Michelle Malkin » Language Expert: If You Didn’t Like Obama’s Oil Spill Speech, It’s Probably Because You’re Stupid

Language Expert: If You Didn’t Like Obama’s Oil Spill Speech, It’s Probably Because You’re Stupid

By Doug Powers • June 17, 2010 08:48 AM

**Written by guest-blogger Doug Powers

Did you see Obama’s pitch for Cap & Trade on Tuesday night… er, I mean his speech stressing the importance of plugging the hole and cleaning up the Gulf? I didn’t, because I was distracted by a funny looking oven mitt and a shiny ball bearing, but it’s a good thing I didn’t see it because I wouldn’t have understood Obama’s genius anyway:

(CNN) — 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.

He singled out this sentence from Obama as unfortunate: “That is why just after the rig sank, I assembled a team of our nation’s best scientists and engineers to tackle this challenge — a team led by Dr. Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and our nation’s secretary of energy.”

“A little less professorial, less academic and more ordinary,” Payack recommended. “That’s the type of phraseology that makes you (appear) aloof and out of touch.”

Obama’s problem isn’t that people listening at an 8.5 grade level can’t understand his words and phrases — it’s that 2nd graders can understand his inactions and the government’s insane bureaucratic delays.

Lucky for Obama then that with each brilliant speech he gives, fewer and fewer of us morons are tuning in — Tuesday night’s “green energy” sales pitch included.

In order to fully comprehend an Obama speech, you must be an Obama Scholar.

**Written by guest-blogger Doug Powers

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Posted in: Barack Obama,Gulf Oil Spill

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#101

On June 17th, 2010 at 2:44 pm, Dexter Alarius said:

On June 17th, 2010 at 2:28 pm, happy2behere said:
That was beautimus, Dex.

What can I say? I’m a formerly board certified phraseologist.
#102

On June 17th, 2010 at 3:02 pm, rambler said:

Political elites need to stop insulting the public’s intelligence. BS won’t plug the hole, fix the economy or clean the environment. Actions speak louder than words regardless of how eloquent the words are!
#103

On June 17th, 2010 at 3:09 pm, spaceycakes said:

enroute to an appointment to have my uni-brow plucked.

Aw, Dexter–you missed your chance to use a better word, even:

“…enroute to an engagement with a depilatory expert in order to address an overly hirsute orbital ridge.”
#104

On June 17th, 2010 at 3:13 pm, NJ-Aviator said:

I didn’t watch it either. I had some pencils that needed sharpening and there was a lightning bug outside.
#105

On June 17th, 2010 at 3:27 pm, FlyingTigress said:

But, his noble speech did embiggen my vocabulary.
#106

On June 17th, 2010 at 6:11 pm, T-Bone said:

Jus plugg de dang holl.
#107

On June 17th, 2010 at 6:35 pm, DogBreath said:

On June 17th, 2010 at 6:11 pm, T-Bone said:
Jus plugg de dang holl.

Which one? The one in the gulf or his face?
#108

On June 18th, 2010 at 3:59 am, mattm said:

I watched about the first 3 minutes of his speech. I guess I was too dumb to understand the genius that is a HS Freshmore.
#109

On June 18th, 2010 at 11:14 am, Dexter Alarius said:

(Plug)The one in the gulf or his face?

Yes.
#110

On June 18th, 2010 at 11:15 am, Dexter Alarius said:

On June 17th, 2010 at 3:09 pm, spaceycakes said:
Aw, Dexter–you missed your chance to use a better word, even:

“…enroute to an engagement with a depilatory expert in order to address an overly hirsute orbital ridge.”

Wow! I’m humbled. You rock!
#111

On June 18th, 2010 at 1:29 pm, Mark said:

A real language expert disagrees:

Obama Dumbing Down Speeches. Content is aloof, and arrogant
#112

On June 20th, 2010 at 11:09 am, Jimmie said:

he He doesn’t so much give a speech as read a statement, a statement that is not open to question. A good or great speaker uses a teleprompter as one would notes…stack of 3 x 5 cards as a reference or reminders. And then Speak openly. Obama has to read word for word, making it sound boring. He cannot take questions. As an example, some one might have asked… “who are some of these world wide experts you assembled and where did they assemble?” His lips would start quivering and he would stammer and not be able to answer…hence no more questions. Only a Harvard snoot would take pleasure in claiming his audience is to dumb to understand his $2. Words…..A Harvard snoot that is ashamed of his record and grades?…..
#113

On June 20th, 2010 at 7:40 pm, Tazed and Confused said:

Stupid? Look to the White House.

Chance the Gardener can read from a teleprompter. So what. Obama is a puppet of the left reading whatever feed passes before him with feigned emotion. Not really different than the newscasters on the evening news.

If BO went “off-script” there’s no telling where that vacuous mind would land. All words, no substance.