Assuming this is talking about Trump and politicians in general (since it's the Guardian and brought up Reagan), repetition is key in politics (or business) to

Assuming this is talking about Trump and politicians in general (since it's the Guardian and brought up Reagan), repetition is key in politics (or business) to drive home a point. How many times have we seen a product release that repeats ad nauseum, but it's deliberate. Also, being imprecise avoids having to stick to a promise. While I wouldn't say it's a great trait, it's probably still preferable to a politician who makes explicit promises and breaks them. Anyhow, I have no doubt that it could be a precursor to Alzheimer's, but long-windedness can also be a conscious decision; it convinces enough people that you must know what you're talking about, since you're spending so much time talking about it. Concise speech using appropriate vocabulary is overrated - it just flies over most people's heads, and if you don't pad your speeches with fluff, they'll mistake conciseness with having nothing to say. Skirting around issues whilst saying nothing using many words is usually a conscious choice among politicians and businessmen.