After watching Barack on "Countdown" tonight, I think it's time for him to edit down his responses

[hisownpetard]

to fewer words and just answer in a more direct fashion. I am a totally devoted Obama supporter, and yet I could
hardly bear to listen to his l-o-n-g drawn out answers when a simple few words would do.

Keith asked him very pointedly why no one (except KO) seems willing to come right out and call a lie a lie, when it's obvious and
a matter of record that they are spouting these falsehoods and a lot of people are buying into it!

Barack could have acknowledged the truth of that statement, which would have been very satisfying to many of us who are frustrated
as hell after hearing McCain/Palin issue an endless litany of lies without any fear of contradiction or consequence.

I'm frustrated and wondering if there is any point at which Barack will find it acceptable to express anger at the way the Republicans
are trampling the truth.

I think he should, and the sooner the better.

Am I wrong about this?

[Larkspur]

1. "Brevity is the soul of wit"

so said Shakespeare. I agree with you. Obama needs to drop the professor role and put on the prize fighter role.

[hisownpetard]

2. Yes, exactly. At this point, I think he can just tell people the time without explaining

how the watch was made.

[elkston]

12. He's not playing a "role". I think its how he is naturally and he's trying to fix it.

Have some patience.

[hisownpetard]

18. I have all the patience in the world, and I love the guy. I'm worried, though, that voters who have

not yet made up their minds will not have the patience to sit through these wordy answers.

And if there's anywhere he could have comfortably been more direct, it would have been with Keith.

[FatDave]

48. I don't think those voters are watching Countdown though.

He seems to adjust to the audience.

[formernaderite]

70. Personally I love his wordy answers but

I'm interested. My personal peeve is the amount of "uhs" he utters. It also drives my wife crazy.
And the electorate just wants the facts...during the debates he's got to tighten his responses.

[immoderate]

74. He needs an "Uhm" counter.

I do technical training. In our training sessions, one of the participants is designated the "uhm counter." Getting feedback helps overcome those tendencies.

I agree. At least, to me, they really stand out.

--IMM

[WinkyDink]

86. Why I cannot bear Brian Williams.

[still_one]

3. Contact his campaign through email. I don't know if they will actually read it

but they have always acknowledged receipt of my comments to them

You have nothing to lose

[hisownpetard]

7. I will. Thanks for the suggestion.

[still_one]

11. Here is a link to the comment area.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/contact2

[BlueIdaho]

14. Done

[hisownpetard]

23. Thanks, s_o. Done.

[bdamomma]

66. thanks for that.

I just fired off a e-mail.

[Voice for Peace]

26. add my agreement... he needs to simplify

[Unsane]

4. Sometimes he sounds more like a Supreme Court justice than a presidential candidate.

[goodgd_yall]

6. Funny you should say that

I have a friend that says he should be a Supreme Court judge. She really thinks that's where his talents would be best put to use.

[elkston]

8. Is she going to vote for him, though ? :) (eom)

[goodgd_yall]

85. Oh, yes!

I think she's a little worried about his campaigning and in the discussion of that she noted how she thinks he's cut out to be a Supreme Court judge.

[Unsane]

9. He has the mental faculties for it.

[MadMaddie]

27. Yea he does. But at this time in American history we need

someone in the WH that has the mental faculties to push the country in the right direction.

[bdamomma]

67. cause we have had no mental faculties in the WH

should we be dumbed down?

[knixphan]

92. seconded.

Trickle-down progress - we'll get to the SCOTUS in a sec.

[ClayZ]

29. I think he is a teacher! He will be a GREAT President!

[amborin]

34. to get there,

he must NOT come across as a pointy headed prof to the masses

[babylonsister]

41. Maybe because he's a constitutional lawyer? That makes sense, but

I want a president with those smarts.

[goodgd_yall]

84. I agree. I think he'll make a great president. n/t

[hisownpetard]

19. He is supremely suited for that job! (However, we need him to President, STAT).

[WA98070]

5. Keep it simple, our lives are too complex to have to think about serious stuff.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

10. You're right about this.

I'm too tired for a well thought out post, but I was disappointed in how *nice* he was and how repetitive his answers were. It was refreshing to hear Keith actually use the term "lie." And while I don't expect Obama to come out and call them liars, I expect him to be much more passionate in his condemnation of them. I was more fired up watching Keith and his "pray away the gay" segment than I was watching Obama.

[hisownpetard]

22. And you're right, too. It feels like it's getting old. (Obama was tired, though. I noticed his

right cheek twitched a couple times, near his eye, which is usually a sign of fatigue).

[truedelphi]

44. I just watched the video posted here on DU re: Leader in the House

Representative Hoyer.

And boy is he sharp. I wish someone would sit Obama down and give him the talking points Hoyer has assembled.

One great talking point: Moynihan used to say that everyone is entitled to their own opinion but no one is entitled to their own facts.

