HE'S THE GREATEST SPEAKER OF UNMEMEMORABLE AND COUNTERPRODUCTIVE DRIVEL IN OUR HISTORY:

As orator, Obama not always shining: President's careful word choices don't inspire listeners' passions (STEVEN THOMMA, 11/29/09, MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS)

Obama aspires to greatness, to be a transformational figure who changes the nation's course. He isn't yet, however, in the top rank of U.S. leaders, and he has yet to show that he can move the country his way by matching the promises of his campaign rhetoric to the thorny challenges of his ambitious agenda.

In fact, he's lost ground, as his approval ratings and support for key policies such as a health care overhaul have dropped.

There's no doubt that Obama is a skilled and sometimes exceptional orator.

• His uplifting vision of a united country in his speech to the 2004 Democratic National Convention launched him into national politics.

• A stirring late-night speech to Iowa Democrats in November 2007 helped propel him past Hillary Clinton and on his way to the Democratic presidential nomination.

• His cool, reasoned talk on race in March 2008 helped stop the political bleeding he suffered after revelations of his pastor's racially inflammatory sermons.

The short list reveals the canard at the heart of the argument:

*Even Bill Clinton's disastrous convention speech launched him into national politics.

*The Iowa speech propelled Mr. Obama to a loss in NH.

*He had to give repeated follow-ups to his race speech because he bungled the matter so badly.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 29, 2009 7:37 AM