COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN: 10 worst talkers of 2011

Donald Trump. First he turns into a birther, only to look foolish when we all learn that during Trump’s show-me-your-birth-certificate campaign, President Obama was homing in on the successful assassination attack against Osama bin Laden. Then the New York real estate developer treats the GOP presidential primary as though it’s his personal play toy for staying in the limelight. After only two GOP presidential candidates agree to show up at a Trump-moderated debate (which he’s forced to cancel for lack of participation and interest), The Donald resigns from the Republican Party, saying he’s disgusted by the candidates’ behavior. Trump has clearly poised himself for an independent run for the Presidency, a campaign he has no interest in completing let alone winning. Somebody take the “T” out of this guy’s name.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The president of Iran could use a shave and his mouth washed out with soap. Iran, one of the world’s youngest countries in terms of average age of its citizens, has a highly educated population with enormous potential. You would never know it by listening to Ahmadinejad, who is incessantly embarrassing the proud Persian people with ill-mannered proclamations that signal he is committed to rattling sabers and keeping Iran stuck in the Dark Ages.

Glenn Beck. This guy has deserved a place on the list for years running. The operative phrase here is “lack of credibility.” Do his listeners not care that his laundry list of dire predictions – including FEMA prison camps to incarcerate all who disagree with the Obama administration – has never come to pass?

Charlie Sheen. Charlie doped, drank and talked his way out of the highest paying job on television, the starring role in Two And A Half Men. It’s always a bad policy to call the head of the network paying you millions of dollars a “liar.” If Charlie’s was “winning,” as he incessantly claimed, sign me up for the “losing” column.

Anthony Weiner. Lying is a sin, or so they say. This New York congressman adopted dissembling as his policy when caught Tweeting semi-nude snapshots of himself to young women. The whole world knew Weiner was lying, yet he kept doing so until there was just no explaining his way out of the perverse revelation. Sometimes the truth is just too awful to admit.

James Murdoch. Rupert Murdoch’s son comes under the headline Spoiled Rich Kid. Here’s another young man having trouble with the truth, or believing the rule of law applies to him or the company whose mantel he’s inheriting, News Corporation. Murdoch the Younger sat before the British Parliament and tried to sell its members on the fatuous notion that he didn’t know phone hacking was a standard practice among his London-based newspaper reporters, even after getting emails from his own executives telling him exactly that.

Rick Perry. He runs for president with a Texas gubernatorial agenda, is badly thumped in GOP primary debates, and suffered an embarrassing brain freeze when trying to recall just three federal agencies he vows to abolish. C’mon, Rick.

Jerry Sandusky. Sometimes it’s what you don’t say. The Penn State assistant football coach’s long pause when an interviewer asked if he was sexually attracted to young boys struck like an asteroid. And sometimes it’s what you do say: Defense attorneys were floored that Sandusky’s legal counsel allowed him to talk with the media.

Greg Mortenson. The author of the huge bestseller Three Cups of Tea has the lid blow off egregious discrepancies in his reporting, as well as alleged misuse of funds contributed to the charity he founded. When confronted by 60 Minutes and other news organizations about the charges, Mortenson went into hiding. Fellow mountain climber and bestselling author Jon Krakauer was so offended by Mortenson’s duplicity he released his own 75-page exposé, Three Cups of Deceit: How Humanitarian Greg Mortenson Lost His Way.

James Harrison. This Pittsburgh Steeler has trouble following revised NFL rules that forbid delivering head blows when making tackles. He gets repeatedly fined by the league, repeatedly shoots his mouth off, and repeatedly has to apologize for his lack of verbal discretion. The quotes from his July interview in Men’s Journal alone are eye popping.

 

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