OBAMA - THE INTERVIEW

Posted at 1:12 p.m. ET

Reader Peter Madsen writes this:  "A college professor who hasn't been off campus much: Obama sans teleprompter on the Stephanopoulos show.  When I was in Toastmasters we always had an ah-counter. You'd need two of them to keep up with this bird."

Mr. Madsen makes a valid point.  The Obama in interviews is not the Obama with a prepared speech, addressing the multitudes.  He has difficulty answering questions.  He stumbles.  He often seems at a loss for facts.  You get the impression of a man constantly conniving, trying to express, not his own opinion, but the politically useful opinion.  I've also had the feeling that he doesn't prepare very well. 

The Politico reports on Obama's interview with George Stephanopoulos on "This Week."  Obama does not shine.

Barack Obama says his answer about abortion at the Saddleback Church forum was “probably” too flip.

During separate televised interviews last month, Pastor Rick Warren asked the two presidential candidates when a baby gets human rights. Obama replied that the question is “above my pay grade,” while John McCain won love from the right by saying quickly, “At the moment of conception.”

Now, Obama tells ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in an interview taped for “This Week”: “What I intended to say is that, as a Christian, I have a lot of humility about understanding when does the soul enter into … It's a pretty tough question. And so, all I meant to communicate was that I don't presume to be able to answer these kinds of theological questions.”

So why hadn't he communicated those things?  He's dealt with the abortion issue throughout his political career. 

Then there's this, which leans to the bizarre:

Obama disclosed that he had once considered serving in the military.

“You know, I actually did,” Obama said. “I had to sign up for Selective Service when I graduated from high school. And I was growing up in Hawaii. And I have friends whose parents were in the military. There are a lot of Army, military bases there.

“And I actually always thought of the military as an ennobling and, you know, honorable option. But keep in mind that I graduated in 1979. The Vietnam War had come to an end. We weren't engaged in an active military conflict at that point. And so, it's not an option that I ever decided to pursue.”

Do you understand the logic of what he said?  He considered joining the military because it was "an ennobling and, you know, honorable option."  But there was no war on, so that's why he didn't?  It isn't ennobling or honorable in peacetime?

What is Obama saying?  I recall that Hillary Clinton once "disclosed" that she'd tried to join the Marines.  The story fell flat.  I don't think anyone took her seriously.  Now Obama comes out with this weird pronouncement on joining the military. 

Strange.  Very strange.

September 7, 2008.