FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
President Obama - arguably one of the great orators and most articulate campaigners ever to occupy the White House - runs the risk of an "incoherent presidency." The White House is sending out mixed messages that have people scratching their heads and political opponents licking their chops.
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David Morey, whose communication group - Core Strategy - gave advice to the 2008 Obama campaign, tells CNN that "simpler is better" and this White House needs to lead by controlling the dialogue.
It's pretty tough criticism for a candidate whose campaign was tightly run and almost always on message.
Recently - that doesn't seem to be the case. Take the wave of criticism Pres. Obama is facing since he weighed in on the plan to build a mosque and Islamic center near Ground Zero.
After making his initial comments in defense of the project on Friday, the President seemed to backtrack the next day... a White House spokesman felt the need to clarify those comments. And then today Mr. Obama told reporters he has "no regrets" about weighing in on the debate. I bet he does.
Maureen Dowd described Mr. Obama as an "incoherent president" in a recent New York Times column.... saying he's "with the banks, he's against the banks. He's leaving Afghanistan, he's staying in Afghanistan. He strains at being a populist, but his head is in the clouds."
The advice from Morey, the communications expert, is the president needs to sound less like a law professor.
Just a few years ago, critics often ridiculed former President George W. Bush for his mangled speech, mispronouncing words... or just plain making them up. But, Pres. Bush rarely had to backtrack on what he said because he kept it so simple and direct... ""bring 'em on" and "I'm the decider"... remember?
Here’s my question to you: Who sent the clearer message as president, George Bush or Barack Obama?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Andrew writes:
President Bush's message was clearer, but it oversimplified complex issues into an "us vs. them" mentality. Obama is approaching complicated issues with care and nuance, and although it is more difficult for Americans to understand his positions with small sound bites, it is a sign of intellectual maturity.
Vinny in Connecticut writes:
Although Pres. Bush is not a 'gifted' speaker, when he said something, it was plain, simple and he meant what he said. Obama always has 'mixed messages' and when he's off the ever-present Teleprompter, he puts his foot in his mouth over and over again as he stumbles and bumbles for the right words. When he says, "Let me be clear" you know that he's not going to be and only makes the American people more confused.
Kevin in Dallas writes:
I'm not sure, but I'm going to throw this out there. The fact that a news organization (other than you know who) is asking if Obama is better than Bush, in any regard, says something about Obama, and it's not good.
Brent in Cleveland, Ohio writes:
Bush was an idiot, but it was clear to all of us how stupid he was. No confusion there. Obama is a smart man, but he seems pretty wishy-washy and indecisive. This is reflected in his public statements AND the way he influences legislation in Congress. He wants everyone on both sides of an issue to like him and be happy, and that's not leadership, and that's not reality.
Steve in Clifton, Virginia writes:
In my opinion, George Bush sent a clearer message that he was in over his head and had an intellect deficit.
Ray writes:
Jack, Dubya's message was simpler; "Muslims = bad, USA = good." He stayed with that message through the majority of his tenure in the White House. Obama's message is much tougher as he's trying to fix everything the Republicans have done to this country over the past 30 years. Dubya might have had the clearer, if more mangled, message, but does that count if most of it was lies?
Ken in Maryland writes:
Bush sent the "simpler" message. The message was usually mangled and borderline incoherent, and I disagreed with it 99% of the time, but it was simpler.