By nature Im a deliberate speaker, which, by the standards of presidential candidates, helped keep my gaffe quotient relatively low. But my care with words raised another issue on the campaign trail: I was just plain wordy, and that was a problem. When asked a question, I tended to offer circuitous and ponderous answers, my mind instinctively breaking up every issue into a pile of components and subcomponents. If every argument had two sides, I usually came up with four. If there was an exception to some statement I just made, I wouldnt just point it out; Id provide footnotes. Youre burying the lede! Axe would practically shout after listening to me drone on and on and on. For a day or two Id obediently focus on brevity, only to suddenly find myself unable to resist a ten-minute explanation of the nuances of trade policy or the pace of Arctic melting. What dya think? Id say, pleased with my thoroughness as I walked offstage. You got an A on the quiz, Axe would reply. No votes, though. Barack Obama, A Promised Land

A Promised Land by Barack Obama