[writes3000]

13. The first sentence in an answer is the most important.

Usually Barack wants to clarify or frame his response first.

I hope for the debates he makes sure that his first sentence is always strong and to the point. The subtlety can come after. Just my two cents.

[hisownpetard]

24. Yup. I agree.

:hi:

[lutefisk]

45. Excellent suggestion. You succinctly described what he does and needs to do...n/t

:thumbsup:

[Azathoth]

15. It's the Kerry Syndrome n/t

[hisownpetard]

17. That's what I'm petrified of!

[babylonsister]

43. Lessons have been learned. You haven't noticed? And it's now a

whole different ballgame, with different players.

And FTR, bite me. I loved and love Kerry. He's a true patriot and a fine statesman. Our country needs men like John Kerry, and I will never disparage him.

[politicasista]

87. Thank you. I would never do that either like some here still do n/t

[bdamomma]

68. but Obama is not Kerry.

isn't anyone tired of the stupidness and ignorance of what we had in the WH in the last 8 years, all that stupidity from Bush, and now when we get someone who is articulate and professional we want them to dumb it down?

[hisownpetard]

76. No, we don't want him to dumb it down. We want him to get right into the Olympic event

without having to watch the opening ceremonies.

[madmusic]

16. Agreed, he thinks too much and is too careful

Which makes his replies too long.

I noticed that too. Even when Olbermann asked why not good soundbites, his answer was paragraphs.

[hisownpetard]

20. I think this style has served him well until now, but bringing Sarah Palin onto the Repug ticket

has changed everything because it has re-energized their party. They were doing a slow death,
like a balloon losing oxygen, until she came along. So the response to her was over-the-top, from
Repugs who were so grateful to find out they were, much to their own disbelief, still alive.
It hardly matters one whit that she is a stark, raving lunatic. Right now, all they care about
is that she has a nice smile and great eyeglasses.

So I think, by contrast, the Democrats now seems kind of dull(!).
Barack needs to shake things up, somehow. So I think changing his style of attack
would be right on target, right now!

[bdamomma]

69. shows you how shallow the repigs are, and how shallow

their followers are.

[tuvor]

31. And when he's not "too careful," he STILL gets pounced on!

"My muslim faith," anyone?

I think it's about time we started screaming that McCain needs to start giving some thoughtful, long answers.

[TexasObserver]

21. Yes, he has to learn how to answer questions more directly.

Give the answer, THEN explain it. Instead, he tends to start talking and meander his way toward his answer, which is often too many words removed from the question.

When someone asks you what time it is, you don't start by telling them the history of time keeping.

[kurth_]

25. And Biden too!

If it can be said in one sentence, don't use one paragraph. And don't use 15 minutes to say it.

[tuvor]

28. People who need it dumbed down aren't going to watch interviews in the first place.

That's what the TV ads are for.

FWIW, I enjoyed listening to him expound. Beats the hell out of MY country's sorry lot of choices this October.

[amborin]

37. not so

he's given plenty of speeches, including recently, where he's droned on and on and lost the audience without making the crucial points

[tuvor]

39. I thought we were talking about interviews, not speeches.

[hisownpetard]

79. There's a difference between "dumbing down" and just giving more direct answers that are

shorter and to the point.

[babylonsister]

30. Yes, you are wrong. I love Obama for the smart man he is; he

kept his answers short enough. I do NOT want a nimrod for the next president. I'm too well-versed on the past 8 years to ever fathom that.

Senator Obama, elevate your fans, and keep on keeping on!

[hisownpetard]

77. I'm in no way suggesting that Obama "dumb it down." On the contrary, I am thrilled

at the prospect of having a man of his intelligence at our helm. At long last.

When he gives speeches, when he has the debates - yes, he can take as much time as he likes to answer,
in depth and at length. Wonderful to listen to him and to hear the details of how he plans to accomplish
the improvements to our shaky world.

I'm just saying that last night, in that interview with Keith, the questions were well devised and set up for him to
answer directly. Keith even mentioned one of the highlights of Obama's election speech as being when he forcefully
uttered the simple word, "Enough!" That's the sort of thing Keith seemed to be looking for, but Obama gave the long
version instead of a quick, crisp answer.

[politicasista]

93. Good point n/t

[amborin]

32. yes, more brevity and more pointed n/t

[bridgit]

33. I've been suggesting this for months, we love the pretty words they're so elegant up against...

the gobbledygook that falls out of bush's mouth, the pissy meanness that spews out of Cheney's, and the endless war that dribbles & dodders out of McCain's. But it's frustrating when the opposition understands the mean attention span of the American voter better than Madison Ave.

The grunt of close quarter is upon us in earnest. The Gordian Knot approaches with *it's* singular peculiarities. It's past time to start piercing some veils. It's time to get busier; a process more surgically precise. The better to circumvent then extricate this republican malady, and flick it into waste marked: Bio Hazard!

