When President-Elect Barack Obama is sworn into office on Tuesday, he will be standing not just in front of the Capitol, but in front of the world. His right hand will rest upon the bible used to swear in this nation’s 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. If ever there were a speech that carried with it the future and fate of the United States, and by extension the world given the role this country plays in the globlal arena at every level, it would be President-Elect Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address.
The Nations’ News is Bad, Very Bad
Virtually never, or unarguably since the Great Depression, have the circumstances and conditions facing Americans been as dire. I don’t think it’s necessary to recount the details that precede this forecast, just pick up your newspaper, watch the news, or peruse the home page of your internet browser — the headlines are frightening indeed. Whether it’s a discussion about the multi-billion dollar bail-out (that doesn’t’ seem to be working, or certainly not working fast enough), the implosion of Wall-Street and essentially the collapse of our financial markets, our Trillion-dollar deficit (that calls in to question the hard times ahead), the highest unemployment in more than 40 years, the shrinking value of the U.S. dollar, our wars abroad and our credibility in the world, much rests on the words the President-Elect will speak on Tuesday.
The Importance of this Inaugural Address: Every Word, Every Sentence, Every Phrase Counts
Every word, every phrase, every sentence and every paragraph, as well as the tone of this speech will set the attitude we Americans face going forward in this country, at least for the next four years. This speech will shape the way the world views us – as a people, and a nation. It will impact the financial community here, and abroad. If you think this is placing too much emphasis on what will likely be a thirty to no more than forty-five minute speech, just watch what happens to the stock market on the day-of and following his speech. The ramifications to his words simply cannot be overstated; the challenges we face as a nation, the path that he suggests for the people of this country as well as the gauntlet he throws down for our members of congress, and all of our government leaders, are simply put, at the apogee of seriousness.
The Speech: The Quintessential Axis of Marketing, Communications, Public Relations
Make no mistake about it, this speech is as much about shaping, (or attempting to shape) public policy, as it is about (attempting to shape) public perception (about how he will “lead” and how this country “may do” from this day forward). This speech is in fact the quintessential axis of marketing, public relations and communications colliding into one fantastic medium, or opportunity – a public speech delivered by our President-to-be on the day he is sworn in. He will outline the challenges, he will seek to inspire. His message is as much intended for our government leaders as it is for this nation’s citizens.
Will President-Elect Barack Obama Deliver?
The question is, can President-Elect Barack Obama meet this goal? Can he, and/or his speech-writers force us to look in the mirror at these daunting problems and compel us to do what it takes to bring this country back from the brink of financial ruin and personal despair? Not only what he says, but how he says it will dictate whether he injects in us (America and American’s) the kind of invigorating message that will rally our support not just as a national constituency, but equally how this country will be perceived as the major actor it is on the world stage. He sets the bar for how he will be able to interact not just within our government, but with other governments.
My Predictions: What this Speech Should Be
This speech will be serious, it will be somber. But, at the same time it must uplifting. It must resonate with the values and tradition of the great American spirit. It must resonate with the grit, determination and the hard work of our forefathers that made this country great. It will more than likely echo in our memory one of the greatest speeches ever delivered (either as an Inaugural address or of all great speeches presented by statesmen), the memorable JFK speech, and inevitably it will draw comparisons. It will, or should, touch upon the difficulties we face now and how we as one of the greatest nations on earth, the cornerstone of democracy and bedrock of free enterprise will rise above the crises of today. It will be, or should be captivating, compelling and cogent. President-Elect Barack Obama has surely been blessed with the gift of oratory, his tone is pleasing, his demeanor thus far on par with circumstance and conditions consistent with place, time and need. Let’s see how he delivers, and if he delivers.
To be continued Wednesday. Check back here for further views about the soon-to-be President’s speech performance.
Note: Jeff Mustard authored his first speech for Congressman Benjamin Gilman while serving as an Intern on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Since then, he has authored speeches to esteemed audiences delivered at the highest levels of government and business. In addition to providing speech-writing services, he is an accomplished speech coach, perfecting delivery for national television appearances.
