Obama - ACCENT change we can believe in

Before anyone screams that it’s racist to say someone has a ‘black accent’ (or any ethnic accent)… you best check with the FBI and law enforcement. It was brought out during the OJ Simpson trial that YES, the FBI and law enforcement do acknowledge that there is a ‘black accent’ and that it can be used for identification purposes. This was also discussed on YAHOO questions . I couldn’t find a link directly to the FBI or CIA on this … but law enforcement did say on national TV during the OJ trial that the FEDS consider ‘a black accent’ to be a real thing.

That being said -

HERE is the infamous Obama –Selma speech that he gave. You know … the one where his accent changed from a ‘brought-up-Hawaiian’ to a ‘southern black’ accent.

Take a look at Obama’s speech for the MLK memorial on April 4, 2008. This speech had to be practiced in the mirror for hours. He turns on the black accent … and mimics Dr. King. TV Pundits were falling all over themselves after this saying ‘oh, he sounded just like MLK’. Well .. duh! I’m sure that was the plan.

But then hours later in North Dakota he stops channeling MLK.

I’m sure some folks will say that they don’t see the pandering accent changing. But sure I do. So do a lot of other people.

Shelby Steele for example. His whole interview is interesting. But this is a quick quote to the part about Obama’s ever changing accent. Sister Toldjah discusses the pandering accent changes as well. TIME calls his accent ‘fluid’. It changes from black to white to whatever … depending on the audience. The Wonkette , a blog from DC, calls him the man of 1,000 voices. From the responses, it seems that a lot of people noticed that he tries to mimic MLK one day, then mimic mid-west whites the next. USA Today briefly acknowledges the change of accent for both Hillary and Obama. The paper lumps them in with all the faux-accented celebs running around the world (like Madonna and her fake British accent) Writers to The New York Observer discuss the ever changing Obama accent as well. The Washington Post has some writing in and asking if Obama will change his accent from black to Latino when he starts campaigning in California … since he goes from white accent to black accent all over the country.

Hillary did the same darn thing. (I won't focus on her though. Her run for POTUS is just about done. Unless The Bible Code is true)

Both Hillary and Obama turned on the southern accent in Selma Oh .. and at this site you can see the famous lie Obama told about the Kennedy’s bringing his father over from Africa. Obama says if it weren’t for the Kennedys he would never have been born! HA! The airlift and marches happened AFTER he was born … oooooops, Obama lied (again)

Anyways … Hillary did it once or twice. She was outted in the blogs for doing it. They called it what it was – pathetic. Bush 43 has turned on a deep Texas accent every so often. Either that or he really has a deep Texas accent and he just turns it off most of the time.

McCain? I haven’t found anything on him changing his accent in order to pander to certain crowds. If you guys (or ya’ll ) find anything on him pandering his accent – please feel free to post it. I’d like to see it.

SHAMELESS PLUG – Obama’s Friends – off topic plug to an thread with important information that everyone should read.



[edit on 4/7/2008 by FlyersFan]

A very interesting analysis - and whilst it's true that politicians (in general) try to be all things to all men, I find that people changing their accent to garner votes and/or attention to be more than a little cynical.

Of course it's the same in real life where a persons accent will change as they try to "fit in" when they move to a different area, but personally I find this pretty shallow.

And there lies the problem - I expect politicians to be shallow, but that doesn't make it right...

There's also the problem with Obama being accused in the past of playing the race card, and changing his accent to appeal to certain sections of the community/electorate is hardly going to give LESS ammunition to his detractors, but I'm curious about one more thing as well:
Why was it OK for billary to play the gender card, but it's so wrong for obama to play his own card? - if indeed that's what he was/is doing.

Surely both are equally wrong...

I find the image of obama and billary in front of the mirror practising speech patterns and accents exceedingly funny.

Donthcha just love the politics of hypocrisy

[edit on 7/4/2008 by budski]

Originally posted by budski
A very interesting analysis - and whilst it's true that politicians (in general) try to be all things to all men, I find that people changing their accent to garner votes and/or attention to be more than a little cynical.

Of course it's the same in real life where a persons accent will change as they try to "fit in" when they move to a different area, but personally I find this pretty shallow.

And there lies the problem - I expect politicians to be shallow, but that doesn't make it right...

There's also the problem with Obama being accused in the past of playing the race card, and changing his accent to appeal to certain sections of the community/electorate is hardly going to give LESS ammunition to his detractors, but I'm curious about one more thing as well:
Why was it OK for billary to play the gender card, but it's so wrong for obama to play his own card? - if indeed that's what he was/is doing.

