--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Obama has become too dependent on formal…" description: "\"Obama has become too dependent on formal speeches and set town halls. His idea of mixing it up is taking off his jacket.\" — Dee Dee Myers" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4c/dee-dee-myers-7880_communication_obama-has-become-too-dependent-on-formal_353233.png" --- # Obama has become too dependent on formal speeches and set… ![“Obama has become too dependent on formal speeches and set town halls. His idea of mixing it up is taking off his jacket.” quote by Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4c/dee-dee-myers-7880_communication_obama-has-become-too-dependent-on-formal_353233.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4c/dee-dee-myers-7880_communication_obama-has-become-too-dependent-on-formal_353233.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4c/dee-dee-myers-7880_communication_obama-has-become-too-dependent-on-formal_353233.png) > “Obama has become too dependent on formal speeches and set town halls. His idea of mixing it up is taking off his jacket.” [Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The claim is that Obama relies heavily on formal speeches and town halls, and his only variation is a minor gesture like removing his jacket. **In simple terms:** Obama's communication is seen as overly formal with little real change. Key Takeaway Seek deeper, substantive changes in political engagement. Themes politics communication authenticity Mood critical analytical Type observation critique When to use this quote - campaign events - press conferences - public appearances - media interviews Key Concepts public speaking image management Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders demonstrate authentic engagement beyond style? - What substantive actions would improve political communication? A Different Perspective A single gesture may not meaning genuine change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) ## Related quotes > [In-person town halls generally require a commitment several weeks in advance - a commitment my office is not prepared to make given the full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/in-person-town-halls-generally-require-a-commitment-several-weeks-in/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [Throughout my first year in office, some of my most informative conversations have occurred at public, community-focused events like our town halls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-spanberger/throughout-my-first-year-in-office-some-of-my-most-informative/) [Abigail Spanberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-spanberger/) > [Any man and woman, and I've been on the record, any man or woman who wears the uniform and serves this country is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-walsh/any-man-and-woman-and-i-ve-been-on-the-record-any-man-or-woman-who/) [Joe Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-walsh/) > [Special interests and opponents have figured out how easy it is to disrupt town halls and get their own message out. The days of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/special-interests-and-opponents-have-figured-out-how-easy-it-is-to/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [I probably hold more town halls than any member of Congress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-walsh/i-probably-hold-more-town-halls-than-any-member-of-congress/) [Joe Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-walsh/) > [You have a lot of people asking for town halls with the purpose of disrupting a town hall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-zeldin/you-have-a-lot-of-people-asking-for-town-halls-with-the-purpose-of/) [Lee Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-zeldin/) > [ The White House is dismissing these fiery town halls as the result of professional protesters. Well, that's exactly how President \[Barack\] Obama team's and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/the-white-house-is-dismissing-these-fiery-town-halls-as-the-result-of/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [I find out as much from the guy in backstage TV as I do from my C.F.O. Anybody can e-mail me. I do town…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-grossman/i-find-out-as-much-from-the-guy-in-backstage-tv-as-i-do-from-my-c-f-o/) [Mindy Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-grossman/) > [Folks, some of these town halls are clearly organized. But, regardless, there are potential warning signs that Republicans perhaps shouldn't ignore.We heard Democrats dismiss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/folks-some-of-these-town-halls-are-clearly-organized-but-regardless/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [While teleprompter use is very common for politicians and others giving formal speeches, Biden is the first candidate to regularly use one outside of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/while-teleprompter-use-is-very-common-for-politicians-and-others/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [“In America, too, the reality behind the words of the Declaration of Independence (issued in the same year as Adam Smith’s capitalist manifesto, The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/in-america-too-the-reality-behind-the-words-of-the-declaration-of/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“New Rule: Democrats must get in touch with their inner asshole. I refer to the case of Van Jones, the man the Obama administration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-democrats-must-get-in-touch-with-their-inner-asshole-i-refer/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Even the picturesque prehistoric settlements at Akrotiri on the Greek island of Santorini were an exercise in problem-solving; white-washed homes and town halls built…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bettany-hughes/even-the-picturesque-prehistoric-settlements-at-akrotiri-on-the-greek/) [Bettany Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bettany-hughes/) > [Few Americans have ever met their Congresspeople. They don't see them at the grocery store; they don't meet them at the bowling alley. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/few-americans-have-ever-met-their-congresspeople-they-don-t-see-them/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [When I was Surgeon General, I spent a lot of time talking to people in living rooms and town halls all across the country,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/when-i-was-surgeon-general-i-spent-a-lot-of-time-talking-to-people-in/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) ## More by Dee Dee Myers > [It isn't fate but fecklessness that has shoved Sarah Palin to the sidelines of national politics. The real tragedy is that she's taken a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-myers/it-isn-t-fate-but-fecklessness-that-has-shoved-sarah-palin-to-the/) [Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) > [I was supposed to be authoritative, but at the same time had to be likeable, a quality that is a bonus, not a requirement,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-myers/i-was-supposed-to-be-authoritative-but-at-the-same-time-had-to-be/) [Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) > [It was what became something of a pattern in the first couple of years of the Clinton White House and maybe even longer, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-myers/it-was-what-became-something-of-a-pattern-in-the-first-couple-of/) [Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) > [Throughout his presidency, Clinton made a point of getting close - physically and emotionally - to the people whose problems his administration was working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-myers/throughout-his-presidency-clinton-made-a-point-of-getting-close/) [Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) > [The fight is always the same within the Democratic Party, isn't it? The more things change, the more they stay the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-myers/the-fight-is-always-the-same-within-the-democratic-party-isn-t-it-the/) [Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) > [Women have to be the biggest champions in the world of other women's choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-myers/women-have-to-be-the-biggest-champions-in-the-world-of-other-women-s/) [Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) > [And Clinton was like that - he saw the whole playing field. He didn't just see the event that he was at or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-myers/and-clinton-was-like-that-he-saw-the-whole-playing-field-he-didn-t/) [Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) > [Even tax breaks that are supposed to help the middle class too often skew toward the wealthy. Consider the mortgage interest deduction. While political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-myers/even-tax-breaks-that-are-supposed-to-help-the-middle-class-too-often/) [Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) > [Almost all first ladies have had tremendous power on personnel issues, whether the public realized it or not, whether it was Barbara Bush or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-myers/almost-all-first-ladies-have-had-tremendous-power-on-personnel-issues/) [Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) > [Part of Obama's persona is self-reliance. He's calm; he's cool; he's self-possessed. In many ways, he has tried to define himself in opposition to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-myers/part-of-obama-s-persona-is-self-reliance-he-s-calm-he-s-cool-he-s/) [Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) > [President Barack Obama would do well to take a page or two from Clinton's playbook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-myers/president-barack-obama-would-do-well-to-take-a-page-or-two-from/) [Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) > [In a way I think Bill Clinton is more likely to forgive and move on or at least try to woo people who don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-myers/in-a-way-i-think-bill-clinton-is-more-likely-to-forgive-and-move-on/) [Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) > [No doubt, the White House thinks the American people know Obama's story. But since the Inauguration, we've seen only the president's present: his perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-myers/no-doubt-the-white-house-thinks-the-american-people-know-obama-s/) [Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) > [Many differences are rooted in biology and reinforced through culture, so it's important to acknowledge that. Because if you say men and women are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-myers/many-differences-are-rooted-in-biology-and-reinforced-through-culture/) [Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) > [Bill Clinton sitting on Air Force One getting his hair cut while people around the country cooled their heels and waited for him, became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-myers/bill-clinton-sitting-on-air-force-one-getting-his-hair-cut-while/) [Dee Dee Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) [Explore all 86 Dee Dee Myers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-myers/) ## More Communication quotes > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. 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The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [“To engage in dialogue is to serve others via whatever is real inside you; to engage in debate is to ultimately serve the illusions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oli-anderson/to-engage-in-dialogue-is-to-serve-others-via-whatever-is-real-inside/) [Oli Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oli-anderson/) > [What it comes down to for me is this: Will the technologies of communication in our culture, serve to enlighten us and help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/what-it-comes-down-to-for-me-is-this-will-the-technologies-of/) [Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/) > [In dialogue, there is opposition, yes, but no head-on collision. Smashing heads does not open minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/in-dialogue-there-is-opposition-yes-but-no-head-on-collision-smashing/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I've been in a serious conversation with one of my children, and a fan has come up. 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