Obama's State of the Unions Less 'Intelligent' Than Bush's

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There are so many unsubstantiated conclusions in this article. Why are we applying a *reading* scale to spoken word? Two totally different things, really. Certainly, the Flesch-Kincaid scale alone cannot be used to measure "intelligence". And I won't even begin to debate whether W wrote his own SOTU speeches, which would explain why he was indeed making up words and mixing his metaphors away from the Teleprompter. Compare that to Clinton and Obama, who speak intelligently and eloquently in any setting I've ever seen televised.

Lidna of WI 12:44PM January 26, 2012

you are obviously a republican

deborah kapperman of NE 4:18AM January 28, 2011

I don't get it? If Obama designed his speech so the average American can understand him... then why did so many people have problems with W's speeches? Bad premise = bad conclusion.
I think it's important to note that many of W's speech's were put together in haste quickly, because of the serious situations he faced as president. i.e. 9/11 attack, Katrina,..... where he had to address the public quickly. Obama has had weeks to prepare this speech and all he could come up with was a bunch of paraphrased quotes from others? It is also a great example of how their presidencies are polar opposite... Obama has not had to face what W faced as president - not even close, folks. G.W may not have made all the right decisions, but we will never know how Obama would have had to handle some of the most devastating historical events of this century.
Don't judge a president based on speech skills... that would be a simpleton. One more thing... reading skills and listening skills are not the same.

J of MI 11:22AM January 27, 2011

I miss the Bush-isms for what they were, a good joke almost daily. I agree with the comment above. It was dumbed down on purpose for the "American Idiot". Just as Green Day!!!

bigG of CA 7:36PM January 26, 2011

sarah palin has made us all dumber

blue in red hell of NE 8:28AM January 26, 2011

Obamamaniacs take heart: a lower score on this means a better communicator. The average American reads at about an 8th-grade level. I suspect his simplicity is by design.

Rich of CO 2:33AM January 26, 2011

Of course Bush's speeches were more articulate -- they were pre-scripted and read off of a teleprompter. It was when speaking extemporaneously that he generated so many of his fumbling "Bush-isms." Obama, on the other hand, is far more considered in his words even when speaking off-the-cuff, as you can see when he takes questions from an audience.

hello of AL 5:55PM January 25, 2011