Just speeches

It’s ironic that some people criticize Obama for being an “empty suit” who just gives “good speeches.”  Since, as Paul Waldman notes, giving good speeches is one of the most important jobs of the president:

The campaign will show us some things — we will see the candidates suffering through crisis (even if it is only their campaign under threat, and not the nation), proving their stamina and persistence, enduring absurd rituals while pretending to have the time of their lives, and sewing together a pleasing persona for the press to pick over in an endless search for a misplaced stitch or a jagged crease.

But most of all, the candidates will talk. And though John McCain may prefer talking in a back-and-forth with voters, unless he plans to conscript citizens to participate in a daily White House town hall, his ability (or lack thereof) to give a good speech actually means a great deal to the potential success of a McCain presidency.

Giving speeches isn’t just something presidents do when they’re not doing the real work of running the country, it is one of the core duties of the president. In modern times, presidents give speeches nearly every day. The ability to move, inspire, comfort, and engage the public is one of the most valuable skills a president can have, and their speeches eventually become the touchstones of our historical memory. The Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt and Kennedy’s inaugurals, Reagan demanding that Gorbachev tear down the Berlin Wall — speeches come to define the president. There is one president, on the other hand, who tried to persuade the public through repeated use of the town hall. His presidency has seven months to go.

The most important power a president has is that of the bully pulpit.  Successful presidents are able to marshal public support, and use that support to push legislation through Congress.  Barack Obama, by virtue of his obvious preference for speeches, and his belief in the power of grassroots activism, seems to understand that more than most politicians, and certainly more than any of this year’s contenders for the Democratic or Republican nominations.  If he’s elected president, then I think Obama’s ability to give a deeply inspiring speech will be his greatest strength.