Lately, I've really noticed so many in the public spotlight who can't speak. This morning, Janet Napolitano (sp?) was featured on the Today Show. I kept hearing about every third word followed by uh. I started counting without realizing it. I quit at 24. Two dozen plus uhs.

I've noticed the same with President Obama, and many newscasters. People who talk for a living, and they fill their sentences with uh.

Uh I guess I will go uh do the dishes.

dl

I noticed that on the Today Show also. It was distracting....

Maybe the teleprompter isn't moving fast enough!

There's an art to spinning BS. Some people, like Fmr President Clinton, have a knack for being able to talk around a subject---and never really say a thing! LOL

Some people, don't have that talent and/or don't think well on their feet. They stammer w/ a lot of uhs, ums, or "you knows".

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

Martha Stewart is "uh" guilty

just coming here to say the same thing. I had to stop watching her show because of this terrible habit. She's so fastidious about everything else, you would think she would train herself not to do this.

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Cecilia

"We must love them both--those whose opinions we share and those whose opinions we reject. For both have labored in the search for truth, and both have helped us in the finding of it."
Saint Thomas Aquinas

What annoys me even more is when I do it! If I catch myself saying "like" or "uh" when I am speaking it makes me feel like an idiot. I think sometimes when people have not practiced or fully thought through what they are saying or when they are taken by surprise they ten to do that. This is what I have experienced.

Sometimes the more you focus on something the more you do it. Although when someone has the money of the President or Martha Stewart you would think they would have a professional train them. I would!

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

it's one of my biggest pet peeves. Most people cannot talk for 30 seconds without an "uh" in there a couple of times. One of the radio programs I listen to has a contest where if you can talk for 30 seconds on air on any topic you choose and not say "uh" or "um", you win a prize (cash, etc). I have yet to hear someone win LOL I have trained my kids not to say it...period. I would rather have silence than an "uh". The kids and I play a game "catching the 'and uh'". It's funny. Pros, politicians, radio, tv...it's there. My son once told me his teacher said "uh" and he corrected her...oops! I told him that wasn't the correct thing to do but he said "she teaches me reading and spelling and she says "uh" and she shouldn't" LOL. Gotta love kids

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

Never thought I would defend Clinton, but at least he was great at giving a speech (and still is). In one of his State of the Union addresses, the teleprompter didn't work and he knew his speech so well that he gave it without hesitation by memory.

Can't see Obama doing that. Obama can't even talk without his teleprompter, as that was evidenced the other day when the teleprompter messed up and he didn't know what to say!! Then on top of that, he does those stupid pauses and uh, uh, uh.

I can't stand all the uhs, and pausing. It is mostly used as a delay tactic, giving you more time to think of what to say. I was watching Nightline the other night, and George Stephanopoulous (sp) had Rahm Emanuel on there....... holy moly, talk about not know how to TALK!!!! At least Obama has some class when he speaks and it's not nearly as painful to watch as watching Emanuel.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

The Pres tonight. How tedious listening to him answer questions. I quit at 100. Certainly, this makes him look like he can't think coherently and respond.

dl