Does Obama stutter?

With all the fuss about elections here in the states and the fierce battle between candidates, recently, it has come to my attention from some Barack enthusiasts (and anti-Obamas as well) who listen very well that one of the nation's most accomplished speakers may have a slight stuttering problem. So I tuned in my ear and looked for the signs in Obama's talk. Indeed, I have found some undeniable occurrences of stammering in the man's speech.

One very notable moment was when CNN’s Wolf Blitzer started to read him the Axelrod quote. Blitzer asked, “Your chief political strategist, David Axelrod, causing some commotion out there today with his comments about Hillary Clinton, and blaming her—at least some are interpreting it this way—blaming her in part for a series of events that resulted in Benazir Bhutto's assassination today. Let me read to you what he said." Obama replied—and I think I got the quote—“No, I, I, I, I, I have to, I heard, I heard, I don’t need it, I don't need to hear what you read because I was, I overheard it when he said it, and this is one of those situations where Washington is putting a spin on it. It makes no sense whatsoever.”

I thought that was odd; It wasn't the only instance I've seen him stumble during his speaking. The man has been doing it quite a lot, enough to get others to really notice it. Of course, when he is delivering a nice good speech by himself, he is fluent and his speech is powerful. But when he is having a conversation, or having a debate with Hillary Clinton, or John Edwards, he usually shows a lot of repetition, hesitation, and a lot of hand gestures(2nd hand behaviors).

Someone suspect it is stuttering. However, I doubt that Barack Obama may actually have some fluency problem. Indeed although he does have a lot of dis fluency in his speech, they are not part-syllable repetition, sound prolongation, and silent fixation, he does not show any real struggle in getting his words out. But definitely he is not as fluent as Hillary Clinton and John Edwards. I think it is more of just the way he is, a common occurrence in many "normal" people. I presume it's the spontaneous, on-the-spot type of talking that gets to him. That may be why he speaks better when he has a prepared speech ready.

If I can find anything in his autobiography about speech impediments, I'll change my mind and may be the Stuttering Foundation of America can add a new role model to its list.