An Articulate President
The sight of Barack Obama and George Bush together at the White House was striking in many ways. For one thing, what will it be like, as Joe Biden would say, to have an articulate President, one who can speak clearly – and write powerfully?
I don’t want to overdraw this comparison, but skill with words is another thing Obama has in common with
Lincoln was probably the greatest writer among our Presidents, but others had real ability to write persuasively and inspiringly. Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt had it. FDR could turn a nice phrase. JFK, being a rich man, hired a great ghostwriter in Ted Sorenson. Ronald Reagan’s overlooked skill as a writer underlay his strength as a communicator.
Not so much lately. We had two President Bushes whose mangling of the English language matched their mangled presidencies. Bill Clinton could be eloquent but, as in all things, his sin with words was excess. Try reading his autobiography.
Then read Obama’s two books. This is a President who has a rare skill with words. That’s a big reason he will be President.
On “Sixty Minutes” Sunday night, Obama’s campaign manager David Plouffe said that, unlike most campaigns, Obama’s never wasted time talking about what the message would be. The candidate told the campaign what it would be, and he stuck with it for 22 months.
When it came time to deal with the Rev. Wright dust-up, Obama sat down and wrote what he wanted to say.
In his books, Obama’s fundamental argument was the same as his campaign message: All Americans and – for that matter, all human beings – are more alike than they are different.
His ability to articulate that commonality is what makes his election a potentially defining moment in our history.
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An Articulate President
The sight of Barack Obama and George Bush together at the White House was striking in many ways. For one thing, what will it be like, as Joe Biden would say, to have an articulate President, one who can speak clearly – and write powerfully?
I don’t want to overdraw this comparison, but skill with words is another thing Obama has in common with
Lincoln was probably the greatest writer among our Presidents, but others had real ability to write persuasively and inspiringly. Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt had it. FDR could turn a nice phrase. JFK, being a rich man, hired a great ghostwriter in Ted Sorenson. Ronald Reagan’s overlooked skill as a writer underlay his strength as a communicator.
Not so much lately. We had two President Bushes whose mangling of the English language matched their mangled presidencies. Bill Clinton could be eloquent but, as in all things, his sin with words was excess. Try reading his autobiography.
Then read Obama’s two books. This is a President who has a rare skill with words. That’s a big reason he will be President.
On “Sixty Minutes” Sunday night, Obama’s campaign manager David Plouffe said that, unlike most campaigns, Obama’s never wasted time talking about what the message would be. The candidate told the campaign what it would be, and he stuck with it for 22 months.
When it came time to deal with the Rev. Wright dust-up, Obama sat down and wrote what he wanted to say.
In his books, Obama’s fundamental argument was the same as his campaign message: All Americans and – for that matter, all human beings – are more alike than they are different.
His ability to articulate that commonality is what makes his election a potentially defining moment in our history.
Click Here to discuss and comment on this and other articles.