For a few years, I was a parent adviser, coach, and judge for our town’s high school forensics team (speech and debate, not guns and bullets, in this case). So I know a little bit about "speechifying."
In his virtuoso performance after his victory in South Carolina, Obama skillfully, methodically, and very subtly took the Clintons apart – and they never even knew what hit them. The train emphatically left the station during that speech, and Billary was stuck standing on the platform, looking the wrong way down the tracks.
If, as some commentators observed, Obama’s speech was "angry," it grew out of righteous anger, and only served to reinforce what we’ve learned over the last couple of weeks – Obama can hit back, and hit back effectively, but with dignity. For a closer look at some of the most effective features of his speech, hop down over the fold.
Of course, he begins by thanking South Carolina. This is SOP for all winning candidates. But, instead of a long litany of thanks to this person and that person, what’s next?
"I’d like to thank the rock of my life, Michelle Obama."
That was the first subliminal message. Does anyone think that Bill is the rock of Hillary’s life? No! He has been unfaithful to her since probably before they were married. A subtle reminder of the severe morality gap between the two couples.
"I’d like to thank Malia and Sasha Obama, who haven’t seen their Daddy in a week."
Second subliminal message. This young man has small children at home waiting for him. Who would be mean to someone’s "Daddy?" And a quick reminder of Obama’s family values and the sacrifice he is making on behalf of the nation – it’s clear that he misses his little girls as much as he knows they miss him.
He begins the body of his speech as you’d expect: we are ready to believe, the cynics have been schooled, we are hungry for change, and, oh, by the way, we have the most votes and the most delegates and the most diverse coalition.
Then he inoculates himself against accusations of nasty politics with kind, respectful words for his competitors. He is on the high road, far above his competition. He also accepts that the battle will be hard fought, and it doesn’t bother him one bit:
But if there’s anything we’ve been reminded of since Iowa, it’s that the kind of change we seek will not come easy. Partly because we have fine candidates in the field – fierce competitors, worthy of respect. And as contentious as this campaign may get, we have to remember that this is a contest for the Democratic nomination, and that all of us share an abiding desire to end the disastrous policies of the current administration.
Next he begins the Hillary hit list:
"The status quo is fighting back with everything it’s got; with the same old tactics that divide and distract us from solving the problems people face."
"We are up against the belief that it’s ok for lobbyists to dominate our government – that they are just part of the system in Washington."
"We are up against the conventional thinking that says your ability to lead as President comes from longevity in Washington or proximity to the White House." [Take that, Hill!]
"We are up against decades of bitter partisanship that cause politicians to demonize their opponents instead of coming together"
"The kind of partisanship where you’re not even allowed to say that a Republican had an idea – even if it’s one you never agreed with." [Hah! Good one.]
"We are up against the idea that it’s acceptable to say anything and do anything to win an election." [Talkin’ to you, Hill.]
Next comes the "we are one nation" appeal, the antidote to those who would divide us:
"And what we’ve seen in these last weeks is that we’re also up against forces that are not the fault of any one campaign, but feed the habits that prevent us from being who we want to be as a nation. It’s the politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon. A politics that tells us that we have to think, act, and even vote within the confines of the categories that supposedly define us. The assumption that young people are apathetic. [I love the high pitch of the young voices that greet this phrase. "Nooooo!," they squeal.] The assumption that Republicans won’t cross over. The assumption that the wealthy care nothing for the poor, [this was brilliant – even the rich are good, compassionate Americans who will be comfortable in the Obama camp, who knew?] and that the poor don’t vote. The assumption that African-Americans can’t support the white candidate; whites can’t support the African-American candidate; blacks and Latinos can’t come together." He goes on to argue that the exact opposite is true.
Obama’s next rhetorical move skillfully reaches out and scoops up listeners into his camp with a dazzling call to arms.
