Still pondering Obama

In my last post I criticized Obama's final remark in his Rolling Stone interview. Since that may not have been prepared by speech writers and gone through a review and editing process I decided to look at his recent speech and compare it to one Ronald Reagan gave; both speeches were given at similar times in their Presidencies with high unemployment and economic uncertainty heading into mid-terms where considerable losses to their parties were expected.

I've chosen the last three paragraphs (and the ending salutation) from each, the place each man needed to close the sale.

Ronald Reagan, Irving, Texas 11 October 1982:

But I want to make a request. If you believe, as I do, that too many people in Washington are out of step, if you believe that we need reforms like the balanced budget amendment, then please send us a Congress that will pass these programs so we can make this great country of ours number one once again. If the liberals do have an alternative, it's the same one they've always had, and maybe that's why they're not mentioning it. They mean to raise your taxes and give government a blank check to spend more money, and we've been down that road now for more than 20 years.

We're on a new road now. Unless we have the courage to stay on course and lick inflation for good, we'll never have lasting recovery. Our problems will grow worse than before. And that's the sad, sorry history of past decades -- lost nerve and squandered opportunities.

Well, I intend to stay the course. I need your support. I want you to promise me that you will mobilize an army across this State to get out the vote for a great Republican victory on November 2d. And let us remember that we Republicans have a rendezvous in this city in 1984. Let us remember that we have a mission to renew all the dreams and opportunities that our nation was placed on this Earth to provide. And let us remember the best way to make those dreams come true is to elect Jim Collins to the Senate, your fine candidates to the House, George Strake as Lieutenant Governor, Allen Clarke as treasurer, and to send Bill Clements back to your capital as Governor of this great State.

Thank you very much, and God bless you.

Barack Obama, Madison, WI 28 September 2010

That involvement can’t end with the vote that you cast in 2008. That election was not just about putting me in the White House. It was about building a movement for change that went beyond any one campaign or any one candidate. It was about remembering that in the United States of America, our destiny is not written for us — it is written by us. That is the blessing of this country. (Applause.) The power to shape our future lies in our hands — but only if we’re willing to keep working for it and fighting for it and keep believing that change is possible. (Applause.)

So that’s what’s being tested right now. That’s what’s being tested. We are being tested here. The question is, are we going to have the courage to keep moving forward even in the face of difficulty, even in the face of uncertainty? This election is not about what we’ve done; it’s about the work we have left to do. It’s what - it’s about what you want this country to look like over the next two years. It’s about your future.

So, Madison, get out there and shape it. Get out there and fight for it. (Applause.) I need your help, Madison. We need you to commit to vote. We need you to pledge to vote. We need you to knock on doors. We need you to talk to neighbors. We need you to make phone calls. We need you to bring energy and passion and commitment. (Applause.) Because if we do, if you’re willing to step up to the plate and realize that change is not a spectator sport, we will not just win this election - we are going to restore our economy, we are going to rebuild the middle class. We will reclaim the American Dream for this generation.

Thank you. God bless you. God bless the United States of America.

My analysis:
First Paragraph
Reagan -- Asks for help, follows by three items that his audience will respond "yes" to, asks for a specific action, lays out the alternative (higher taxes and spending).

Obama -- Lectures on generalities, doesn't lay out any specifics, doesn't ask for agreement by the audience (no "if you believes"), doesn't ask for help.

Reagan has engaged the audience. Obama hasn't. When someone says "if you believe" it's pretty hard for the human mind to not answer automatically yes or no. Obama, if anything, encourages minds to wander thinking about what he means.

Second Paragraph:
Reagan -- implies a plan (new road), provides an action (stay the course), lays out the objectives (lower inflation, recovery).

Obama -- asks for people to have courage to "move forward...even in face of uncertainty."

Words matter -- course implies following a plotted path, forward doesn't. Reagan asks for courage, and asks people to continue following him and his plan to get to a specific objective. Obama asks for courage too, but describes a scenario that could as well be someone lost in the woods -- just moving forward to no certain destination.

Third Paragraph:
Reagan -- starts off with what he is going to do, then asks for others to follow. He mentions the Republican party. He finishes with a combination name-drop and call to action -- the best way to achieve the objectives I laid out earlier is to elect these people.

Obama -- starts off with you go do something. What? Well, your future. He doesn't lay out a specific objective like Reagan did (smaller government, lower taxes, lower inflation, economic recovery). Rather he made his speech about an uncertain future, one that apparently is different for each person. He does ask for help, then lays out a number of "we" needs. Who is we? He never mentions the Democratic party. Obama doesn't name drop so he doesn't reinforce the party. He doesn't finish with a call for action, but instead after two and a half paragraph without any specific objectives suddenly comes up with restore the economy, rebuild middle class, and reclaim the American Dream.

Obama's speech is not as effective on a technical basis. He doesn't work on getting buy-in, he doesn't layout a plan, he plays up uncertainty, he doesn't leave the audience walking away action on their minds but wondering how are "we going to..." the three broad goals he suddenly puts out there. Obama's speech also ignores his party and his party's candidates. Whatever else his speech may have included earlier, the end left people leaderless and with no clear direction.