Barack
Obama On 4 November 2008 US senator Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States. Great orators, like great artists, are often only recognized after their death. For Barack Obama's skill as an orator to be appreciated during his life is a testament to the power of his words. Obama was born on 4 August 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He moved to Indonesia where he attended local schools in Jakarta until the age of ten, then returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents. Obama's story is fresh and immediate. He is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. Later he worked as a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree and practised as a civil rights attorney in Chicago. Between 1997 and 2004 he served three terms in the Illinois senate. Clearly his experience as a politician was limited, a point that was thrust against him in his campaign to lead the USA. However, that clearly didn't stop him and it was predominantly his rhetoric, his manner and his oratory that persuaded people he was the right person for the job. There were other ingredients as well, including his background and the country's mood for change. Lessons from Barack Obama
Emphasize shared values and connectedness. Obama's huge popularity stems from the perception that his values, priorities, approach and personality are widely understood and distributed. It often seems that the way in which he shares his story makes it emblematic of an inclusive America, rather than being just one individual's tale. For example, he emphasized this sense of shared values in the 2004 Democratic Convention speech:
Show your intention and provide a sense of possibilities. People do things (such as enter politics) for many reasons. Obama's reasons for becoming a politician are entirely consistent with his life before politics and his actions afterwards: to genuinely help people and improve their situation as well as to contribute to the life of his community. His great ability is to connect with people, partly by saying what they want to hear (and what he wants to deliver) and partly by providing a refreshing sense of possibilities. Audiences respond extremely well if presented with possibilities all of which they know they can achieve. This open, positive approach from Obama is clear from his words spoken at Grant Park, Chicago, the night he was elected president:
Have a clear message: things can be better. But be realistic. Audiences want to hear the positives, but they're not stupid. Obama's campaign slogan "Yes we can" was simple - according to some reports, too simple for Obama, who had to be persuaded to use the phrase by his advisors. But people do tend to want change and improvement; after all, these things are more appealing than stagnation and complacency. Change is a universally popular message, although of course, as we all know, it can't be promised for ever without delivery. Take your opportunities. Obama delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004 and quickly rose to national prominence. Many things contributed to his success, but he was undoubtedly helped by having an opponent who led an unpopular political party, combined with a nationwide feeling that it was a time for substantial change. His campaign, like his speeches, was impressively disciplined and kept to the same messages, not repeated in the same way but highlighted in different ways with a wide variety of stories, examples and analogies. He made his opportunities work because he understood his audiences. Use language carefully. Personalize your message and connect with people. Obama has bucked the trend: in an age of soundbites and spin, it is the quality of his traditional speeches combined with modern campaigning techniques that have contributed to his rise. While many of the devices in his speeches, such as the repetition of the same phrase at the beginning of successive sentences, were used by orators from Cicero to Kennedy, it is unusual to see this style in the twenty-first century. There are several reasons why Obama can achieve this classical oratory that his contemporaries tend to avoid. First, his words are entirely of their time, not at all disconcerting, elitist or alienating. The language and phrases are real and of the people. Also, his language involves the audience in narratives that are highly personal - or seem so at first hearing. Finally, he refers to the greats who precede him, particularly Lincoln. Obama declares himself the heir to salvationist politics, a bringer of hope and change - and people love him for it. Reference other great speeches or speakers. Obama's speeches often include references to other speakers, speeches and writings. If managed lazily or badly, this can merely confuse or block the listener. In Obama's case, the process of quoting others helps those in the audience to feel familiar with his words and understand the scale of his ambition. It is a technique often used in history's greatest speeches. For example, in his inaugural address in January 2009, Obama said:
Of course, the subject of a speech and its context need to match the reference, or it can appear absurd. Perhaps this is one reason why relatively few leaders feel bold enough to do it. As well as fear of pretension, lack of ambition may also explain why this technique has fallen out of favour. Or it may simply be that inspiration is out of fashion in the more egalitarian, fast-moving routine of our soundbite times. However, human nature has not changed and still responds positively to bold, powerful references. A Legacy |
