Torricelli on Obama's Iowa Speech

There's no more lost art in America than oratory. Chief executives, union leaders and politicians seem to have lost the ability. Even our most successful leaders seem to engage in no more than a stream of consciousness.

Several years ago I published a collection of great American speeches (In Our Own Words). The book was separated by decades. The finding of speeches worthy of inclusion from the early 20th Century was easy. As the decades progressed, it became harder and harder. The last great speech worthy of the collection was Mario Cuomo's at the 1984 Democratic Convention.

The reason for the decline is legend. Even great universities rarely stress communication skills. A command of the language is seldom emphasized in school or in the work place. It's no coincidence that the best American oratory was contributed by William Jennings Brian, Woodrow Wilson, T. R., F.D.R. Stevenson or J.F.K. Success at the law, business or academia required the same basic skills that result in great political oratory.Each had a privileged education or excelled at a profession.

Even our generations most successful politicians, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, had the communication skills but not great oratory. The command of literature, history and love of words that form a memorable speech weren't their hallmark.

Last week there was a rare moment in American politics. Barack Obama accepted victory at the Iowa caucuses by weaving an argument with threads of sheer poetry. The English language was used to inspire again with a speech that was structured to make an argument for his cause with clarity and force.(That doesn't mean that he should be President. I'm for Hillary.)

It's also no coincidence that Barack Obama would be the first to introduce great oratory into a Presidential campaign in this generation. I also don't think that it's a result of a Harvard education. Anybody in Democratic politics who has campaigned extensively has an idea about the source of his oratory. The most forceful and articulate use of the language today for purposes of persuasion is in African American churches. I've heard few lawyers or businessmen develop the skills of oratory that is routinely used in large AME or Baptist Churches in our urban centers.

As I listened to Obama's speech I smiled a little. I thought about all of the hours that he must have been listening to the cadence and rhythm of his pastor. He must have noted how points are introduced, supported and concluded. He was supposed to be learning about faith. He was learning another lesson as well.