THE CLOTHES HAVE NO EMPEROR:

Where’s the poetry, Mr. President?: Obama’s oratorical magic is oddly missing. (Neil Swidey, November 22, 2009, Boston Globe Magazine)

[R]ecite an unforgettable line from an Obama speech since he became president. A lot tougher, isn’t it?

Barack Obama is among the most talented public speakers and most gifted writers ever to have occupied the Oval Office. Yet by my count he has delivered exactly one speech worthy of his talents since taking office. What in the name of Lincoln is going on here?

The reality is that the only speeches he's given that weren't immediately forgotten were the ones where he's had to clarify what he meant several times, like that awful race speech after the Reverend Wright debacle.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 21, 2009 4:05 PM