The Proper Use of Pronouns, As Demonstrated by Barack Obama

Demonstration One: The Second-Person Singular Pronoun "You."

Barack Obama: "All around the country, wherever I see folks, they always say, oh, Barack, we're praying for you -- boy, you're so great; look, you got all gray hair, you looking tired. (Laughter.) We're praying for you. Which I appreciate..."

Demonstration Two: The Third-Person Plural Pronoun "They."

The United States underestimated the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, President Obama said during an interview, to be broadcast Sunday night, in which he also acknowledged the Iraqi army’s inability to successfully tackle the threat.

According to transcript from Sunday's "60 Minutes" on CBS interview, correspondent Steve Kroft referred to comments by James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, in which he said, "We overestimated the ability and the will of our allies, the Iraqi Army, to fight."

"That's true. That's absolutely true," Obama said. "Jim Clapper has acknowledged that I think they underestimated what had been taking place in Syria."

Demonstration Three -- INCORRECT Usage of the Third-Person Singular Pronoun "He."

Reached by The Daily Beast after Obama’s interview aired, one former senior Pentagon official who worked closely on the threat posed by Sunni jihadists in Syria and Iraq was flabbergasted. "Either the president doesn’t read the intelligence he's getting or he's bull****ing," the former official said...

Kidding aside, Geraghty then (in the second link) demonstrates the various warnings the intelligence committee has made about Iraq and Syria.

Thanks to JustTheTip and @comradearthur.

For Further Consideration:

Historical Demonstration: The Proper Use of The First Person Plural Pronoun "We."

"We got him." -- Barack Obama commenting upon the killing of Osama bin Ladin

posted by Ace at 11:55 AM

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