Um, uh, what I mean is…
What Obama suffers from is the classic “intellectual stammer”—a hesitancy that “signals a brain that is moving so fast the mouth can’t keep up," said Meghan Daum in the Los Angeles Times.
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Meghan Daum
Los Angeles Times
Is Barack Obama “bumblingly inarticulate”? asked Meghan Daum. Despite his soaring speeches, many people seem to think that without a teleprompter, the president is a terrible speaker. His responses to questions are marked by frequent “pauses, ‘uhs,’ and sputtering starts,” and sometimes his search for the right word “seems to last longer than the search for Osama bin Laden.” But this doesn’t mean Obama is incoherent. What he suffers from is the classic “intellectual stammer”—a hesitancy that “signals a brain that is moving so fast the mouth can’t keep up.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Think of the speech patterns of Woody Allen, college professors, and many other intellectuals—including the grandiloquent godfather of the conservative movement, William F. Buckley. But for a politician, sounding like a “phlegmatic egghead” is a definite drawback. Oxford graduate Bill Clinton was just as brainy, but he hid his smarts “behind a folksy regional accent or good-old-boy affectations.” When Obama speaks, unfortunately for him, he sounds exactly like what he is: a man who has spent a lot of time in university classrooms.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
5 tips to save on heating bills
The Explainer Follow these expert recommendations for a cozy and cheap winter
By Becca Stanek Published
-
Should you fire your financial adviser? 4 signs it's time to say goodbye.
The Explainer Breakups are never fun, but you have to protect your wallet
By Becca Stanek Published
-
The daily gossip: Man arrested in connection with shooting of Tupac Shakur, an OceanGate movie is in the works, and more
Feature The daily gossip: September 29, 2023
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
Dianne Feinstein, history-making Democratic US senator, dies at 90
The Explainer Her colleagues celebrate her legacy as a trailblazer who cleared the path for other women to follow
By Theara Coleman Published
-
Will the cannabis banking bill get the Senate's green light?
Talking Point The SAFER Banking Act is advancing to the US Senate for the first time, clearing a major hurdle for legal cannabis businesses. Does it stand a chance?
By Theara Coleman Published
-
Trump surrenders in Georgia election subversion case
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries chosen to succeed Pelosi as leader of House Democrats
Speed Read
By Brigid Kennedy Published
-
GOP leader Kevin McCarthy's bid for House speaker may really be in peril
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Are China's protests a real threat for Beijing?
opinion The sharpest opinions on the debate from around the web
By Harold Maass Published
-
Who is Nick Fuentes, the white nationalist who dined with Trump and Kanye?
Speed Read From Charlottesville to Mar-a-Lago in just five years
By Rafi Schwartz Published
-
Jury convicts Oath Keepers Stewart Rhodes, Kelly Meggs of seditious conspiracy in landmark Jan. 6 verdict
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published