Barack Obama
January 29, 2009 by Jerry
The rush to judgment of Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address was as predictably swift and as abundant as I expected in my earlier blog, “What Did Obama Say?” Within hours after he uttered his closing words, the media and the Internet were overflowing with post-mortem analysis. Surprisingly, many opinions expressed disappointment. Nearly a week later, after the gold dust of that historic day settled, Frank Rich of the New York Times took his turn and summarized the majority opinion: “Obama did not offer his patented poetry in his Inaugural Address… He did not recreate J.F.K.’s inaugural, or Lincoln’s second, or F.D.R.’s
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January 28, 2009 by Jerry
The passing of the torch of leadership on Inauguration Day is usually a lofty occasion, on which political differences are put aside for the sake of national unity. Most incoming presidents observe this protocol in their Inaugural Addresses and speak graciously of their predecessors, but in his, Barack Obama broke the string. Although he began graciously, “I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition,” Obama proceeded to take exceptions to George W. Bush’s track record. And although he did not charge Bush specifically, there was
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January 27, 2009 by Jerry
An accomplished orator, and Barack Obama is a very accomplished orator, has at his disposal a repertory of classic rhetorical devices – dating back to Aristotle – to enhance the expression of ideas in a speech. Our new president’s eloquence was best described by the chief book critic of The New York Times, Michiko Kakutani, “his appreciation of the magic of language and his ardent love of reading have … endowed him with a rare ability to communicate his ideas…to persuade and uplift and inspire.” In The Power Presenter, I described several tropes he has used throughout his ascent to
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January 26, 2009 by Jerry
Ingmar Bergman, the great Swedish film director, made a film called “The Devil’s Eye,” which opens with a scene of Don Juan in Hell. The legendary lover is about to seduce a woman, when suddenly, another woman bursts into the room in a fit of jealous rage. Brandishing a knife, she accuses Don Juan of infidelity. He stands up, bares his chest, and says, “Go ahead, stab me. My chest will open to your blade, just as your legs once opened to my blade.” The woman drops the knife and falls submissively into his arms. Don Juan swoops her up
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January 21, 2009 by Jerry
The anticipation leading up to Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address yesterday was as emotionally loaded as awaiting the outcome of a lottery drawing, and as covered in print as much as the Super Bowl. Experts of every type from historians to speechwriters, and from journalists to speech coaches (full disclosure), offered their expectations of what Obama would say. In most cases, opinions focused in two general areas: themes and inspirations. It would be wise to allow the gold dust to settle a bit before commenting on the grand themes of this momentous occasion, so let me focus only on the sources
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January 19, 2009 by Jerry
John F. Kennedy had Ted Sorenson to help him craft his Inaugural Address; Barack Obama has had Jon Favreau, a 27-year old wunderkind, as his campaign’s head speechwriter. But Barack Obama also has himself. Before there was even a presidential campaign, he wrote his breakthrough 2004 speech himself and, in the middle of that campaign, when he had to deliver his crucial speech about race, the word is that he wrote it himself. Given the extraordinary circumstances and focus on his presidency, it would seem that his Inaugural Address, too, has to be a completely personal effort. And there is
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January 9, 2009 by Jerry
Yesterday, in his first speech since the election, President-elect Obama spoke at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, where he formally unveiled his stimulus plan to address the economic crisis. But the magic carpet ride of his vaunted rhetoric ran into a snag. The New York Times, in a lead article, reported resistance to the plan, even among his senate allies. Moreover, the usually-supportive newspaper was less than thrilled about his delivery of the speech. They wrote, “Known on the campaign trail for inspirational addresses, Mr. Obama on Thursday was sober and ominous, summoning the nation to meet a daunting
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