[smiley_glad_hands]

35. I expect him to scuffle it up a bit, but I'd rather him not get his hands "dirty".

Not at a loss though. I'm no campaign expert either though.

[Mimosa]

36. You're not wrong, hisownpetard

Americans in general have short attention spans. My own faults are identical to Obama's. I understand.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

38. No shit

I agree.

Too much happy talk for me. Sorry.

[pnorman]

40. Is this the KO interview under discussion?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26612909/

Frankly, I LIKE it, and think it's pitch-perfect for that sort of venue!

pnorman

[choie]

42. So you want his campaign to call a lie a lie. How's this?

Enjoy...

New Ad: "I approved of this message"

[Divine Discontent]

59. EXCELLENT NEW AD! one of the best yet! needs to air in Ohio, FL, VA, CO, NV & MI for a week! eom

[hisownpetard]

78. That's excellent! Thanks for posting.

[babylonsister]

46. Dumb it down? Did you listen to Keith and Rachel? Don't

dismiss the best thing about this man. He is thoughtful, and he has a plan. And he's accomplished so much by being where he is now. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt; try that.

[hisownpetard]

81. There's a difference between "dumbing down" and just giving more direct answers that are

direct and to the point, in an interview setting.

His speeches and debate answers? Perfect. Don't change a thing.
I'm just saying that in this type of format, it seemed a little heavy.

[budkin]

47. Keith nailed it when he said people want more "ENOUGH!"

[pangaea]

49. try this...

They want you to put "country First", and I want you to put "families first"

wars and high gas prices is what they offer you
education and healthcare is what we offer you

it's that simple folks.

[grasswire]

50. I totally agree.

He needs training. Really.

[Raine]

51. I agree, he is just too wordy

I was trying hard but my mind just kept drifting off and I'm a supporter! Obama needs to be concise and cut to the chase.

[Why Syzygy]

52. I don't know. But has he ever lost an election?

Who here has ever won one?

[Raine]

53. Yes he lost when he ran for State Senate. nt

[woolldog]

55. No. He lost when he ran for a house seat in Congress.

But yeah I agree with you. His answers are way too wordy and meandering.

[Raine]

61. Ops ... THANKS for the correction. nt

[scardycat]

54. I agree....

Senator Obama has to talk like he is explaining it to a 10 yr old. Short answers with small words. Alot of people dont understand his long explanations. And I am one of them. BTW, I will vote for Senator Obama no matter what.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

56. Joe Biden on MTP was as smooth as silk. Obabma seemed to consider every single word before he got it

out, almost as if he was afraid he would give the wrong reply.

I was also disappointed that he skirted the word lie.

[weeve]

57. Ab-so-LUTE-ly !!

We all agree that WE appreciate well-reasoned thoughtful answers by a Presidential candidate.
But we're not talking about US (DU) , dammit !!

We're talking about those short-attentioned-spanned Swing Voters, who will likely decide this election. Be Professorial after ... IF ... you win the election, Obama ! Now you suddenly need to dumb it down ... PALIN-ize yourself. ( God, I hated typing that. )

Sound Bites 101 ... we know you can ace this course. It's crucial that you DO ! And quick.


And speaking of wasting time DEMOCRAT-style ...

Where the hell is AL GORE fighting Palin's unbelievably bad environmental record/views ?!?

We need him front and center NOW !!


Where the hell is HILLARY warning women (and everyone else) that the Supreme Court is about to go 8-1 conservative for decades to come ?!?

Every freakin' day wasted is a DAY LOST, dammit !!


The Corporate Media is moving the Republican ball up the field each and every day. They announce these "polls" , change the dynamic, and then get it close enough to steal in November.

These days are CRUCIAL.

Now. Tomorrow.


Let's not wring our hands ... let's start getting down and dirty. We know their playbook. They've got the media ... we've got the power of our imagination. We're smarter than they are, yet they're more willing to fight. Let's stop complaining and being "sensible" , and start doing what we need to do. Since this is supposedly a "bottom up" movement, let's make sure the (great) man at the top of the ticket hears from us. Now is not the time to roll over, be smart and sensible, or intellectualize things.

NOW is the time to fight ... and WIN !

[hisownpetard]

88. Great post. Thanks!

:hi:

[PatSeg]

58. Glad to hear that I'm not alone

I kept zoning out when he was talking. He gives great speeches and he's wonderful on the stump, but his interviews need some work.

[quantass]

60. I hope he or his campaign reads this thread.

[Awsi Dooger]

62. Agreed, and it's one of the reasons he struggles in debates

Obama always pauses and then tries to cover every aspect of a topic. There are virtually zero memorable sound bites in his debate responses.

His convention speech had some stern and clever bursts of brevity. Those need to be a staple.

