by Matthew Reed

Created on: May 12, 2008

A particular joy of studying United States history is to read, and hear recordings of, speeches by American political leaders. Out of the hundreds of individuals who have served in Congress, as President, on the Supreme Court, or as social activists, only a handful of men and women stand as singularly grandiloquent. Most speeches are dull and forgettable exercises in rearranging words to obscure double-meanings, butchering syntax to make the speaker seem enlightened, and plain ignorance. Those few public personas in history who can effectively balance details of policy with convincing pathos include Patrick Henry, Abraham Lincoln, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Franklin Roosevelt, and John Kennedy. Surprisingly, this year's presidential election campaigns have revealed an engaging and charismatic candidate in Barack Obama.

Illinois Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama is a compelling orator. As a first-term senator, Obama was not considered a serious contender for the presidency of the United States. However, since his announcement to run for president over a year ago, Obama has drawn huge crowds to his rallies and is now locked in an intense and close Democratic nomination race. Senator Obama's oratorical style has been compared favorably to Reverend Martin Luther King, Junior, and to President John F. Kennedy. His speeches are well-written, full of lyrical rhythm, and impassioned. Obama's speaking is effective because he uses balanced style, repetition, and history to relate contemporary issues to the audience.

The content of Obama's speeches is logical and educated. The transcripts of Obama's speeches seem to read like scholarly erudition rather than a tedious harangue written for sound bites on the national news networks. Obama uses language that is plain without being simple. He is able to communicate to individuals without advanced degrees, but does not use condescension. For example, in a campaign speech in New Orleans, Obama stated,

If catastrophe comes, the American people must be able to to call on a competent government. When I am President, the days of dysfunction and cronyism in Washington will be over. The director of FEMA will report to me. He or she will have the highest qualifications in emergency management. And I won't just tell you that I'll insulate that office from politics-I'll guarantee it, by giving my FEMA director a fixed term like the director of the Federal Reserve. I don't want FEMA to be thinking for one minute about the politics

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