Dumbing down the speeches

[LDB]

The SOTU speeches have been scored for their intelligence level for several decades now. Obama, our "genius" leader, scores the lowest of any president ever scored on his average score. The speeches are scored on the average words per sentence and the grade level of the vocabulary. Our Harvard lawyer scores lowest on both. The average of their SOTU speeches are as follows for words and grade level are as follows:

Carter 19.7 and 10.7
Reagan 19.6 and 10.3
Bush 1 17.3 and 8.6
Clinton 19.0 and 9.4
Bush 2 19.1 and 10.4
Obama 16.7 and 8.4

So Mr. Harvard gives us a speech at the eighth grade fourth month level. Oh, and look at that, "dumb" Bush gave speeches fully two grade levels and 2.4 more words per sentence higher than Obama. Oh look, "dumb" Bush was fully one grade level above Clinton as well.

Smart Politics - Keeping It Simple: Obama Records 2nd Lowest Flesch-Kincaid SOTU Grade Level Score Since FDR

 

[Turtle]

These speeches have to be tuned to the audience, ya know.

 

[layoutshooter]

These speeches have to be tuned to the audience, ya know.

Or at least what they THINK the audience is like. Most of these politicians have a bit of an "air" about them. Obama is really bad about looking down on his audience. I can't stand to watch him speak, I get so tired of looking up his nose.

 

[Turtle]

My reasoning is, when Obama speaks, there are people who could care less about political or presidential speeches who will listen to what he says. And more than a fair percentage of those are really pushing it for an eighth grade comprehension level.

 

[layoutshooter]

My reasoning is, when Obama speaks, there are people who could care less about political or presidential speeches who will listen to what he says. And more than a fair percentage of those are really pushing it for an eighth grade comprehension level.

Pay attention to the next time he is giving a speech. His mannerisms are very reminisent of a certain Italian dictator in the 1940's. Many of those striving for eighth grade comprehension levels have nice, big, shinny rings in there collective noses. Makes it easier for them to be "lead around by the nose" , so to speak.

 

[Turtle]

Yup. Exactly.

 

[LDB]

Yes, they have to be tuned to the target audience and at an 8th grade 4th month level this one is over the head of a huge number of his constituents.

 

[pjjjjj]

Yes, they have to be tuned to the target audience and at an 8th grade 4th month level this one is over the head of a huge number of his constituents.

Perhaps that is why he received the most votes for a presidential candidate in American history, and the 2008 election had the largest voter turnout in 40 years? Maybe the candidates in the next election should take note!

 

[greg334]

Pay attention to the next time he is giving a speech. His mannerisms are very reminisent of a certain Italian dictator in the 1940's.

You ever listen to Mussolini's speeches?

His mannerism and is just like many American politicians, Clinton JFK and FDR. However he tries hard to emulate another fascist's style of delivery and has achieved it to a point. Like that fascist, he has a team of people working on his speech, having him practice it and tweaking it as needed long before the event. His Tucson speech is a good example of how he used something that seems to be written before, delivered it as a professional actor while driving a point home that he neither believes or supports.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Perhaps that is why he received the most votes for a presidential candidate in American history, and the 2008 election had the largest voter turnout in 40 years? Maybe the candidates in the next election should take note!

Yes... isn't the novelty of having a black president so new and exhilarating? Makes me want to run out and vote too!

Just remember, nearly half of those voters were trying desperately to keep the socialist out.