Surely both are equally wrong...

I find the image of obama and billary in front of the mirror practising speech patters and accents exceedingly funny.

Donthcha just love the politics of hypocrisy

What he said. ^^^

Nailed it.

*Edited to add:

I would try to add to the convo, but honestly, Budski summed it up perfectly.

[edit on 7-4-2008 by Sublime620]

OK, what do you want Obama to do? Always speak "white," or always speak "black?" His background has exposed him to both cultures, so probably both modes of diction are easy for him.

Also, I don't understand how Obama is supposedly playing the "race card." He has never said "vote for me because I'm (half) black, and if you don't you're a racist." Just the fact that he's black doesn't mean he's playing any "card," the implication being there is something underhanded about it. So maybe some people vote for him because he's African American, so what? There will be people voting for McCain because he's white. Is McCain playing the race card? That's politics.

Originally posted by Sestias
what do you want Obama to do? Always speak "white," or always speak "black?"

He should always speak NATURALLY. The way that is natural for him to speak. He (and all other politicians) should NOT be changing their speech patterns to fit the audience.

His background has exposed him to both cultures,

He was raised by a white family in Hawaii. His diction would be from that.
His black father abandoned him at a very young age. He did not have that culture in his home environment at all.

so probably both modes of diction are easy for him.

It doesn't matter what mode of diction is 'easy' for him.
Heck .. I can turn on a Southern accent very easily.
But it would be, in essense, a LIE for me to do so.

The diction he should be using is the one that is natural for him to.
Faking an accent ... pandering to who ever is listening at the time .. is pathetic.

Same for Hillary. She does it. Her Selma speech ranks right there with Obama's ... see through and pathetic.

Same for Bush43. I don't know if a thick Texas accent is his natural one, or if that is what he turns on for the Southern Audience every so often. Either way - he's either pandering with the Texas accent, or pandering without one.

reply to post by FlyersFan


You are absolutely full of it if you think diction doesn't change by situation and over time.

Perhaps he has a little of both and switches back and forth depending on where he is?

I have a mixture of southern draw and northern yank. I promise if talking to a southerner the southern draw would come out more, or if I was talking to my buddies up north, I'd be talking like the god father.

TT. Quit bein' so judgmental.

Originally posted by Sublime620
You are absolutely full of it if you think diction doesn't change by situation and over time.

Awwwwww come on' now .. give me the finger like you mean it!

Diction can change over time .. but not from 'deep southern black' to 'uptight white' in a matter of just a few hours. That's what happened with him going from the MLK speech to the North Dakota speech.

And it wasn't because he was having conversations with people. It was just him on that stage .... just him basically talking TO people. He changed his tone, his mannerisms, his accent, and his diction all in order to PANDER and lull the poor nitwits listening into thinking he was 'one of them'.

It's a lie.

Quit bein' so judgmental.

Riiiiiiiiight. Vetting the candidates is 'judgemental' now, eh?
You're just saying that because it's your buddy Obama that is getting exposed for pandering. If it were Hillary .. would you be so quick to slam the vetter?

Judgemental would be = Obama is going to hell because he lies to everyone. Vetting is = Obama changed his diction and pandered to an audience which is one big lie.

Candidates HAVE TO be vetted.

reply to post by FlyersFan


Over accent changed pandered towards the crowd? Even if it's completely intentional, it's still smart.

Do you suppose blacks want to hear a black guy talking like every other white candidate they've voted for? And do you think those uptight rich white folk would even consider voting for someone who talks ethnic at all?

An important thing taught in business school today is that one must adapt to the environment they are in. That means women may have to act subservient in countries where that is the norm, or business may have to be put off for a few hours just to talk to and to get to know each other in South American countries.

This is the way it is. Any smart business man, or politician, will pander himself to the crowd he is speaking.

Now that this has been brought to my attention, it makes me think he'll be even better with foreign relations. If he wins the election, I'll be looking forward to see him touring the world and renewing the world's faith in America.

Should be interesting.

Originally posted by FlyersFan
I’m sure some folks will say that they don’t see the pandering accent changing. But sure I do. So do a lot of other people.

I hear it. I just don't have a problem with it. I do the same thing. I'm absolutely certain that the people listening to Obama have heard him talk before and know that he doesn't always talk with a southern twang or sound like MLK... It's called doing something "for effect". I actually think it's a talent and I admire him for his ability to slip into the mindset of the people he's speaking to.

I have a signature on another board that reads, "I’m not a professional dog trainer or behaviorist, and I sure ain’t your mama." Now, I don't normally talk like that. I never use the word, "Mama", but because of who is going to be reading it, I did it for effect.

