What Sentence Diagrams Reveal About President Obama

Something that most people - even his political opponents - agree on is that President Barack Obama is a fairly gifted orator. On those occasions when he speaks extemporaneously, he still struggles with vocalized pauses - those lengthy "Uhhmmms" and "Errrrrs" - but in general, he can compose articulate sentences and typically does fine work with a prepared speech.

But is GRAMMAR, itself, in the tank for Obama? Apparently so, and all it takes to reveal this truth is a trip back to the most hated part of your middle school education: sentence diagramming. Below, blogger Garth Risk Hallberg diagrammed a sentence from Obama's recent press conference - coincidentally, his response to the question put to him by our own Sam Stein:

My view is also that nobody's above the law, and, if there are clear instances of wrongdoing, that people should be prosecuted just like any ordinary citizen, but that, generally speaking, I'm more interested in looking forward than I am in looking backwards.

Hallberg says that the visual alone "offers several insights":

First, the elegant balance of the central construction (My view is that x, and that y, but also that z) shows that Obama has a good memory for where he's been, grammatically, and a strong sense of where he's going. His tripartite analysis of the problem is clearly reflected in the structure of the sentence, and thus in the three main branches of the diagram. (Turn it on its side and it could be a mobile.) The third "that" - thrown in 29 words into a 43-word sentence - creates three parallel predicate nouns. And then there's a little parallel flourish at the end: "I am more interested in looking forward than I am in looking back."

By contrast, the diagrams of typical George W. Bush sentences are indistinguishable from Google Earth closeups of small rodents, drowned in mud puddles. But watch out, Obamaphiles! Obama's grammatical structure reveals terrible, dark secrets as well! For starters, he uses "copulative predicates" - literally some sort of terrible word-sodomy! But even worse is this:

Notice the canny way that the sentence above turns on the fulcrum of what may be Obama's favorite word: "but." What appears to be a hard line - "My view is... that nobody is above the law" - turns out to have been a qualifier for a vaguer but more inspiring motto: "I am more interested in looking forward than I am in looking back." The most controversial part of the sentence - "people should be prosecuted" - gets tucked away, almost parenthetically, in the middle.

So there you have it! Watch for Obama to continue to hide "controversy" in the middle of parenthetical clauses, where only William Ayers, with his Chicago Machine education, can find them!

Comments

[mingusman]

Okay, I'm an artist and would love to run with this if I were otherwise engaged with other media. However, if any other artist out there is reading, I pass this idea along: LOOK AT THAT DIAGRAM! Is it not beautiful? Somebody, mark my word just keep your eye out for it, some artist will be coming out with a series of drawings, prints, whatever, an exhibit of diagrams of Obama's speeches.

[maxfax]

It's a great idea, also a good teaching tool. Any English teachers around here?

[deeppeace]

I loooove sentence diagramming. I contend that the downfall of Western civilization began the day they stopped teaching it.

[Principaldad]

I would not recommend that any artist try to turn that diagram into art. Doing so will likely cause the AP to come after you for copyright infringment.

[Slapmewhenitsover]

This offering represents nothing more than pure pop nonsense. The diagram here is being used as a gimmick for the story and that is about it. In fact, the diagram above looks like a hybrid of a Reed-Kellogg diagram and a tree diagram knocked on its side without the constituent designations.
Chomsky would be rolling over .... sorry he isn't quite dead yet (even though his theories are-inside joke for linguists).
Obama is simply a much better communicator of the written or spoken word than others in his profession because he happens to, at least for now, have a level of motivation that leads to clarity of thought. In politicians, this level of speech and textual competence are rare; therefore, he appears to stand significantly apart from his peers currently in the media spotlight.
Diagramming his sentences is an idiotic exercise when it is the meaning of them with which we should be most concerned. (Notice how I skillfully avoided ending that sentence with a preposition!!)
Does y'all git mah meanin'?

[Seven7s]

I dont know if this is a testament to how racist (whether they realize it or not) people can be. Or how starved for any sign of intelligent life we have been in this country.

I'm young but I still remember people talking about how gifted Bill Clinton was but it seems like with Obama there is a certain element of shock.

The way this article reads its almost like the writer is in awe of a black man's ability to be grammatically correct. He's the POTUS! That's how he is supposed to speak!!!!! Why the shock? Why the need to write an article about it?

Hopefully I am just reading too much into this but I dont think I am. Either the last president was so stupid that we forgot leaders could and should be intelligent enough to put a sentence together or the writer (and many others) are god smacked that a black male can actually articulate.

Hopefully someone can tell me where I am wrong in my assessment.

[SharonB]

The artcle is NOT serious. To me, it was just like you said in your post, that the last Pres was so stupid that we forgot our leaders could be intellegent. You know yourself is has been a while since the person in the Oval Office has sounded smarter than Mr. Ed.
Also, everything the Obama's do, including their choices in clothing, their Valentine's gifts, as well as every word they speak is taken apart and put under a microscope. So, this guy is just poking a little fun at some of his fellow bloggers.

