Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Obama and his failure to communicate

At the (left-wing) Crooks and liars blog, there is a discussion of communication "essentials" for national socialist dictators:
Raymond Gram Swing was a News commentator for the Mutual Broadcasting System network and his astute and articulate daily assessments of the war were just part of that growing community of news gatherers taking to the networks ever since the Munich Crisis of 1938 legitimized broadcast journalism.

This commentary, given on October 5, 1939 talks about the attraction of Hitler to the German people and how people in general are mesmerized by his presence.

Raymond Gram Swing: “It’s well to bear in mind that Hitler never speaks at the microphone without the background of a frenzied audience. He never tries to talk quietly and persuasively to an individual listener. He talks to crowds who must give a crowds response. This is an essential of the totalitarian leadership."

Hmm. Frenzied crowds . . . Never talking quietly or persuasively. . . . .

During the 2008 campaign, Obama gave stirring but vacuous speeches in front large, adoring, and frenzied crowds and he succeeded beyond anyone's expectations. It is after the election, when he needed to provide calm, coherent, and persuasive arguments in favor of his policies, that the teleprompter president has failed. Rasmussen plots his failure to persuade:
MORE: Joseph Sobran (via Ann Coulter) explains Pres. Obama's communication style:
"Nor has he said anything memorable -- not even a single aphorism over this long campaign. And the title of his book 'The Audacity of Hope' -- what on earth does that mean? He is always hinting at a substance that is never disclosed to us. He seems to live by raising vague aspirations he never fulfills."
That may have worked well for him during the campaign but it doesn't work when he needs to explain actual policy decisions.

RECENTLY on Pres. Obama:
The Obama administration plans for the future, illustrated
John Stewart analyzes the Narcissist-in-Chief
Obamacare endangers health coverage for 1.4 million workers
A superpower run by amateurs

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