To me, that was CLEARLY why Hillary AND Obama embraced the Southern accent. I don't see a problem.

I can, and do, switch my accent at will depending on who Im talking to.

When its my indian parents, I have an indian-english accent.

When Im with my friends or at work, its the queen's english (Received Pronunciation) accent.

I consider both to be my "real" accents... I dont think that either is put on or fake. I assume the same is true for Obama.

Accents are fluid, and I do think that its a good practice to change your accent just as you would change the language you speak in, to fit in better with the local people of the place you visit.

I switch my accent based on whatever is easiest for people to understand. I swear that when Im on holiday, I even pick up the local regional accent a little bit.

So if Obama is doing it, hats off to him. Its a clever communicational tool, and I approve of it. Who cares what is "real" accent is like, its good that he can change it so fluidly to suit the audience he is speaking to.

I think it's a manipulative tool, designed to fool some of the people some of the time.

It's not something I ever have or would, do - personally speaking, I find it a little dishonest and pretensious.
But that's just my opinion and no offense is intended.

reply to post by budski


I gotta be honest, I just now got around to listening to how "different" he sounded, and I didn't really notice any change.

He sounded, in all of the 3 videos I watched, exactly the same. One was supposed to be "southern black", one "MLK", and one just normal. I didn't hear any big difference in any of them.



[edit on 8-4-2008 by Sublime620]

Originally posted by budski
I think it's a manipulative tool, designed to fool some of the people some of the time.

It's not something I ever have or would, do - personally speaking, I find it a little dishonest and pretensious.
But that's just my opinion and no offense is intended.

None taken.

But dont you think its a nice way of showing courtesy to someone when you go to their country, to speak in a way which they can understand more easily? I know some people who, no insult intended, speak english with such a thick accent that I cant understand it.

To me, accent is a corollary of language. Adapting both to the place where I am staying is just a matter of pragmatism and courtesy.

Could I ask why you feel its disingenuous to change one's accent? (Im just trying to see the other side of the coin here).

Originally posted by 44soulslayer
But dont you think its a nice way of showing courtesy to someone when you go to their country, to speak in a way which they can understand more easily?

Obama and Hillary weren't traveling outside the country. If they were, and if they decided to speak English slower in order for translaters to have an easier time, then that would be understandable and something nice to do.

They were inside this country. They were trying to sell themselves to the audience. They were being fake politicians 'vote for me, I'm just like you'. It wasn't honest. It's misleading the people into thinking that the politician talks like them therefore he/she must think like them and understand them. That's the psychology behind the pander.

It's pandering for a vote.
It's dishonest.

reply to post by 44soulslayer


To me it seems false and fake - it's like trying to be popular under false pretenses, by trying to be something you're not (generic you)

It also seems a bit of a desperate attempt at validation.

I also think it's a little patronising, and insulting to the heritage and tradition of a particular area.

I've come across this a lot, and the people doing it have always been (to me) shallow and pretensious.

But the context in which I mey these people also has to be considered - i.e. a social/pub situation

Yes, I see what you guys mean.

However Im first and foremost a pragmatist. Anything that helps the other person understand me is good in my book.

Probably as an immigrant, I have a more fluid sense of accents... in that I dont actually have a fixed accent, but I switch it at will and always have done.

Its not done to seek validation, its just me trying to be helpful.

Anyway, each to his own...

I'm very English in that instead of trying to modulate my accent, I speak slower and louder.

As though that would help

THE SHOP IS DOWN THERE

Perhaps I'm just a little ignorant and staid

Haha, taking a book from John Cleese's book I see.

"Manuel, TAKE BAGS UPSTAIRS."
"Si"
"No you blithering idiot...TAKE BAGS UPSTAIRS"
"Ooohhh Si"

Priceless... haha.

I fear we may have slightly derailed this thread :S

Originally posted by 44soulslayer
Anything that helps the other person understand me is good in my book.

That's where I see a difference. Obama and Hillary weren't changing their accents/diction in order to help the audience 'understand them'. They were changing their accents to try to pander to them in order to get votes in a dishonest fashion.

That's why I called Obama out on this. (not that he hears me, or cares what I think). It wasn't to help people understand .. it was to further his own position dishonestly.

And before anyone sarcastically says 'oh .. and you'd know that how?' They are POLITICIANS running for office ... that's how. AND it was obvious.

FF
I think this is something we have both been quite adamant about

It's fake and nonsense.

It comes to something when I end up agreeing with you