Our Discourse Has Come To This

[babylonsister]

Words fail...


http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024301.php

OUR DISCOURSE HAS COME TO THIS.... This morning, the lead story on CNN.com -- the main, center-of-the-page feature piece -- was this bizarre item. (thanks to reader V.S.)

President Obama's speech on the gulf oil disaster may have gone over the heads of many in his audience, according to an analysis of the 18-minute talk released Wednesday.

Tuesday night's speech from the Oval Office of the White House was written to a 9.8 grade level, said Paul J.J. Payack, president of Global Language Monitor. The Austin, Texas-based company analyzes and catalogues trends in word usage and word choice and their impact on culture.

Though the president used slightly less than four sentences per paragraph, his 19.8 words per sentence "added some difficulty for his target audience," Payack said.

So, let me get this straight. The lead CNN.com story this morning was a piece quoting an alleged expert, complaining that the president spoke to the country at nearly a 10th-grade level. Obama, apparently, should have dumbed it down for us.

I realize the Oval Office address had more than its share of detractors, but this is really a question separate from the substantive content. The complaint here is that our discourse has reached a point at which the president will be criticized for not talking down more to the public.

The expert CNN relied on said some of Obama's longer sentences used "the type of phraseology that makes you (appear) aloof and out of touch." He recommended that the president be "more ordinary" in his choice of words.

Sigh.

One of the things I've always liked about Obama is that, as a rule, he treats the public like adults. During the campaign, when he talked about changing the nature of politics, one of the underlying points was about the way in which leaders would communicate with the electorate.

Apparently, communicating at a 10th-grade level will draw rebukes. Our political discourse is just that bad.

Postscript: I'd just add, by the way, that the CNN story reminded me of a scene from "The Simpsons."

Dr. Hibbert: Homer, I'm afraid you'll have to undergo a coronary bypass operation.

Homer: Say it in English, Doc!

Dr. Hibbert: You're going to need open-heart surgery.

Homer: Spare me your medical mumbo jumbo!

Dr. Hibbert: We're going to cut you open and tinker with your ticker.

Homer: Could you dumb it down a shade?

—Steve Benen

[BeFree]

1. Well

At least he didn't tell us he was doing all this for the 'small people'.

[vaberella]

2. Obama can't win. He should have known that on average we can't understand 10th grade English.

For fuck's sake. HATERS. This is just more and more and more proof that people HATE Obama. This is not mere dislike, this is not issues of policy or problems with decision making. There are people hell bent on marginalizing and attacking this man on all fronts.

[Captain Hilts]

3. FDR did the same thing. Eleanor Roosevelt's column was deliberately written

so that folks who did not have much schooling or for whom English was not their native language could understand it.

Most people's reading ability does not progress beyond the 8th grade because that's all most folks need.

It's fairly new to speak in a more complicated way in a major speech. GHWBush and Bill Clinton often did so. So does the president, but it's standard to make things more simple and not necessarily a sign of a decline of intelligence.

My pal, Steve, is wrong on this one.

[babylonsister]

6. And I like 'my pal Steve's' contention that I appreciate the fact

the President treats us as adults and speaks accordingly. I think Benen is just pointing out that, in the scheme of things, THIS is what cnn found to critique? Pretty weak tea.

[Captain Hilts]

8. Yes, I agree with that, too. I'm just noting that it's been standard for a long time

for presidents to speak more simply in major speeches. It's not indicative of a trend that we're getting dumber.

Just as - for some unknown reason - when delivering a lecture to an auditorium you have to speak more slowly than to a classroom of 20 even though the content is the same.

And, yes, I do actually know Steve. His mom works for Donna Shalala at UMiami. How cool is that?

[JitterbugPerfume]

7. as much as I love the way Obama speaks,

I think you are right Captain Hilts.

we are a dumbed down Nation , and worse off for it.

[Captain Hilts]

9. Speeches have been dumbed down for a long time.

I tend to like it when they are not dumbed down.

But think about it - FDR told people to go out and get maps before a major speech - because he assumed folks would not know where things in the Pacific and Atlantic were.

[azmouse]

4. How the hell does the RW understand the Constitution

if they are having trouble with Obama's speeches?
Lots of big words there...


We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

[Captain Hilts]

11. They don't understand it. nt

[sandnsea]

5. "aloof" The word should be quite familiar

That's what they use to destroy Democrats, Gore, Kerry.

I like that he pulled Homer out. Remember Homer is the favorite television character in a recent survey. Remember Atticus Finch used to be. Yeah, I think it's like that.

[Captain Hilts]

10. That VERY true. It's a rap against Democratic presidents and candidates.

And, sometimes, they're right: talking to voters as if they were adults was the downfall of Dukakis.

[politicasista]

17. Bingo

Still amazing that some (not all) of President Obama's supporters (and I am one) can not figure that out. Guess they were old supporters of other candidates who won't let 2000 or 2004 go. :shrug:

[sandnsea]

18. People are too stupid to understand Obama

But they're smart enough to understand when the media uses words like "aloof" to describe Democrats.

Uh-huh. That makes perfect sense. :crazy:

Some people won't let go of something, may or may not be a 2004 election. Might be one that was a lot more recent than that.

[politicasista]

20. May be

Well said.

[TheKentuckian]

12. and??? You can't even drop out till 16. 10th grade level should be comfortable

for almost anyone.

I guess I'm an "elitist" for thinking people should have a sub-high school graduate vocabulary when we have mandatory education to that level.

Maybe I'm not capable of relating since I have no memory of learning to read and was probably at the aimed for level by the time I was in 1st grade.

The speech left much to be desired but it never would occur to me that anyone that wasn't a young child would be unable to understand every line and the overall context.

God help us, we're fucked as our people can't possibly even be explained most issues.

[old mark]

13. OK, 16, but if you spend 3 or 4 years in 6th grade, it can be done...

I am another one that came to kindergarten reading real books, as is my wife. We find Obama's speeches among the few interesting things on TV...we NEVER watched even one of W's speeches ever...he was an embarassment and actually made us sick to realise he was the US president.
We ignored him as much as possible for 8 years.

mark

[Empowerer]

14. I am SO sick of the President treating us like we're not idiots!

:sarcasm:

[Tarheel_Dem]

15. ...

:spray: YOU OWE ME A NEW KEYBOARD!

[Cha]

16. And who does their big share of dumbing down Americans?..

The US corporatemediawhores..that's who.

I have no trouble understanding the President.

[treestar]

19. Maybe the pundits can take some of the blame

But in the end, if the people are that dumb, we are in big trouble.