Obama's Speeches

In his column on the Wall Street Journal website, Daniel Henninger asks the question, "What is the point and purpose of Barack Obama's speeches?”. In Obama and the Speech, Henninger talks about the “eloquence and sentiment” of the president as he gives his speeches and that public speech has become the main attraction of his presidency. He states that even though Obama's speeches are “good and strong, they do not seem to be connected to anything more than his own thoughts on any particular subject”.

Henninger is correct when he says that Obama could probably talk his way onto Mount Rushmore, as the president is a great public speaker. However, anyone can be a good public speaker. Barack Obama is the president of our great nation. Therefore when he gives a speech it should be powerful and provide leadership. When he is on television everyday giving speeches, how do the citizens know what is important to remember? The commercials we see are much the same. We see the same commercials over and over everyday. We know the songs and tunes to each commercial but do we pay attention to each one every time they come on? This is because people lose interest over information they see and hear about all the time, so they stop paying attention. If we are being inundated everyday with a speech from the president, we cannot possibly remember all of it or the importance of any of it.

Henninger's article offers an explanation from a group of students that states "the purpose of the rhetorician's art is to persuade". John Locke believed rhetoric to be an “instrument of error and deceit”. If we agree with what Locke believed, then I suppose Obama is doing nothing but lying and making empty promises, but that is another topic all its own.

I think Obama is using his speeches to be remembered as a great president, but he is trying too hard. Instead of working on something to be remembered by, he should be working on being a great president. He already knows how to be a great public speaker. Henninger's article brings up our past great presidents, and some of their great speeches. All of their great speeches came out of some great tragedy or some great victory. President Obama has not had a great tragedy or victory to have a great speech about. I am concerned that if something happens and he gets his chance to make a great speech that will be remembered, no one will be listening.

Daniel Henninger has been the deputy editor of the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page since 1989, and has won several literary awards. His general audience is most likely the business world, but I believe most of the American public would find this article very interesting as it offers another view of the president’s speeches instead of just discussing the teleprompter.