That teacher who thinks he's funny (but isn't): "what do you get when you cross a joke with a rhetorical question?"

We know—you're not a fan of rhetorical questions. But believe it or not, sometimes they do serve a purpose, and Obama used them a few different times in his "A More Perfect Union" speech: first, in lines 32-37, when he is discussing his knowledge of Reverend Wright's comments, and then in lines 43-44, addressing his reasons for staying at Trinity United Church of Christ.

In this case, Obama obviously didn't expect the audience to respond to his questions, and he wasn't trying to make an annoying teacher joke. He was using rhetorical questions to acknowledge that people were really asking those things. The American public wanted to know why he didn't leave the church and if he had knowledge of Reverend Wright's comments.

It proved to be a super effective move. It gave Obama the chance to answer those questions when he wanted and how he wanted, while also acknowledging their existence. But he didn't focus on them—in fact, the rhetorical questions appeared early in his speech, and then Obama stopped asking questions and started telling us how things are going to be.

Any good speaker will establish their credibility first. It is so much easier to convince your audience you're up to snuff if you can answer their questions, address their concerns, and then give your spiel…which is exactly what Obama did.

And that's far more effective and valuable than a (terrible) teacher joke.