What's wrong with "eloquent"?

In one of the Biden threads a DUer said he/she got slammed for saying Obama was "eloquent." While I agree calling any professional with advanced schooling "articulate" is a backhanded compliment, what's wrong with saying Obama is an eloquent speaker? Being articulate means that you can be understood and put your point across. All people above a certain age should be articulate (however I do feel Chimpy and text messaging has lowered the bar on this somewhat). But eloquence moves people, it makes them listen ever so closely to the speaker's message. It also makes them remember what was said because it involved their emotions. They didn't only hear the message, they felt it.
Why would any politician, unless they were anti-education no-nothings, *not* wish to be eloquent?

Maybe people think it's too "gay". (And I'm gay, so I can say that.) But in my book, there are very few speakers who can claim "eloquence" - and Obama is one.

I really don't know how to describe Sen. Obama's gift for speaking and words and not feel like I'm being a racist after this. I always thought in terms of politicians as a whole and not in the sense of "for an african american"
I just find most politicians very lacking the very skill they should be good at and that is public speaking. To have a politician with that skill and to take to the heights of excellence but, not be able to describe in fear of being thought racist is confusing. How do I describe this gift? How do I express my admiration for this person's ability with language and public speaking which I find so lacking in most of our politicians (Hillary is especially lacking here)and not offend??

she was very articulate. She also had alot of fire. I don't think her problem is so much that she is not articulate, but that she has had too much coaching and isn't what she used to be. But she was not eloquent. Bill can be eloquent at times though.

the spontanious part and the whole of the person. I think you can be too consulted and too handled. Sometimes it;s better to just be yourself. It's a pity that whatever her personality could have naturally grown into was scrubbed out long ago.

as a first lady. But yes, when she went out on her own she was handled and Schumered and DLC'd to death. The Hilary that I saw in Salt Lake City at the Capitol Building is no more, or else she's buried under all that handling.

Eloquence describes a superior speaking ability. Most politicians are articulate. Few are truly eloquent.

Calling someone articulate has always seemed a little bizarre to me, especially when describing a well-educated person. Whenever I hear Colin Powell or Barack Obama or Condi Rice described as "articulate," I want to scream, "YOU'RE DAMNED RIGHT THEY'RE ARTICULATE!!! THEY ARE HIGHLY EDUCATED PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SPEAKING IN PUBLIC FOR YEARS. WHY WOULDN'T THEY BE ARTICULATE, YOU ASS?!"

Eloquence is another level and, in my view, much better describes Obama's speaking abiliy - and doesn't contain the hidden insult that suggests that somehow it is exceptional for a black person to be able to ar-ti-cu-late.

He has an advanced degree but you'd never know it.

education. If he were articulate, it would be considered a given. On the other hand, blacks with the same level of education are praised for being "articulate" as if it's unusual for a black person to be able to string words and sentences together in a coherent way.

A good speech is inspiring and graceful - something I enjoy very much. Will even tape the good ones to watch again.
Chimpy is missing too many marbles to even be aware of the power of a good speech. He thinks he was crowned and he has no need to be anything for anyone.

As Robert Penn Warren wrote:

Until you remember, suprisingly, that
common men have done good deeds.

Until it grows on you that, at least,
God has allowed the grandeur of certain utterances.

I mean no disrespect to folks in Kansas

So if you're disrespecting anyone it's them. :hi:

It allows the speaker to transcend the specific issues and articulate a vision or a broader truth. That it is a plus is demonstrated by the support that Obama has. Much of that support comes from what many people saw in his speech at Kerry's convention and in susequent speeches.

As to Biden's comment, what I find strange is that, if anything, a dispropotionate number of black politicians or leaders speak with incredible eloquence. Think of the truely inspiring speeches in the last 50 years - they have to include MLK (I have a dream), Jesse Jackson( he had the best speech at one of Clinton's conventions), and Obama's.

Also, consider that Clinton was given a very positive compliment that he was able to speak like a black preacher. The root of that compliment was the understood admiration of the passionate eloquence that is the norm of the best preachers.