[Czoe]

I used to know how to diagram sentences...but alas, I can't even remember what a particple or gerund is. I know particples can dangle. Having said that.

[GeoLee]

The American way of diagramming sentences lacks the preciseness that the Oxford model has because the Oxford model is based on every sentence that is well structured is the equivalent of a mathematical education. I took a graduate level course and got the only A in the class full of English teachers and interestingly I was the only person in the class with a double major. My second major was mathematics. IT was the first instruction in sentence diagramming that actually made real sense to me. Looking at the one above, I think Oxford has won the battle for what used to be a relatively useless exercise thrust upon students.

[fauxmccoy]

oh thank you mr jenkins!!!! i have been waiting for someone to bring this to light. i hate to admit it, but when i get bored, i do diagram sentences of political stumpers. oh the joy of attempting to diagram a palin attrocity! (i did discover that it gets better as the wine bottle depletes.)

[PhilipTaylor]

What is so hard about the President and his staff LOOKING FORWARD while the Attorney General, the FBI, and Criminal Justice Enforces the LAWS of the LAND!

They have a large number of people to do BOTH as Obama said several times we must MULTI-TASK!

He thinks on Multiple Channels and that is why he will succeed!

[justobserve]

Exactly! Nothing in life is a straight- line diagram!

[research]

Yes.

[deeppeace]

And he can finish a complete thought. What a relief after eight years of phrases.

[spartanmom]

"I am more interested in looking forward than I am in looking back." is a separate sentence. That means it is a separate, though related thought.

you win the prize!

[some-realtalk]

Some people, namely journalist have way too much time on his hands, and Jason Linkin - Youhave way too much time to even waste your time, taking about the journalist who is wasting his time constructing a diagram --- And no one care about hearing about William Ayers, whether it is for humor, or sarcasm purposes.

[Ajita]

To the contrary, I thought this was an interesting piece, to say the least, and William Ayers is a national hero, IMHO.

[mcantwell]

Quote: "Now ladies and gentlemen, you have to admit that in my sentences I go where no man has gone before." ---GWB, White House correspondents' dinner in March 2001

Quote: "You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.''—GWB, Townsend, Tenn., Feb. 21, 2001

[CharlesJ]

This, in my opinion is a total and complete waste of time. Using some sentence diagram to attempt to define exactly what Obama is thinking or if there is a hidden reality behind what he is saying.

Give me a break, if you have a question just ask him point blank. I have yet to hear him run from a honest straight forward question.

What did he mean, humm, reading his body language, looking at his facial expression, his eyes; in my humble opinion he was saying.
1. No one is above the law.
2. If it is proven someone broke the law they they should and will be prosecuted.
3. However, while all that is going on, I for one choose to look forward into resolving current issues that are tearing this country apart.

Just another perspective, for what ever its worth.

[spartanmom]

so how much time did you waste commenting on a "complete waste of time"?

[mcantwell]

and also too........

[boonjava]

lolz

[LucieLee]

And this is supposed to have some significant meaning....? Or is this all for FUN?!

[some-realtalk]

It's sarcasm !

[mingusman]

If it has to be explained to you it's nothing at all.

[IssuesInFocus]

Really, a great looking chart. So what? Tells me nothing useful. Something I must know.
What I do know when he speaks I listen. This president has all the clues on how to 'engage' his listeners, and he's doing a pretty good job at that.

Now lets forget the' theory ' focus on the results. We want to hear him!!

[pmc617]

Why you listen when he speaks has everything to do with why that diagram looks so damn good! Smile!

[spartanmom]

It is fun for grammar wonks. Although I disagree with some of the analysis

[DonTampa58]

All of which proves that the current president can speak intelligent English. Unlike the previous "mis over estimated" occupant.

[Jenifer Daniels]

but negates everything said before :-)

[1dogs2]

Go back to school and see if you can learn to understand the relationship between the parts of a complex sentence and the meaning of conjunctions that establish those relationships.

[spartanmom]

"I am more interested in looking forward than I am in looking back." is a separate sentence. Therefore it is an independent thought

[lovethesinner]

If you think this is revealing, try it on Sarah Palin's responses to Katie Couric's interview. After the third word you realized her mind is a maze with no way out.

[DonTampa58]

Yep you betcha and also too.

[MadeinAmericaProud]

Thanks now I know why it took 5 years or more to get that degree.

also means too, you betcha.

I guess we also/too need another silly season. This must be it.

[sixletters]

Oh, I would love o see that diagram.

[allamericanboy]

well the, sixletters, here ya go ...
http://www.slate.com/id/2201158/

[nicole473]

Interesting.