomination. We are our history. And our champions are worth all of our best "fussin' an' feudin'" -- but not gossip.

--p!

[Tweed]

30. Shenanigans!

I saw Obama in 2003 (that's right 2003!) when he was not even well known in the Illinois Senate race let alone nationally. In fact, he was on a policy panel with five other guys in an auditorium that could seat 1,000 but had at most 100 people on that night (how times have changed). Even being on a panel of six, he stood out with an eloquence and honesty that immediately put into my mind "This is who I support in the Democratic Senate primary".

I have seen him many many times in many many different forums (TV interviews, debates, speeches, etc.). I have NEVER seen him use note cards. I don't mean to doubt your story, but the only way I could see this as being true is if he had to make sure he got someone's name correct that he had never met before.

[leftofthedial]

31. maybe if we donate enough

he can buy one of king george's used earbugs

[_Wayne_]

32. you're guessing he will win the nomination?? Have you seen the polls? Or the voting results?

[rodeodance]

33. I do not trust him.

[magatte]

37. And for full disclosure, you stump for Hillary....

So start pushing HER credentials, rather than trying your hand at character assassination.

[TexasObserver]

39. The cards usually contain info germane to that audience.

Anyone who has done advance work in a campaign has put together those cards.

The candidate has to know where he is, who his host is, who the key persons are, and what the issues are they want addressed.

Obama is a great speaker. I've watched him speak on video many times when he was clear, on message and dynamic without any sign of notes or teleprompter. As public speaking goes, he is far superior to Senator Clinton, who is not a good public speaker. I would compare her to Romney in that regard. She's on message, she says what she intended to say, but everything comes out rehearsed and lacking vitality.

[joeybee12]

40. Apparently people like his speeches (I dont) but they are all

about generalities, etc. He rarely talks about specifics, because I believe he does not have a firm grasp on the issues...and the times he's come out with proposals, like healthcare, really tells me he;s coming out with things just because he feels he needs to...not that they're well-thought out. My two cents.

[candice]

42. "Brilliant actor"? He's taken some public-speaking lessons as I'm

sure all of the candidates have. I'm getting a strong feeling of "empty suit" from him, which wouldn't be all that bad if we just needed an average President. After eight years of Bu$h and Co. (all hat and no cattle), this country needs a lot more. I was primed to be for Bama but the empty speeches and lack of charisma didn't wow me. Give me someone who can answer questions from the audience any day.


http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23140008-7583,00.html

"Obama's main claim to fame is that he's a compelling speech-maker. Yet unlike the rhetoric of a Kennedy or King, Obama's rhetoric seems aimless. He calls for hope, for change. Fine, but hope to do what, to change to what? He hasn't said yet. He doesn't seem to know. Shorn of purpose, his rhetoric seems increasingly an exercise in technique and style, "sound and fury, signifying nothing". He says that one of the high qualities of leadership is the ability to inspire by words, and he is right. It's a rare ability. But inspire to what end?"

[BooScout]

45. He is nothing but scripted.....

By Sorenson. Does that name ring a bell?

[drmom]

47. Thanks for all the thoughtful responses

I haven't spent much time on DU during this election cycle thus far, as I know that people have very strong feelings, and it's really hard to find objective views. I've been getting most of my political news from Olbermann and Air America. But, I do appreciate hearing people's thoughts on this. I know that Obama is a very smart man, but I'm glad to hear that he has shown the ability to speak without using prompts. I know it's a small thing, but it was a just a red flag for me.

All of my friend who support him mention first and foremost that he is a great orator. To me, a great orator is someone who can step into any situation and find the words to bring people together. Someone who can do the same with other people's words is more accurately a great actor. As some of you said, even if the great orator label is accurate, how important is that in a president? (I'm certainly not saying that it's not important in a leader, but still figuring out how much weight it has.)

I was also interested in those who thought that the assumption that Obama will get the nomination was far fetched. Maybe that's just the opinion I get from the MSM. He really seems to be the 'Golden One' this week, and I'm sure that kind of momentum cannot hurt.

Again, thanks for your views. I will be watching the debate tonight with great interest!

[elizm]

48. Watching the debate...not seeing any NOTECARDS. And you?? nt