Howard Dean, Barack Obama, and Political Rhetoric + Guess the Primary Candidate [View All]

[ellisonz]

...There are a couple truths about successful politics that most politicians don't want to admit. There are two things that work and two that don't work in winning elections with a broad mandate.

1. People don't want to be fed platitudes and provocations for the sake of those two things alone.
2. People don't want to be fed the impression that you're more interested in beating the other guy than you are in working for them.

1. You can only state on a principles stand and how your particular position on policy is derived from in your own experience.
2. Never dismiss any group of voters out of hand and discount their belief that they are genuine in their convictions.

Avoid these two wrongs and practice the two rights and you stand a damn good chance of being elected.

Howard Dean and Barack Obama both followed these basic rules and both have achieved their objectives to a reasonable extent. Dean lost the primary but took back the Democratic party. Obama won the presidency and is now poised to win a second term. It's important to note that their fundraising models are almost identical. They have a lot in common and worked together beautifully in 2008 in wiping the floor with John McCain and Sarah Palin.

Here are examples of how correctly practicing these principles works rhetorically:

Dean

Governor Howard Dean Announces His Candidacy for President - Burlington, Vermont, June 23, 2003

This is a campaign to unite and empower people everywhere.

It is a call to every American, regardless of party, to join together in common purpose and for the common good to save and restore all that it means to be an American.

Over a year ago I began to travel the country in the usual way one does when seeking the Presidency.

I believed that, by running for President, I could raise the issues of health care for every American and the need to focus on early childhood development. I wanted to bring those issues to the forefront of the national debate. And I wanted to balance the budget to bring financial stability and jobs back to America.

Most importantly, I have wanted my party to stand up for what we believe in again.

But something changed along the way as I listened to Americans around this country. On my first trip to Iowa I heard people speak of a profound fear and distrust of multi-national corporations. From New Hampshire to Texas I met Americans doubting the words of our leaders and our government in Washington. Every where I go people are asking fundamental questions: Who can we trust? Is the media reporting the truth? What is happening to our country?

The Americans I have met love their country. They believe deeply in its promise, our values and our principles. But they know something is wrong and they want to take action. They want to do something to right our path. But they feel Washington isn't listening. And as individuals, they lack the power to change the course those in Washington have put us on.

http://www.crocuta.net/Dean/Transcript_of_Deans_Candidacy_Announcement_June23_2003.htm

And Obama:

Obama Presidential Announcement - February 10, 2007 - Springfield, Illinois

Finally, there is one other thing that is not too late to get right about this war - and that is the homecoming of the men and women - our veterans - who have sacrificed the most. Let us honor their valor by providing the care they need and rebuilding the military they love. Let us be the generation that begins this work.

I know there are those who don't believe we can do all these things. I understand the skepticism. After all, every four years, candidates from both parties make similar promises, and I expect this year will be no different. All of us running for president will travel around the country offering ten-point plans and making grand speeches; all of us will trumpet those qualities we believe make us uniquely qualified to lead the country. But too many times, after the election is over, and the confetti is swept away, all those promises fade from memory, and the lobbyists and the special interests move in, and people turn away, disappointed as before, left to struggle on their own.

That is why this campaign can't only be about me. It must be about us - it must be about what we can do together. This campaign must be the occasion, the vehicle, of your hopes, and your dreams. It will take your time, your energy, and your advice - to push us forward when we're doing right, and to let us know when we're not. This campaign has to be about reclaiming the meaning of citizenship, restoring our sense of common purpose, and realizing that few obstacles can withstand the power of millions of voices calling for change.

By ourselves, this change will not happen. Divided, we are bound to fail.

http://obamaspeeches.com/099-Announcement-For-President-Springfield-Illinois-Obama-Speech.htm

Two different politicians, two different styles, but the substance of the speech is the same: we must unite to change the politics of our country because we ought to, because its the right thing to do, and I'm not going to do that by wavering in my fundamental personal principles or by making political calculations; this is destiny.

Of course they both had and still have no end of naysayers who think they didn't play the political game correctly because they transcended their political competition.

Now here are two unnamed examples of political rhetoric that doesn't work because they we're consistent in projecting the two aforementioned (I tried to pick one's people wouldn't recognize and I will post a link to the full texts if requested.)

Again.

1. People don't want to be fed platitudes and provocations for the sake of those two things alone.
2. People don't want to be fed the impression that you're more interested in beating the other guy than you are in working for them.

1. You can only state on a principles stand and how your particular position on policy is derived from in your own experience.
2. Never dismiss any group of voters out of hand and discount their belief that they are genuine.

We, the American people, must assert ourselves. In times of stress and peril in this country’s history, including world wars, a great depression, assassinations and attacks, other generations have put their differences aside, remembered their common beliefs and overcame great obstacles. And we've come out stronger and wiser for it. Now it’s our turn. No one person, including the President, has the ability or wisdom to singlehandedly solve these problems; nor does one Party. But together the American people do. These problems will be dealt with when our leaders come together, as adults, and honestly seek solutions that extend past the next election cycle. That will happen when -- and only when -- the American people demand it. Now you can do that at the ballot box and no election is more important than the one for President. And it demands a leader who understands this country, our people, and what America’s priorities ought to be.

Recently, I talked to a young Marine at Walter Reed Hospital. He had lost both legs in Iraq but was looking to the future. I asked him what he planned to do? He said he wanted to work with a nonprofit organization that was doing a lot to help people. Then he looked at me and said “I just thought it was time I gave something back.”

That young man, who's given so much for America, and yet still asks to give more, is typical of the men and women of the United States armed forces. Our country has shed more blood for the freedom of other people than all the other countries in the world combined. We are steeped in the tradition of honor and sacrifice for the greater good. We are proud of this heritage. I believe that Americans are once again ready to achieve this greater good: which is nothing less than the security, prosperity, and unity of our country.

That’s the belief that this campaign is based upon. I appreciate your support of this cause and any contribution you’re able to give. I’ll try to make you proud that you did it.

And another:

"I thank God for my mother's savings, the church scholarship, and the government loans that were the only way this Teamster's son could go to college. I want every child to have the chances I had, to go as far as their dreams and hard work can carry them.

"I'm not going to say what's fashionable in our politics -- that I'm a Washington outsider, that I couldn't find the nation's capitol on a map, that I have no experience in the highest levels of government. I do, and I think experience matters. It's what our nation needs right now.

"I'm not the political flavor of the month. I'm not the flashiest candidate around. But the fight for working families is in my bones. It's where I come from; it's been my life's work.

"With your help, we can take that fight to the most powerful office in the history of humankind. We can build an America where we grow together, instead of being pulled apart - where our economy's strong, because all our families are secure - where nobody's left out or left behind."

Most politicians say essentially the same things and it's really not so much what you say, but how you say it that determines whether or not you pass the authenticity test and are able to build a political movement to propel you to victory. People have to believe that you really mean what your saying. Following the contrived model of running a campaign like a Broadway theater production can only take you so far. The people want Shakespeare.

No Cheating. Do you know who they are? First person wins an all expenses paid tour of the Lounge ;-)

I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on political rhetoric and why Dean and Obama were so successful in achieving their goals. :hi: