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LAT Columnist: Obama's Too Smart to Speak Clearly, or Something

By Lachlan Markay | May 26, 2011 | 12:05

A  A

Liberals are quite fond of chalking up President Obama's shortcomings to his near-inhuman intelligence. His repeated failures to offer policies that are both popular and successful are routinely written off as failures in "messaging." Honestly presented, that translates roughly to "too smart for the rubes he governs."

But now Obama isn't just too smart for the country, he's apparently too smart for…himself! He is so intelligent, in fact, that he has developed a stutter. Sorry, an "intellectual stammer," as Los Angeles Times columnist Meghan Daum dubbed it. Our president's mind moves too fast for his tongue.

It's not that Obama can't speak clearly. It's that he employs the intellectual stammer. Not to be confused with a stutter, which the president decidedly does not have, the intellectual stammer signals a brain that is moving so fast that the mouth can't keep up. The stammer is commonly found among university professors, characters in Woody Allen movies and public thinkers of the sort that might appear on C-SPAN but not CNN…

So Obama has trouble communicating because he's just too darned intelligent. Sarah Palin, on the other hand, has trouble communicating, by this same columnist's account, due to her mind-bending stupidity.

Palin lacks the intellectual, analytical and rhetorical skills to have a competent discussion about policy or much else. She is handicapped not only by a lack of education, experience and curiosity about the world (wearing a Star of David in Israel doesn't count), but by a speaking style that often collapses under the weight of disjointed, undiagrammable sentences.

Got it? Palin is so uneducated that she can't speak clearly, while Obama is so supremely educated that he can't speak clearly.

That sort of cognitive dissonance has pervaded coverage of Obama's routine gaffes and verbal flubs (57 states, corpse-men, May 24, 2008, etc.). Ed Morrissey's Obamateurisms provide a nice counterweight to Slate's Bushisms, but inevitably the media types forced to report on the former find some means of explaining it all away.

That Obama is just too darned smart, though? That's a new one on me.

About the Author

Lachlan Markay is an associate with Dialog New Media. Click here to follow Lachlan Markay on Twitter.
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Comments

He intellectually stammers when he writes, too. "2008?"

Submitted by SickofLibs on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 12:13pm.

.

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We have a winner!

Submitted by CarlosS on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 12:33pm.

And when he intellectually stammers champagne toasts to the Queen enough that the orchestra thinks he's done and starts playing the music!

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Too smart, really?

Submitted by hbnolikeee on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 12:17pm.

And his GPA is what? I yes, his academic records are locked. But, you know what, the reason you're incapable of communicating is irrelevant unless you can fix it. Being that you can't, we have yet another reason (he can't communicate) to get this "Genius" out of the White House.

Can anyone suggest why a mute president would be a good thing?

hbnolikeee
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to paraphrase the Jason McCullough character

Submitted by Agnostic on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 12:27pm.

-I've been around him for nearly 2 years and I haven't seen him do one thing that I would consider bright yet.

James Garner - Support Your Local Sheriff

. . Socialist = Modern Liberal = Parasitoid
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Twisted Logic

Submitted by iveseenitall on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 12:30pm.

Obama makes mistakes because of his super intelligence? Huh? The media throw around the word "brilliant" and "genius" for anyone they please. To me, genius is reflected best in I.Q. Like Clinton, another "genius", Barry's I.Q. is not widely reported ( if at all). I've known a rare few geniuses over the years and their I.Q.'s were 170 or better. Moreover, the were truly well-educated and never made grammatical errors. They demonstrated their knowledge almost casually every day. They were also quite humble and aware that they never needed anyone to praise them, as their genius was obvious to all. And after the first grade, they would never have said "corpse-men" or used an "a" where an "an" should be. Obama is not well -educated, and he's most certainly not "brilliant". In fact, he's just the opposite. [ Never, Never trust a "liberal" (progressive)]

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So that's it!

Submitted by StarAZ on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 12:38pm.

Prime Minister Cameron just cited his "orotund banalities," but it was a stammer?

 

 

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At least

Submitted by StarAZ on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 12:39pm.

At least I know what year this is.

 

 

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Good point, iveseenitall

Submitted by UltraC on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 1:57pm.

Obama does seem to have something to prove with regards to his intelligence. You usually see that in very insecure people.

Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.  -- Ronald Wilson Reagan
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Don't forget, Michael

Submitted by motherbelt on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 2:46pm.

Don't forget, Michael Beschloss decrees that Obama's IQ is "off the charts." And even HE doesn't know what it is, but he's certain the guy is brilliant.

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Yeah, and Reagan was so dumb

Submitted by killa37 on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 12:42pm.

Yeah, and Reagan was so dumb that he could communicate very clearly and articulatly...........and not bore you into a coma either!!!

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He's so smart....

Submitted by almostacowboy on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 12:47pm.

..that his brain can't keep up with his brain?

This from Nov, 2008 "Imus in the Morning" show:

Historian Michael Beschloss: Yeah. Even aside from the fact of electing the first African American President and whatever one’s partisan views this is a guy whose IQ is off the charts — I mean you cannot say that he is anything but a very serious and capable leader and — you know — You and I have talked about this for years …

Imus: Well. What is his IQ?

Historian Michael Beschloss: … our system doesn’t allow those people to become President, those people meaning people THAT smart and THAT capable

Imus: What is his IQ?

Historian Michael Beschloss: Pardon?

Imus: What is his IQ?

Historian Michael Beschloss: Uh. I would say it’s probably – he’s probably the smartest guy ever to become President.

Apparently, even to presidential historians his IQ is unmeasurable. HA!

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He is so smart that he singlehandedly captured UBL oh no wait...

Submitted by gailannr on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 12:46pm.

I read this somewhere.........and I quote:

This message is from a retired Marine Colonel....
"Saepius Exertus, Semper Fidelis, Frater Infinitas"
"Often Tested, Always Faithful, Brothers Forever"
United States Marines

-
Let's be clear

"Let's be clear on this: OBAMA did NOT kill Bin Laden. An American
sailor, who Obama just a few weeks ago was debating on whether or
not to PAY him, did.

In fact, if you remember a little less than two years
ago, his administration actually charged and attempted to court
marshal 3 Navy Seals from Seal Team Six, when a terrorist suspect they
captured, complained they had punched him during the take down and
bloodied his nose.

His administration further commented how brutal
they were. The left were calling them Nazis and Baby Killers. Now all
of a sudden the very brave men they vilified, are now heroes when they
make his administration look good in the eyes of the public. Obama
just happened to be the one in office when the CIA finally found the
b...... and our sailors took him out. This is NOT an Obama victory,
but an AMERICAN victory!!

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If you believe the info

Submitted by Bruzilla on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 1:09pm.

If you believe the info slowly leaking out of the White House, Obama didn't even really give the order to kill Bin Laden. Apparently Valerie Jarrett thought demanding a ground attack would take so long to execute we would lose our chance to get him, and told Obama to take that option. They didn't know Leon Pennetta over at CIA already has a mission designed and coordinated in his back pocket, hence why Obama showed up in the situation room without a seat at the table because he had to be brought in from a golf course.

"Strange women, lying in ponds, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony." Peasant
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"Push of speech" is a symptom of bipolar disorder.

Submitted by drsamherman on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 12:51pm.

Look it up on the DSM-IV(R) criteria website.

Meghan Daum should stick to news events more to her intellectual shortcomings, like covering dog fashion shows or local access "Senior Roundup".

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Bell's Mania

Submitted by stratman on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 9:18pm.

Bell's Mania

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My way or the highway

Submitted by DontFeedTheTrolls on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 12:53pm.

Obama: blah, blah, blah, corpse men, blah, blah, blah, corpse men, blah, blah, blah, corpse men

Obama Aide: Ummm, Mr President, it's pronounced core men, not corpse men

Obama: Are you telling me I am wrong?

Obama Aide: Ummm, well, you mispronounced that . . .

Obama: I graduated Harvard, I am the President Of The United States, and you are telling me I am wrong??

Obama Aide: Ummm, sir, no disrespect, but. . . .

Obama: Do you want to keep your job?

Americans keeping their own earnings is a Civil Right! Demand your Civil Rights!
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And, to continue in

Submitted by UpNorth on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 3:43pm.

that vein

Obama: Now, join me in raising your glasses to the queen, and now

Obama Aide: Sir, after you say "to the Queen", the band plays their National Anthem

Obama: But, I wasn't done talking

Obama Aide: But sir, you're supposed to remain silent when the anthem is played, you know,  respect for their anthem?

Obama: I had NOT finished speaking!

Obama Aide: Sir, it's just courtesy.

Obama: You're fired!  Hillary, get me another protocol adviser.

To re-elect Obama would be like the Titanic backing up and hitting the iceberg again.
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inquiring minds want to know...

Submitted by Rackie on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 1:46pm.

Does cognitive dissonance hurt? Does pretzel logic cause libs feel pain or discomfort? Are libs even sentient beings?

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He's the smartest President ever...

Submitted by Thalpy on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 2:33pm.

Yeah, that's the ticket.

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Intelegent people...

Submitted by CobraMan on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 2:41pm.

Intelligent people learn to control their speech patterns at an early age.

The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution

Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court

Or Anwar al-Awlaki.

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So President Bam Bam is soooo

Submitted by celator on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 3:09pm.

So President Bam Bam is soooo smart, he's stupid?

Now I get it. Explains everything.

"This is not your mother's Democratic Party"--Andrew Breitbart, CPAC, February 2012
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amazing!

Submitted by jessieH on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 3:09pm.

What a crock! I'll bet theLAT stayed up all week, coming up with this spin! He's a hack. He gets EVERYTHING wrong. It's all backwards jibberish, every time he opens his mouth.

                                                                                                                                                                    

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Obama is not intelligent, he

Submitted by LAM SON 719 on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 3:59pm.

Obama is not intelligent, he is a lazy, shiftless stereotype who has hired a cadre of liberal morons to make decisions for him.

Non, je ne regrette rien. "You aren't angry because I might be a racist, you're angry because you know I'm right".
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Obama Is Probably Smarter Than

Submitted by Comrade Jim on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 4:27pm.

Meghan Daum and Meghan Daum is probably smarter than Daffy Duck.

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fibromyalgia too...

Submitted by dmacleo on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 4:36pm.

this is symptom many fibromyalgia afflicted people have too, now why isn't LAT bragging how smart I am?

dmacleo http://www.theconservativevoices.com
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Hmm, I've talked like this

Submitted by amyshulk on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 10:59pm.

Hmm, I've talked like this all my life "Pressured Speech" and have Fibro too - so which came 1st???

The government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
Ronald Reagan
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timing for me, ymmv...

Submitted by dmacleo on Fri, 05/27/2011 - 1:10pm.

noticed the "word on tip of tongue" and mind faster than mouth phenomenons about a yr or so before being diagnosed.

dmacleo http://www.theconservativevoices.com
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Off the Charts!

Submitted by Schofield Kid on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 5:10pm.

"this is a guy whose IQ is off the charts — I mean you cannot say that he is anything but a very serious and capable leader and — you know"

I haven't seen anything in 3 years to indicate any kind of super intelligence and he is anything but serious and capable. The dig on Bush is that he wasn't "intellectually curious" yet Obama doesn't seem to be interested in anything but the perks of the job. Education doesn't mean you necessarily have any common sense or work ethic. By all indications this man is incredibly lazy and disconnected from the actual job he's supposed to be doing.

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He is serious and capable -

Submitted by misterbee241 on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 6:10pm.

Serious about turning America into a third world banana republic and capable of doing it.

If you're not getting flak, you're not over the target.
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So what is

Submitted by misterbee241 on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 6:01pm.

Obama? A character in a Woody Allen movie?

If you're not getting flak, you're not over the target.
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the 4.0 gpa transcripts which

Submitted by pepsiman on Thu, 05/26/2011 - 9:42pm.

the 4.0 gpa transcripts which have been years in the making, are being brought to you soon by the same team that spent years re-creating an authentic birth certificate. For the love of God someone that went to school with this imposter that hasnt been paid off or threatened please come forward ....

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