BTW, on this topic, just think if Kerry had rambled per norm on his infamous "voted for it before I voted against it" line. How was that possible, a simple sentence? It always amazed me. It would have been completely watered down, confusing and useless to the GOP if Kerry had said, "I actually did vote for the $87 billion, and then I remembered a similar bill..., my priority in that instance was..., and two years earlier..., my good friend told me..., so I finally voted against it."

[Zombie2]

63. I agree that.... ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!

He should call out the McSame/Palin lies..... ENOUGH!!!!

YES! We'd better be very angry at the way the MSM AND the Republicans are trampling the truth. I know I'm disgusted.... and yes, angry as hell! STAND UP AMERICA! We need to bring smarts back into the White House... and the MSM needs to bring smarts back into their reporting. Spread the word!

:dem::patriot::applause:Obama:applause:Obama:applause:Obama:applause::patriot::dem:

[bdamomma]

71. people have been dumbed down or brainwashed too long.

from eight long years, of being spoken down to like children listen I do not need a daddy I want a professional who will take us off this wrong track and get the country on some normalcy again (if that can happen again)

[treestar]

64. People are best off being who they are

Tell the low information voters that he's thinking; and that thinking, he can think of a way out of the mess * has created; that is why voting for him will mean a change. Make fun of the simplemindedness of soundbites and point out how McWar is so dumb he thinks there is an Iraq-Pakistan border; how can we afford to have someone that dumb when we need someone who knows all about the area we have ourselves entangled in. Point out how Biden knows so much about the area - admit it's more than I know.

Catering to these dumbheads has allowed their choices to be in positions of high power. Obama can tell them they are smart; we can gently tell them that someone smarter than us is not a threat to us, but someone who can get us out of this mess we admittedly don't understand.

I don't follow Iraq enough to really understand it. I'd rather have a President who is way smarter than I am, capable of absorbing tons of facts and thinking about them, and still talking about them rather clearly, than someone my gut says is a nice guy but who makes decisions on too few facts and too often on impulse without thinking about it - look where that has got us.

Sound bite: Let's have a smart President this time.

[bdamomma]

65. wait until the debates.

[Phoonzang]

72. I just left a comment on the website as well.

Hopefully his advisers understand the problem and are coaching him. Hopefully they're also trying to beat the "uh uh uh uh" out of him for the debates.

[Lorien]

73. I agree. We live in the age of the sound bite. He needs to inject short, clever

one liners into his dialogs. People get pissed off when you talk over their heads, and he's speaking over the heads of at least 50% of America. Those people eat up lines like "What's the difference between a Governor and a pitbull..." Obama is a very intelligent man-everyone gets that- but he needs to employ more E.Q. than I.Q right now.

[unfrigginreal]

75. One brief example where I agree

He mentioned to Keith "tax relief" for 95% of Americans. Just call it tax cuts. That's what people want to hear.

[musicblind]

80. K.I.S.S.

[eleny]

82. K&R Thanks, that's exactly how I feel about it

I know he can do it and do it well. Dems are creative. Short, clever and to the point will stick with people.

[hisownpetard]

83. Yes - he can do it with that great sense of humor he has, and people will remember it.

:hi:

[samuraiguppy]

89. I think it is good for

him to be intelligent, sophisticated, well-educated. If he goes simplistic, they will spin it as AA men aren't intelligent.

[politicasista]

90. Interesting. Lots of validating GOP spin in this thread

Not from the OP, but people complain about the media yet buy into whatever they say about Democrats, unless it's not about their favorite liberal or Dem.

Just ignore me. Not mad, just venting at some things in this thread.

[geekgrrl]

91. DIRECT and succinct answers IS NOT the same as "DUMBING IT DOWN" -- like in writing!

The best writing isn't elaborate and long winded (and I'm not saying Obama is-- I love his speaking style). The best writing succinctly makes a well thought out point with AS FEW WORDS AS POSSIBLE. Few words doesn't mean stupid. A few well-chosen words means the opposite-- it means coming across as powerful, and making a direct point.

Especially in the MSM, Obama needs to work on making his answers as succinct and sound-bite ready as possible. He can elaborate in speeches and the debates, but still being as direct as possible is really the best for getting your meaning across.

And you know what REALLY BUGS ME-- the people who say that bringing stuff like this up is somehow akin to being a freeper troll. No, it isn't. It is a real, valid concern about how our candidate portrays himself SO THAT WE CAN KICK MCCAIN AND PALIN's ASSES!

I've already emailed the campaign about this, and I hope others will too.

[hisownpetard]

94. Glad you emailed them. I did, too.

:hi:

[hisownpetard]

95. You're so right. W.H. Auden once sent a long letter to a friend and wrote, at the end of it

he said, "Sorry for the long letter. I didn't have time to write a shorter one."


:hi: