Languages – The most powerful speaker of our time

Obama has introduced a political language that’s an active weapon, not just a form of communication.

Barack Obama will be remembered for many things, one of which is his extraordinary talent for political rhetoric. In a survey of young Americans, he is often called “eloquent”; someone even deemed him “the most powerful speaker of our age”. Obama ended the season of Republican ‘communicators’ and their marketing agency coaches, who teach politicians to create consensus around policies by associating them with people’s unarticulated instincts and emotions. That season climaxed with George W. Bush and his protracted campaign to instil a fear of terrorism.

Obama has used public discourse not as a consensus-building tool but as a political weapon in and of itself. He is not a communicator; he is a classic orator who acts through words. In June 2004, Obama had just won a surprising election to the Illinois Senate when, one month later, he was chosen to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. His memorable speech profoundly impressed the audience for its eloquence – and propelled him to the centre stage of national politics. 

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