January 7, 2008 - 4:13pm
Torricelli on Obama's Iowa Speech
By Robert Torricelli
Tags: Barack ObamaTop Story: Opinion
There's no more lost art in America than oratory. Chief executives, union leaders and politicians seem to have lost the ability. Even our most successful leaders seem to engage in no more than a stream of consciousness.
Several years ago I published a collection of great American speeches (In Our Own Words). The book was separated by decades. The finding of speeches worthy of inclusion from the early 20th Century was easy. As the decades progressed, it became harder and harder. The last great speech worthy of the collection was Mario Cuomo's at the 1984 Democratic Convention.
The reason for the decline is legend. Even great universities rarely stress communication skills. A command of the language is seldom emphasized in school or in the work place. It's no coincidence that the best American oratory was contributed by William Jennings Brian, Woodrow Wilson, T. R., F.D.R. Stevenson or J.F.K. Success at the law, business or academia required the same basic skills that result in great political oratory.Each had a privileged education or excelled at a profession.
Even our generations most successful politicians, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, had the communication skills but not great oratory. The command of literature, history and love of words that form a memorable speech weren't their hallmark.
Last week there was a rare moment in American politics. Barack Obama accepted victory at the Iowa caucuses by weaving an argument with threads of sheer poetry. The English language was used to inspire again with a speech that was structured to make an argument for his cause with clarity and force.(That doesn't mean that he should be President. I'm for Hillary.)
It's also no coincidence that Barack Obama would be the first to introduce great oratory into a Presidential campaign in this generation. I also don't think that it's a result of a Harvard education. Anybody in Democratic politics who has campaigned extensively has an idea about the source of his oratory. The most forceful and articulate use of the language today for purposes of persuasion is in African American churches. I've heard few lawyers or businessmen develop the skills of oratory that is routinely used in large AME or Baptist Churches in our urban centers.
As I listened to Obama's speech I smiled a little. I thought about all of the hours that he must have been listening to the cadence and rhythm of his pastor. He must have noted how points are introduced, supported and concluded. He was supposed to be learning about faith. He was learning another lesson as well.
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No to take anything away from his church, but lets be real. The man is a Harvard educated lawyer with a knack for politics-I'm sure he knew the value of a good speech. I also take issue with Torch's assesment that "black churches" are the key here. Could it also be the particualr pastor or reverand, could it be the denomination? This assesment seems like damning with faint praise. That said Sen. Obama is a terrific speech-maker and I am certain that his religion has had an influence on his positions and abilities, I just find it sad that Torch equates it to a black and white issue.
Torricelli is correct.
The lost art of communicating through speeches is long gone.
You can name on one hand how many elected officials author their own words, much less deliver them with a sense of passion or purpose.
His book is an excellent reference tool for any speechmaker or speechwriter.
Obama can think on his feet and deliver his thoughts with clarity.
It's what makes him authentic and real.
Torricelli is many things, one of them is a scout of real political talent. He knows Obama is politically talented, schooled out of Cook County at the knee of the Daley political machine.
Torricelli is on the mark
The African American church stands as a hallmark for things oratory. I don't think he was reducing it to a "black thing or "damning with faint praise". The standard of exceptional oratory to which we should all aspire can be heard in quite a few churches on Sunday throughout the nation, most exceptionally in African American churches. The griots, or storytellers in Africa, told stories that drew crowd of villagers and there skills have been passed on through blood and generations to many a Black preacher.
Mom in Law
I am sure you are correct, and I do not dispute the rich oratory tradition that is associated with all churches including those that are predominantly African American. I would bet that the last remaining orators in the country are preachers (with respect to Sen. Obama's skills) I simply do not see how being a black minister gives one a natural advantadge in speaking over a white minister or a native american minister or an asian minister...
Indeed
Amen
I read your opinion re: Sen.
I read your opinion re: Sen. Obama's Iowa speech. I understood your point, but I must stress some caution and disagreement. I don't think Obama's oratory skills come from years of sitting in the church listening to the preacher. Further, I don't believe that he like others try to mimic those skills. Instead, I believe and almost know that it comes from a passion deep down in his belly; it is a burden that is so deep and heavy. It is a yearning that he cannot quelch. It is his undeniable commitment to make change. As he so eloquently stated, Sen. Obama asserts that his motivitations are sparked by Dr. King's quote, "the fierce urgency of now". He knows that this is his time and he has the ability and fortitude to lead Americans to levels unheard of. In the spirit of MLK, Sen. Obama is a dream fulfilled. In closing, his phenomenal oratory skills come from his passion and dedication to us, all Americans, in an effort to help us become change-agents of the world. Thank you fo your time and attention.
Obama is great
But you spread that on a bit thick didnt you?
Torch = wrong again
Barack Obama was raised by a white single mother and his white grandparents. He grew up in Hawaii, Indonesia, and Hawaii again. He then moved to Los Angeles and then New York for college. Somewhere around that time, he became a "Christian." He attends the United Church of Christ, one of the most, if not the most, liberal Christian denominations, but hardly a denomination that is majority-black. All of this information is available from a simple cursory search of Barack's online biography. Give me a break. Yes - Sen. Obama is African-American. However, that does not mean he came from the black church culture that Sen. Torricelli mentions. That's just an ignorant assumption. Is it possible that a black man in America is just tremendously talented, intelligent, and articulate without having attended the black preacher school of oratory? Shame on you.
Missing Torch's Point
tpkkid -- I think you missed Torricelli's point. He is not referring to who is sitting in the pews, he is referring to who is delivering the message. Obama's pastor, Rev. Wright is a well known, charismatic, and yes, African-American, preacher. And Obama has written in his own book how he has been moved to tears by Wrights sermons. Torricelli was simply making the point that if you want to hear good oratory today, one of the best places to go is an African American church on a Sunday morning. And if you want to get good training in effective, powerful oratory, listening to a pastor like Wright is better than what most universities have to offer. And yes, of course we all know Obama upbringing, but for the past twenty some years he has lived in Chicago and attended services at this church for most of that time. And as a State legislator, Congressional candidate, and US Senator, I would expect Obama spent a lot of Sundays in other African American churches and has heard other charismatic preachers in those venues. I think Torricelli's only point is that Obama is an incredibly gifted speaker. And he probably would be an incredibly gifted speaker if he never went to church. But he also undoubtedly benefitted from sitting in a church pew Sunday after Sunday hearing an incredibly dynamic pastor and probably learned some style and oratory skills that no one would ever learn in our universities today. Drop the "shame on you" malarky and read the column with an open mind instead of just looking to a pick a silly fight.
Com'on Torch
How many primary/cacusues have we had since Iowa? Got anything else to say?