You say Obaaama...

I wonder why Jon Snow insists on pronouncing the Democratic presidential candidate's surname as 'ObAMMA', as in Alabama, rather than 'ObAAMA', as in drama, like everyone else? He was at it again last night, on Channel 4 News, and most distracting it was too.

I once had a Sunday school teacher who pronounced Esau as 'Esoo', and at university I knew someone who repeatedly pronounced Evelyn Waugh as 'Evelyn Woe', even when everyone else in the room was using the correct pronunciation.

I've often wondered how people with this idiosyncrasy manage not to be swayed by those around them. Does it signify a failure in listening skills (unlikely in Snow's case) or a supreme self-confidence, perhaps deriving from a certain kind of class background (which does ring true for Jon)?