With the 2012 Presidential election in full swing, media attention has shifted toward politicians. Included in this shift of attention is a pointed interest in the words of politicians, specifically, their speeches. In his post, "
Political Pageantry," Simple Wisdom discusses what he perceives to be the relationship between political speakers, their speeches and their audiences. In short, Simple Wisdom argues that most Americans have completely missed the point of these speeches. Instead of commenting on the content of the speeches they hear, people comment on the style. He argues that this seems to be a growing trend for all of America's population; he has witnessed both uneducated and educated members of society discuss political speeches in this way. Though Simple Wisdom's interpretation of his peers' reaction to political speeches is understandable, I do not believe he has taken the very purpose of speeches into consideration. While speeches are meant to inform, they are also meant to attract and inspire.
Obama, the focus of "Political Pageantry," is known for being a brilliant and persuasive speaker; however, is not the only American president who has been credited with mastering the auditory art. Though his presidency was cut short, JFK was able to establish himself as a captivating speaker. In an article entitled, "
JFK's Inaugural Speech: Six Secrets of his Success," BBC's Max Atkinson explores exactly why JFK was such a brilliant orator. JFK gave this speech while America was enduring an extremely high-pressure time period. As a result, JFK's speech was full of generalizations of his position on the issues. However, similarly to Simple Wisdom's stance on his peers, Atkins does not address the content of JFK's speech; Atkins dissects the intricate details of JFK's speech in order to know why JFK's speech had such a profound effect on his listeners. I believe there are two reasons why professionals and laymen choose to pay more attention to the style of the speaker as opposed to the content of their speech. First, politicians are a unique breed of celebrity. Secondly, many Americans have already chosen their side of the argument before the speech even begins.
Politicians have an interesting place in the media. Politicians are not typical celebrities- their claim to fame is not to entertain or mesmerize. Theoretically, the job of the politician is to serve as a voice for the people or to inspire voting decisions. Politicians are not newscasters or reporters- their job is not to introduce news to the American people. Because of their role as quazi-celebrities, politicians do not experience constant exposure to the lime-light. As a result, politicians are not the primary medium by which Americans receive their information on today's political issues. Because politicians are not the majority of American's primary source for political news, many Americans have already determined their stance on the issues before the speaker even opens his or her mouth.
So if the job of the politician is not to educate, what is his or her responsibility? The main goal of the political speaker is to unite, encourage and persuade. Viewing the political speech in this way, discussing how persuasive the speech is or the speaker's style no longer seems shallow but respectable and legitimate.
Do you think that people pay much attention on speaker's style is a good thing or not? I feel it takes away the real important thing of hearing their speeches - the content. Many people may like some one more than the other simply because he of she speaks much better. Even thought some people, not only the politicians, have great ideas, they are ignored because they are bad at public speaking. I agree with that many people have a stance on the issues before hearing the speech, but I think people hear the speech to confirm that the politician stands on their stance. Many people may not trust some politicians because their speech style is bad and does not convince people to believe that the politician is telling the truth. And good speaking style can convince people that the politician is truthful, even though they may just making false promises. So do you need to be a good speaker to be a politician or do something big and good in government?
ReplyDeleteNot all influential politicians choose to be in a position where they speak publicly. Many politicians choose to communicate their ideas via written word. Being a brilliant public speaker is by no means a requirement of being a politician. However, for those who do choose to place themselves in the limelight, the way they conduct themselves and the way they speak does matter. I only chose to focus on those who are public speakers because the original post entitled "Political Pageantry" addresses speeches.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very interesting, and valid post. It is human nature to judge based on appearance rather than content. Studies have shown that a person can be more persuasive merely by speaking more rather than making logical, and powerful arguments. It all boils down to how one presents oneself to ones' audience. This is why I believe there is the stereotype of looking and acting like a politician. For example, politicians are famous for being able to speak in circles. Even if they never reach a point, many will say they gave a wonderful address, not because of the content; however, but because of the way they addressed the people.
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