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Follow on Google News | Media Training Question #62 – Did Political Speech Ever Matter?Sometimes I am more proud of our leaders than others, especially as it comes to message, but sometimes I’m proud mostly because I’m an American too and I want to hear what they have to say, it just doesn’t happen nearly as often as I would hope
By: MediaTraining.me Yesterday marked the 50th Anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural address that gave us the most inspirational line in presidential history, the “Ask Not” line can be quoted by most any of us and I pray, and will ask my children later, if they know it, but surely those up my generation know it cold, as we should. The remarkable address, presented in its entirety in the video I posted, is worthy of the almost 14 minutes it takes to watch and hear. This speech was written by the President himself, almost unheard of in today’s political reality. Delivered on a cold day that was marked by a major snowstorm the day before, Kennedy was undeterred by those who wanted to cancel the even for another day and set into motion one of the most memorable days in the history of inaugural addresses’. His speech was the fourth shortest ever delivered but packed a punch that is still felt today. Many of the day wrote volumes of Op/Ed’s and articles praising the President for shepherding in a new era in American politics with that single speech and it would be tough to argue otherwise. The current political rhetoric has become insanely unproductive and politicians of any ilk appear to be so selectively negative and defensive that the idea of inspirational political rhetoric has soured in the bellies of the American people as we digest most political speak these days. We have as a nation become jaded and suspicious and even as President Barack Obama delivered the best, most thoughtful address in Arizona last week when speaking of the horrid events that critically wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and others and killed even more. For about 20 minutes the country warmed to Obama’s speech, only to return to personal realities the next day, but the greater point here is that in the nuggets of inspirational leadership we do get we should relish is as never before. We elect people for a variety of reasons and that’s fine, but one of the reasons we elect our leaders is that in times of great need, urgency or leadership we want, no we need for them to sound inspired, strong and confident and the more profound the message delivered is the better we feel about moving forward, it is just a fundamental truth. The galvanizing force that is now politics is what it is but the JFK address and President Obama’s most recent address is a beautiful reminder of how important words are to healing, to help and to honoring ideas that transcend mere words and capture real emotion. There is a place in this for politics, I just wish more politicians would warm to the idea that how they say it matters and what they say has power beyond the delivery of those words. Sometimes I am more proud of our leaders than others, especially as it comes to message, being a message guy, but sometimes I’m proud mostly because I’m an American too and I want to hear what they have to say, it just doesn’t happen nearly as often as I would hope. # # # As the host of his own nationally syndicated radio programs for 15 years, Tony has interviewed over 25,000 guests and appeared as a guest on over 800 radio and national television shows. He founded of his own public relations firm and he went on to author two books and became a “go to” authority on a myriad of issues from weight loss to self empowerment; End
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