Week 3 - Inaugural Address

I chose not to read the address as the speech was not written by Obama. The speech was in fact written by Jon Favreau, a 27 year-old who studied past inaugural speeches to come up with the words that Obama spoke. Instead, I chose to watch the address as I had recorded it and had put off watching it until last night.

I must mention that the highlight for me of the ceremonies was the composition by John Williams that was played by Itzack Pearlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Gabriella Motero and Anthony McGill. The piece was particularly moving and to see those renowned musicians play it for that crowd was spectacular.

So, on to the main event: the Inaugural Address by Jon, I mean Barack Obama. The fact that the speech was not written by Obama makes it no less his speech. Presidents are often known to use speech writers to deliver their message. Nobody should be expected to have the right words for every occasion, and for such an important occasion, it is important to have the right words. The commentators mentioned however that the speech was relatively short as inaugural speeches go, and didn't have any words that felt they would be words to "etch into granite" however time is to tell what stands out from a speech as most important.

To move away from the words, Obama's delivery is what is extremely important. Obama came in front of the crowd in a red tie with a stern and direct tone in his voice. He obviously intended to show that he was taking control of the situation and was willing to emphasize his authority and confidence that he can handle the tasks that await him. The sternness however slowly dies out throughout the speech to a tone more passive and relaxed which also boosted the appearance of his confidence in his job.

Obama is an excellent speaker and can deliver a speech extremely well which is one of the reasons many people came to stand behind him. His presence on a stage is undeniable. How does this relate to what we were talking about in class? Well, last week we were talking about the idea of the "great man," the theory that people are born leaders and that it isn't a learned skill. If we were to apply this concept to Obama, then we have to break down many preconceived notions about the born leader in this country. Everyone stresses the "history" of the moment; the fact that we now have our first African-American president. 43 other presidents have come before Obama, and all of them white males. So a new precedent is definitely being set for this country with his election to office.

But are his leadership qualities bestowed on him from birth? Many seem to think he is some sort of Messiah come to save us all, in which case he would have these traits from birth. More likely is the fact that he has learned most of these skills throughout his life. His degrees from Columbia and Harvard, his professorship, his work as an attorney, and his brief time in office for Illinois. Much of his experience is with speaking in front of people and becoming comfortable with expressing his views or a viewpoint. The experience with speaking would undoubtedly come from a culmination of past experiences and not necessarily a born talent.

Leadership is also difficult to judge when there is no history. Because this is the inaugural address by Obama, we have yet to see how strong he is as a leader. I do agree with Nancy's comments about this past week and the failed appointments. His standing up and taking responsiblity for his actions in appointing these people falls directly in line with much of what was said in the speech. The speech thus becomes an important part to his presidency. Campaign promises are not always met, but this speech is like his syllabus or a contract for what he plans to do in office. It was vague, yet spoke to the many points that he wishes to make progress in our country. It set forth the goals of his leadership and the directions he plans to take us toward those goals.

Obama stands in front of a crowd and knows how to take control. With all the hype, it becomes difficult to accurately gage the true strength of his leadership abilities. To make decisions based on this speech would also be a mistake as it is mearly a performance and not necessarily an action. Obama will be held to his actions, and if they prove the words of the speech to be true, then the speech will speak of his leadership abilities.