President Obama practiced evasive communications at his health care press conference last week.

Communications clarity was missing. Answer content was not concise, nor persuasive.

In fact, President Obama’s response narrative was exhaustive.

Absent the teleprompter crutch, Mr. Obama is less able to step through prepared message points. Without it, his focus on verbal delivery is diluted; his effectiveness reduced.

Of course, communications effectiveness is always more difficult whenever any person feels the need to be evasive, or less forthcoming, on whatever the topic.

That has been the case with President Obama on health care.

It’s possible that the objective for his press conference was to gain a short-term poll bounce and bend enough incumbents to get the legislation done in a hurry.

Still, the bureaucratic inertia that the President took umbrage with, for failing to solve our health care challenges for more than 40 years, is actually a good thing. Our system helps protect citizens from bad ideas by using the constitutional institutions in government to allow for democratic passions and populist sentiments to run up against gridlock and debate.

But, ‘Obama-hurry’ short-circuits debate – both within the congress and among the public.

If American health care is in crisis, as some purport, real leaders would call for, and promote, more - not less - discussion and debate. Real leaders pursue building broad citizen consensus.

Insightful leaders understand these principles.

Real leaders consistently practice open, forthright communications in support of these principles.

Mr. Obama failed to meet this basic communications requirement of leadership.

That is not good.

In fact, it’s bad – for all of us.

It is bad because Barack Obama is the President of the United States of America.

Which necessitates asking the questions: Is Barack Obama a slow learner? Does the president not get it?

In both cases, I believe, the answer is “No!” Continued...