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Obama's JFK Playbook
Some of this is due to the differences in the background and temperament of the two men, but much is the result of the anti-intellectual, anti-elitist temperament of our times. The attacks leveled against Obama for being nothing more than an inspiring orator have led him, on occasion, to mute his rhetoric. In some of his recent speeches one senses him that Obama is repressing his Kennedyesque tendencies, and reining himself in, like a jockey holding back a thoroughbred that wants to sprint.
Now that he has won the presidency, Obama may loosen the reins on his oratory. The first evidence of this will probably be his inaugural address, which will face high expectations and is certain to be compared to Kennedy’s speech. I think that in the end we will find that Obama, like Kennedy, has been composing his inaugural address during his campaign, perhaps unwittingly, perhaps not.
In every one of Obama’s major speeches, he has pledged to put an end to the low politics that have divided Americans, preventing their nation from fulfilling its promise. In his announcement speech he spoke about “the smallness of our politics... our preference for scoring cheap political points instead of rolling up our sleeves and building a working consensus to tackle the big problems.” In his March speech on race, he criticized Rev. Wright’s remarks for being “divisive at a time when we need unity.” In his acceptance speech he urged Americans to say, “‘Enough,’ to the politics of the past.” In his televised closing statement of October 27, he told Americans, “In one week, you can put an end to the politics that would divide a nation just to win an election...” and said that to make the 21st century another American Century: “we just need a new direction. We need a new politics.” And on Tuesday night in Chicago, he said, “in this nation we rise and fall as one nation, as one people.”
Kennedy distilled his call for sacrifice and responsibility into “ask not.” If Obama is to deliver an inaugural that will, like JFK’s, become part of our political DNA he will also have to distill the central themes of his campaign into a sentence or phrase that soars higher than ask not. If he succeeds, I suspect we will discover that, like “ask not,” the sentence was there all along in his campaign speeches. If he fails, it will be because he has labored under a handicap that Kennedy never faced, the idea that eloquence is somehow elitist and un-American.
Thurston Clarke is the author, most recently, of The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and 82 Days That Inspired America.
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Thurston Clarke has written ten books, including The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and 82 Days That Inspired America (a New York Times bestseller), California Fault (a New York Times Notable Book) and Ask Not: The Inauguration of John F. Kennedy and the Speech That Changed America. His articles have been published in Vanity Fair, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.
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Thurston Clarke has written ten books, including The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and 82 Days That Inspired America (a New York Times bestseller), California Fault (a New York Times Notable Book) and Ask Not: The Inauguration of John F. Kennedy and the Speech That Changed America. His articles have been published in Vanity Fair, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.
One of JFK's greatest contributions in the realm of "eloquence" articulating political realities is his American University speech.
A true leader inspires a nation to discover themselves first and then changing the course of history by acting for the common good and future generations. Incoherent sentence structure is the first sign of incoherent policy, the Bush oratory is a pluperfect example.
JFK's AU speech should inspire the incoming politicians of all political persuasions to tackle the ever present self destruction that we have blindly learned to erase for our distracted consciousness.
to see and hear an excerpt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJOU7OEg0oM
I dream of an America where there's no audience for Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Keith Oberman and the rest of the voices that have turned reasoned political discourse into a deafening shouting match of ideological sound bites. I, for one, would welcome the return of "Kennedy-esk" rhetoric. Words count, they mean something, and used properly can inspire people to do great things.
Government is here to provide the services that we cannot provide for ourselves. It is not a contact sport. I've heard all the arguments that divisive partisan campaigns date back to the earliest elections in America, but it's time to change that notion, not perpetuate it.
If we look at the Obama presidency as a chance to reinvent the system, to make it work for all Americans and not just the ones with the strongest lungs we have a once-in-a-generation chance to make America the shining city on the hill that Ronald Reagan spoke of. Let's not throw this opportunity away.
the only comparisons between Kennedy and Obama is they were both democrats. This is a different generation and we have problems that would spin Kennedy's head. Mass information and instant 24 hour news call for instant decisions. With two wars and the worst economy since the depression, the World hating us and terrorists everywhere, Obama would "
welcome a "Bay of pigs"
sandman
I think it's Obama's eloquence and rhetoric that has won him the country. I agree with these first 2 comments. I know we are all starved for ideals and values to show again in our government.
That speech is still played around my house by JFK. My son is 29 years old and has a child of 2. When he has her for the week and he fixes her dinner since about 1 and half yrs old he plays that speech to her. She watches the screen. She seems to understand who he is. We watched Nov 4th the election and my granddaughter sat with us and watched history being made. She said Obama won. That is something to see. Am 60 yrs old, white and was so proud of my son and granddaughter and husband. We all had tears running down our eyes.
Wow. That we Americans are so devoid of any critical analysis and are instead awed by rhetoric is disheartening. Comparing a man who has not spent one day in the oval office and whose views are so dissilimar to JFK's does a serious disservice to the incredible man JFK was. JFK served in our military, was a hero, was pro-life and cut taxes. Maybe we, as Americans, can start being impressed by real policy that impacts us and less with poetic rhetoric.Don't cheapen JFK by likening him to Obama. And....do your homwork.
there's a typo in JFK's famous quote!
Barack Obama sounds like John F. Kennedy, because greatness transcends generations. Like FDR and Abraham Lincoln, Obama has been called to greatness, and stepped forward to answer that call... We are witnessing one of the greatest moments in American history... now, can WE answer the call?
Why are we even comparing JFK and Obama? JFK's presidency did not end well.
And then there was Marilyn Monroe... JFK oozed sexual appeal.
Please, Michele is not Jackie Kennedy and never will be - NO ONE will ever be another Jackie - the closest to holding that title was Nancy Reagan!
Thank you.
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