In with the New: Barack Obama’s Inauguration Speech
In stark contrast to the 43rd President of the United States of America, President Barack Obama spoke clearly, concisely, and confidently to the millions of people listening to him deliver his inaugural address.
His task was a difficult one. Even though those in attendance and around the world were anxious to hear soaring rhetoric and words of inspiration, Obama’s message was a little more serious. The moments of inspiration were there, but they were always balanced out by the reminder of the obstacles America faces as a nation.
Every time he spoke of America’s ability to succeed, he spoke about the need to to roll up your sleeves and work.
Whenever he spoke of the past success of Americans, he would reference the sacrifice required to achieve success.
I don’t think he delivered the message Americans wanted to hear, but he certainly delivered the message they needed to hear.
A few things impressed me about President Obama on this occasion:
1.) He showed more emotion and used more gestures than I’ve seen him use in a long time. In an effort to appear more “presidential”, Obama had been using fewer gestures and downplaying the energy that marked his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
2.) He said a lot by saying a little. Everyone knows how significant this inauguration was. Race was (and still is) a contentious issue in America. He was able to sum up all of the feelings about race in one sentence …
a man whose father, less than 60 years ago, might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
3.) He was courteous to to Bush, but he didn’t let him off the hook. I can only imagine how George W. Bush was feeling as he listened to Obama say:
we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals
4.) He hammered his point home. This speech was about the American people rolling up their sleeves and getting to work on fixing what ails the country. If you didn’t get that message, you didn’t really listen to the speech.
All that being said, there is one thing I think would have capped this speech off perfectly. I’m guessing most of those watching and listening were expecting it, too.
Yes we can!
Since he was talking about the difficult times and challenges America has to face, I think it would have been fitting to end his address with the words that inspired America and caught the attention of the world. Maybe President Obama or his speechwriters thought the phrase was a little tired, but I think it would have been a more powerful ending than the one he used.
The speech won’t be remembered alongside FDR’s or JFK’s inaugurals as an all-time great. But the success of the speech will be measured by how hard the American people work in the coming weeks, months and years of Obama’s administration.
What did you think of the speech?
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Tags: Obama Inauguration Speech, Presentation Skills, Presidient Obama, Public Speaking, Speech Writing, speechwriters
20. January 2009 at 5:50 pm :
Hi John,
Yes, we DO basically agree on this one. He’s a great speaker, but he missed the opportunity he had here to really make a memorable speech. Make a memorable experience for that matter. (And I still don’t think he’ll make it an experience until he learns how to use Teleprompters well!)
Appreciate your blog.
Bert
20. January 2009 at 7:07 pm :
“He said a lot by saying a little” – astute observation. Understatement was one of the strong points of the speech – like watching the armored Caddy drive down the Avenue afterwards at 3 mph when you know it could do 100 mph if needed.
My thoughts on his speech are here http://tinyurl.com/8rr4ly
21. January 2009 at 10:38 am :
Thanks for your comment, Bert. It is too bad he didn’t say something that will stick in our minds. I think most people wanted that.
That being said, the moment itself was a great one in history that will be remembered.
21. January 2009 at 10:39 am :
Thanks, Ian. I like your analogy. Your post on the speech is great. A very thorough breakdown of all the elements used in the speech.
22. January 2009 at 12:44 am :
[...] John Watkis: The speech won’t be remembered alongside FDR’s or JFK’s inaugurals as an all-time great. But the success of the speech will be measured by how hard the American people work in the coming weeks, months and years of Obama’s administration. [...]
22. January 2009 at 1:57 pm :
Chris, I couldn’t agree with you more about wanting that little ray of “spring” hope at the end. I understand his need to give everyone a reality check, but I felt he did that by talking about the storm that was brewing.
When he finished his speech, I couldn’t help thinking “is that it?”
9. March 2009 at 10:54 pm :
If you want to see some constructive analysis on the inauguration speech there’s a pretty good piece at: http://psworkbench.blogspot.com/ called “5 reasons why you shouldn’t speak like Barack Obama”