Posted by
CUBFAN on Wednesday, July 23, 2008 9:00:00 PM
Why, the gift of gab, of course! The latest drivel from the Associated Press sums it up for us:
If the presidential election were decided by speeches alone, it would be over already.
Barack Obama soars, John McCain struggles. Obama beams, McCain grins at the wrong time.
Obama looks off into a heavenly distance and then right at YOU.
McCain pivots his head in three positions - left, center, right, center, left, center, right. He may be speaking to "my friends" but he is looking, quite obviously, at a projected script.
Both use a teleprompter, but you can only tell with one of them.
When McCain is on stage making a big speech, you can imagine yourself in his shoes, as if you're in a panicky dream that traps you some place you don't belong, with all those eyes on you.
His discomfort makes him authentic and that's one reason it's not game over.
After eight years of the sentence-mangling George W. Bush, eight years of the windy Bill Clinton, four years of the squeaky George H.W. Bush, it's been some time since Americans have had a compelling orator in the White House or even running for the job.
In case you have not noticed, the Obama campaign has committed a major blunder with his recent public appearances: The Fat Lady has not been present in the backdrop of his speeches--she's been dissed in favor of more photogenic fare. Now, if she's going to warm up to Obama and sing his praises in her aria ("It's Over!") then he needs to brush up on his non-scripted offerings.
Here is the "soaring" rhetoric of Barack Obama from just this past week:
"The political dynamic was the driving force between that sectarian violence. And we could try to keep a lid on it, but if these underlining dynamics continued to bubble up and explode the way they were, then we would be in a difficult situation. I am glad that, in fact, those political dynamic shifted at the same time that our troops did outstanding work."
(How...dynamic!)
“The objective of this trip was to have substantive discussions with people like President Karzai or Prime Minister Maliki... or others who I expect to be dealing with over the next eight to ten years.”
("Ten years"? Is this the new math talking or is Obama already contemplating a new amendment to replace the 22nd Amendment?)
“Throughout our history, America’s confronted constantly evolving danger, from the oppression of an empire, to the lawlessness of the frontier, from the bomb that fell on Pearl Harbor, to the threat of nuclear annihilation. Americans have adapted to the threats posed by an ever-changing world.”
(Japan had "the bomb" in 1941? Who knew?!)
“Let me be absolutely clear. Israel is a strong friend of Israel’s.”
(Clear as mud.)
Forget George W. Bush, this mangled syntax would make Yogi Berra proud!
To quote another astute political observer: "That's all I can stands 'cause I can't stands no more..."