An Interesting Interview with President Obama and Secretary Clinton, but Marred by a Speech "Tic"

The CBS 60 Minutes joint interview with President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was highly unusual, given that it began as a visit which was to be solely with Mr. Obama, but was expanded to include Secretary Clinton at the president’s insistence. The interview was fascinating and left the viewer to wonder what was going on behind the scenes. Was this intended to serve as an endorsement of a 2016 presidential bid by the Secretary, the individual that would be the early favorite to win the Democratic nomination? The interview subjects strenuously denied that anyone is thinking about 2016 just days after President Obama's second term inauguration. I am not so sure.

As a person that pays close attention to words, I found the story not only interesting, but replete with distraction.

I wonder how it can be that our leader and another individual in a position of great authority are incapable of forming extemperaneous sentences or thoughts without use of the senseless and useless phrase, "you know." We do NOT know, Mr. President and Madam Secretary!

I am aware that in today’s world of widely-accepted gibberish that substitutes for effective communication, I would be fighting a losing battle in any effort to bring back widespread use of The King's English, but if others who engage in public speaking are able to form thoughts without speech "tics," should the leaders of the free world not be capable of paying attention to the words they choose before they are uttered?