"That is the country I see," he says. He transfers the pronoun from "I" to "you" ("this is the country you see"), and shortly thereafter, to "us." Suddenly, it is up to us. We have to get to work. We are needed:
"But now it is up to us to help the entire nation embrace this vision . . . . there are people all across this country who are counting on us . . . The mother who can’t get Medicaid to cover all the needs of her sick child – she needs us to pass a health care plan . . . The teacher who works another shift at Dunkin Donuts after school just to make ends meet – she needs us to reform our education system . . . The Maytag worker who is now competing with his own teenager for a $7-an-hour job at Wal-Mart because the factory he gave his life to shut its doors – he needs us to stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship our jobs overseas and start putting them in the pockets of working Americans who deserve it . . . The woman who told me that she hasn’t been able to breathe since the day her nephew left for Iraq, or the soldier who doesn’t know his child because he’s on his third or fourth tour of duty – they need us to come together and put an end to a war that should’ve never been authorized and never been waged."
Now he begins the escalation toward the Billary coup de grace:
"The choice in this election is not between regions or religions or genders. It’s not about rich versus poor; young versus old; and it is not about black versus white."
Hm. What do you think the choice is, really?
"It’s about the past [That’s Billary! So much for Hill’s "experience."] versus the future [That’s Obama! Again the young voices rise]."
The knife goes in, and he twists it hard. There’s no way she can parse that one. Her whole campaign is based on the past, isn’t it? She's been completely bypassed.
Now, let’s drive the point home by reminding the audience what Billary is really like:
"It’s about whether we settle for the same divisions and distractions and drama [Bill, he’s talkin’ to you, now] that passes for politics today."
"There are those who will continue to tell us . . . that we cannot have what we long for. That we are peddling false hopes." [Does that sound familiar?]
OK, here comes the part where we all tear up:
"But here’s what I know. I know that when people say we can’t overcome all the big money and influence in Washington, I think of the elderly woman who sent me a contribution the other day – an envelope that had a money order for $3.01 along with a verse of scripture tucked inside. So don’t tell us change isn’t possible." [And she sent scripture. That’s how much she believes in Obama – God is going to be on our side, and even impoverished old women understand this.]
Can Obama relate to those Latinos who will theoretically only vote for Hill? Oh, yes – so watch your back in Arizona and California, woman:
"When I hear the cynical talk that blacks and whites and Latinos can’t join together and work together, I’m reminded of the Latino brothers and sisters I organized with, and stood with, and fought with side by side for jobs and justice on the streets of Chicago."
And does Obama have cross-over appeal to Republicans? Why, yes, it appears he does:
"When I hear that we’ll never overcome the racial divide in our politics, I think about that Republican woman who used to work for Strom Thurmond [code for the biggest racist hypocrite ever, with his segregationist views, and his secret half-black daughter] who’s now devoted to educating inner-city children and who went out onto the streets of South Carolina and knocked on doors for this campaign. Don’t tell me we can’t change."
Now the buildup to the rousing finish that Obama does so well:
"Yes we can change.
"Yes we can heal this nation.
"Yes we can seize our future [reinforce that meme just one more time on the way out].
"And as we leave this state with a new wind at our backs [poetry! My god, he almost sounds like Reagan!], and take this journey across the country we love [patriotism] with the message we’ve carried from the plains of Iowa to the hills of New Hampshire; from the Nevada desert to the South Carolina coast [a touch of Woody Guthrie]; the same message [we don’t flip-flop] we had when we were up and when we were down [we are resilient; adversity does not stop us] – that out of many, we are one [the United States, yes!]; that while we breathe, we hope [I get teared-up again right here, to go along with the chills down my spine: "while we breathe, we hope" – oh my God!]; and where we are met with cynicism [Billary], and doubt [all those who think a black can’t win], and those who tell us that we can’t [Billary again, and everybody else who is wrong about Obama], we will respond with that timeless creed [this is the way it is supposed to be, remember?] that sums up the spirit of the American people in three simple words:
"Yes. We. Can."
Wow. I’ve listened to it twice, and both times it left me breathless one minute, and cheering out loud the next. He definitely gets a "1+++++" from this forensics mom – and that 23-year-old speechwriter of his is a genius, too.
I can’t wait to hear his victory speech on Super Tuesday.
Video and full transcript http://my.barackobama.com/...