Say it Like Obama |

With the U.S. presidential election a little over four weeks away, great attention is currently focused on the presidential debate performances of the two major party nominees—Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain. The two participated in their first presidential debate on Friday, September 26, 2008. Some pundits questioned whether Barack Obama could perform well enough, given the belief among some parties that he is a world-class orator when delivering speeches, but less strong when debating. How did he do? Obama performed excellently, with initial polling seeming to indicate that support has shifted in his favor. In particular, Obama displayed four areas of strength from which leaders in all fields can learn:

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Whether one is Republican, Democrat or Independent, most people agree that Barack Obama is a master of highly effective communication. In Say It Like Obama: the Power of Speaking with Purpose and Vision (www.sayitlikeobama.com), I examine many of the best practices that have helped make Obama an outstanding communicator. Yesterday, Barack Obama provided another useful example for our consideration. Before the press, he issued comments in response to the news that Senator John McCain would suspend his campaign and in response to McCain’s suggestion that the presidential debates scheduled for Friday, September 26, 2008 should be postponed. For leaders seeking to improve their own communication skills, it is worth considering at least five practices that made Obama’s comments of September 24 effective.

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According to Senator Barack Obama, he was not informed about Senator John McCain’s dual decisions to “suspend his campaign” and to suggest that the presidential debates scheduled for Friday, September 26, 2008 be postponed. In light of the unanticipated news, Obama issued remarks before the media. Several things made his pronouncements effective.

Obama delivered his remarks in a formal setting, in business attire, looking “very presidential.” He spoke with assuredness and confidence, which no doubt helped to instill confidence among listeners. He stressed his commitment to nonpartisanship as he seeks to address the prevailing American economic crisis, underscoring a sense of strong ethics as he stated “partisan politics” should be cast aside when addressing the crisis. Obama stressed his desire to issue a joint statement with McCain to “send a strong signal,” encouraging Congress to take decisive action to address the economic crisis. He spoke with emphatic determination when indicating he intended to lead members in the Senate to take effective action. His tone and countenance gave the impression he would be an effective leader in this regard.

Obama’s choice to vet questions at the end of his remarks conveyed his confidence about his knowledge of the issues and his certitude about his choices. When asked whether he should be in Washington to focus exclusively on legislation aimed at addressing the economic crisis, Obama stated emphatically, “I am prepared to be anywhere at any time” as needed to help resolve the crisis, but that “presidents are going to need to deal with more than one thing at one time.” In other words, he would not suspend his campaign. Many Americans may be prone to agree-a U.S. president must be able to address multiple problems simultaneously. Obama likely scored many points when indicating that he has the capacity to do this.

Obama also insisted that he and McCain must “present themselves” to the American people in the September 26 debates, so that Americans can hear their ideas and understand where each would like to take the country, economically and otherwise. In indicating he was ready and eager to do this, Obama conveyed confidence in his ability to present himself before the American people and to vet hard questions about economic issues. He projected himself as a confident leader.

Economic Fears Give Obama Clear Lead Over McCain in Poll

“Turmoil in the financial industry and growing pessimism about the economy have altered the shape of the presidential race, giving Democratic nominee Barack Obama the first clear lead of the general-election campaign over Republican John McCain, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News national poll.”

Comments by Dr.Leanne:

The movement of voters to Barack Obama’s camp reflects more than the raw reaction created amid the financial turmoil of the recent week. The particular way in which Barack Obama has responded to the crisis has helped him appear “presidential” and played a role. Obama delivered well-staged remarks about the economic crisis-in a formal setting; dressed in business attire and flanked by large U.S. flags; and surrounded by accomplished economic advisors such as Warren Buffet. A master of the craft of communication, Obama has succeeded through his delivery, presentation and substance in presenting himself as extremely knowledgeable about the economy and as backed by top economic thinkers as he formulates ideas about how best to address America’s crisis. The net result: a shift among voters and signs of confidence in his ability to lead the country.

According to an article in today’s New York Times: “Senator Barack Obama has shown himself at times to be a great orator.  His debating skills, however, have been uneven.  Some of his chief strengths - his facility with words, his wry detachment, his reasoning skills, his youthful cool - have not always served him well and may pose significant vulnerabilities in the series of presidential debates that begins Friday, according to political analysts and a review of his earlier debate performances.”

Comments by Dr. Leanne

When Obama first began debating he lacked a strong ability to be concise.  However, he quickly transformed that weakness into a strength.  By March 2008, when debating Hillary Clinton, he drove to his points quickly, issued effective sound bites, and offered sharp counter points.  Chapter 6 of Say It Like Obama, “Driving Points Home,” delves into techniques Obama employs to distill his main issues, making them dominant in the listener’s mind despite significant time constraints.

I will be a guest on the radio shows listed below. I hope you will be able to listen in!

RADIO

Monday, September 29, 3:27 pm PST

KAZI 88.7 FM/Austin, TX “Economic Perspectives”

Monday, September 29, 4:10 pm PST

CRN Digital Networks

Tuesday, September 30, 8:55 am PST

Voice America Radio’s “Relationship Home Work”

Tuesday, September 30, 12:40 pm PST

WJBC/Bloomington, IL “The Steve Fast Show”

Wednesday, October 1, Noon PST

Fresh Talk Radio’s “The Jackie Jones Challenge”

Wednesday, October 1, 4:30 pm PST

Business Talk Radio’s “The Gabriel Wisdom Show”

Wednesday, October 1, 10:57 pm PST

Lifestyle Talk Radio Network’s “The Michael Dresser Show”

Thursday, October 2, 4:45 pm PST

Santa Fe Public Radio’s “The Journey Home” with Diego Mulligan

Monday, October 6, 5:05 pm PST

Blog Talk Radio’s “The Anthony Reeves Experience”

Monday, October 13, 5:30 am PST

WCBQ-AM WHNC-AM/Oxford, NC “The Paradise Radio Network”

Monday, October 13, 6:40 am PST

WLW/Cincinnati, OH “Jim Scott Show” (Clear Channel Radio)

Sunday, October 19, 6 am PST

WLYD-FM/New Orleans, LA “Sunday Journal” (Clear Channel Radio)

WASHINGTON (Sept. 20) - “Deep-seated racial misgivings could cost Barack Obama the White House if the election is close, according to an AP-Yahoo News poll that found one-third of white Democrats harbor negative views toward blacks - many calling them “lazy,” “violent” or responsible for their own troubles.

The poll, conducted with Stanford University, suggests that the percentage of voters who may turn away from Obama because of his race could easily be larger than the final difference between the candidates in 2004 - about two and one-half percentage points.”

Comments by Shel :

While the AP-Yahoo News poll released on September 20, 2008 may raise a notable warning to the Obama Campaign, no one should underestimate Obama’s ability to employ outstanding communication skills to continue promoting his vision and capabilities to Americans with great effect. He has so far defied all expectations-winning the Illinois senatorial primary with an unexpected margin in 2004, swaying large numbers of Americans with his 2004 address, building a highly diverse coalition and clinching the nomination from Hillary Clinton in 2008. Obama has demonstrated a keen ability to connect across traditional lines and will likely continue to do so.