And it’s one reason I voted for him.
Here’s U.S National Security Advisor, General James Jones in an interview with Spiegel this week:
SPIEGEL: Is it difficult to advise the president, Barack Obama?
Jones: No, simply because he’s a very good student of geopolitics. He understands strategy. He has a very inquisitive mind, and he prepares himself extremely well for all the meetings that he attends. You cannot come to his meetings without being prepared to say something because if you don’t say anything, he will call on you.
SPIEGEL: How does Obama react if somebody contradicts him?
Jones: He actually encourages debate. He wants people to defend their positions. He is willing to listen.
Prometheus Unbound 