uh...

[T]

OMG! He is supposed to be the most eloquent presidential speaker in like....forever....he's supposed to be our salvation....our "gift from God" to save our failing economy and pull our country up by its bootstraps and yet....

HE CAN'T COMPLETE A SENTENCE WITHOUT SAYING "UH" TO SAVE HIS LIFE!

This news conference is driving me absolutely fucking crazy....I swear I'd be willing to give him lessons in public speaking.

President Obama....please! Learn how to speak in public!

[Queenie]

T, I have to say, this is the first time I had to tune out to him speaking. I couldn't believe it. I watched everything leading up to the election and then all the inauguration stuff and loved listening to him. Tonight, however, I just couldn't get through it after about the first 10 minutes. It was just awful. I was very disappointed!

[Rike]

what happens?

[T]

Sorry Rike. President Obama was having a news conference last night...and in that whole hour I bet he said "uh" a million times. Almost every other word he said ..."Uh"...It was driving me crazy....and I had to complain to SOMEONE....ya'll got elected...lmao. Sorry.

[mysterytrain]

T,

I've noticed when he has a speech prepared, he is very eloquent, but when he goes on the fly and off the cuff, he hesitates a lot and says uh a lot. I think that is what happened at that press conference. It was painful to watch, I will admit.

I did see him do something today on CNN that I have never seen a president do before, and I have to admit I was impressed, although I did not vote for the man.

He is holding a town hall meeting in Florida today and a lady, probably in her late 50s, stood up to ask a question. She was choked up and started crying and told him that she had been praying for him and he thanked her and then said her question was about unemployment and homelessness. She said through tears that her family has been unemployed and they are homeless and living in their car and that they can't keep looking for a park to sleep in every night. They need a roof over their head with a kitchen. She said the housing authority has a 2 year waiting list and through tears asked him if he could help her.

President Obama got a little choked up himself, asked her her name and came down off the podium and hugged her and told her that they will do what they can and that someone from his team would come and talk to her after the meeting.

I have never in all my years seen a president relate to the average citizen with a heart of compassion such as that. To actually come off the podium and hug them or get choked up.

All I ever remember seeing any president before him do is standing behind the podium telling them we are doing what we can and to hang in there and then go on to the next question.

Have to admit, I was impressed by President Obama's actions and reactions to that poor woman's situation.

Bet, we will be seeing that as a sound bite on the news.

[T]

Mys, I didn't vote for him either...and that is a very touching story. I guess my deal is that as a public speaker, it bugs me when someone else does crap like that. Says things like..."ya know", "like", or "uh" in every sentence. Prepared speech or not. In my line of work none of my stuff is 'prepared' other than the general facts of whatever I'm talking about...the rest I fill in for myself....and I don't say "uh" like that.

In fact...a few months ago, I was walking down the hall at work, and the station that was playing over the intercom was the one that my boss was on. Chad has a bad "uh" habit. I counted in that one talk break 17 uh's. I went in the control room and said..."Chad, how are you with constructive criticism?" He said he was okay with it and I told him about the 17 uh's. He listened back to his break and was mortified...couldn't even finish listening to it. He thanked me and said he'd work on it. The next day I got an email from Chad (that he'd sent out to all the on air people) saying that someone had pointed out his "uh" problem....and that we should all listen to constructive criticism because the other on air people that came to us with it were only trying to help make us better....he said that we all have "crutches" ....and that we needed others to point them out to us, because we probably didn't even know we did it...because he didn't realize just how bad his "uh" problem was until someone pointed it out to him. I still don't know what my "crutch" might be, because no one has come forward to tell me....but I know it's not "Uh", "ya know," or "Like" ....because all of those irritate the shit outta me....lol

[Kris]

I think a lot of people have those "Bad habits" when they do an unprepared speech. One of our profs. filmed us during one of our "rehearsals" and we were all shocked...some were saying "uh" all the time, others were speaking like a little mouse...we learned a lot that day...

About your story mys, I have the feeling he really wants to change something...and that he's emotinal when someone is telling him something like that woman is a good sign, I think...he really cares and that could be his strongest advantage...if you care, you want that those people really get help and you work harder to achieve that goal...

[mysterytrain]

Feb 10, 2009 13:15:48 GMT -6 T said:

Mys, I didn't vote for him either...and that is a very touching story. I guess my deal is that as a public speaker, it bugs me when someone else does crap like that. Says things like..."ya know", "like", or "uh" in every sentence. Prepared speech or not. In my line of work none of my stuff is 'prepared' other than the general facts of whatever I'm talking about...the rest I fill in for myself....and I don't say "uh" like that.

In fact...a few months ago, I was walking down the hall at work, and the station that was playing over the intercom was the one that my boss was on. Chad has a bad "uh" habit. I counted in that one talk break 17 uh's. I went in the control room and said..."Chad, how are you with constructive criticism?" He said he was okay with it and I told him about the 17 uh's. He listened back to his break and was mortified...couldn't even finish listening to it. He thanked me and said he'd work on it. The next day I got an email from Chad (that he'd sent out to all the on air people) saying that someone had pointed out his "uh" problem....and that we should all listen to constructive criticism because the other on air people that came to us with it were only trying to help make us better....he said that we all have "crutches" ....and that we needed others to point them out to us, because we probably didn't even know we did it...because he didn't realize just how bad his "uh" problem was until someone pointed it out to him. I still don't know what my "crutch" might be, because no one has come forward to tell me....but I know it's not "Uh", "ya know," or "Like" ....because all of those irritate the shit outta me....lol

I think it is great you helped out a colleague. Like Kris said, unless someone else tells you, you just don't notice it in yourself. Someone has to hold a mirror to you.

I think no one has said anything to you is because you are perfect, my dear!

I know I hesitate a lot, and yes, probably say Uh, like, and you know more than I used to, but that's because I can't remember things like I used to. Brain farts more frequently than it used to! ;D