Say it Like Obama |

Here are blogs that feature my new book Say It Like Obama

http://texaslawyer.typepad.com/work_matters/2008/10/the-power-of-rhetoric.html

http://blogs.rep-am.com/onthenet/?p=54

In my recently-published book, Say It Like Obama: the Power of Speaking with Purpose and Vision (McGraw Hill, 2008 - www.sayitlikeobama.com), I highlight the many communication practices that have enabled Senator Barack Obama to convey his vision and ideas with great effectiveness—in compelling ways that have enabled him to reach out and unite people across traditional barriers of race, ethnicity, region, religion, economics, age and gender. The communicative power of Barack Obama has enabled him to garner impressive levels of support, and helped bring about a significant endorsement today.

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Verdict: This book admirably highlights Senator Obama’s rhetorical techniques for readers looking to hone their own speaking skills. Given the excitement surrounding Obama’s campaign and his oratory, this should prove to be a popular title for both general readers and those professionally engaged in presentations. Recommended for all collections.

Background: Leanne (How To Interview Like a Top MBA), formerly on the faculty of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, offers a timely examination of the rhetorical skills of Senator Barack Obama to show how readers can adopt his methods for persuasive speaking. Book-ended by a transcript of Obama’s 2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address and his acceptance speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, the text parses Obama’s methods, demonstrating how he adroitly conveys his messages with examples from his current campaign and his U.S. Senate career. The author clarifies how the reader can employ these same methods of persuasion and presentation, including body language and use of pauses as well as actual word choice

In my FastCompany.com blog entry entitled, “McCain’s October 15, 2008 Debate Performance: The Top Four Ways He Can Improve,” I discussed ways McCain can improve his communication delivery.  The question remains: how do I rate McCain as a speaker overall?

In my book, Say It Like Obama: the Power of Speaking with Purpose and Vision (McGraw Hill, 2008 - www.sayitlikeobama.com), I highlight the many techniques and practices that can enable speakers to use oration as a powerful tool. When reviewing the range of practices available and assessing McCain from the vantage point of those “best practices,” it is clear that oration is not McCain’s strength.

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Why do 58% of respondents in the October 15, 2008 CNN poll think that Senator Barack Obama won the third presidential debate held that same day with Senator John McCain?

In my book, Say It Like Obama: the Power of Speaking with Purpose and Vision (McGraw Hill, 2008 - www.sayitlikeobama.com), I highlight the many techniques and practices that can enable speakers to use oration as a powerful tool. In the October 15 debate, Senator Obama did many things right. But more importantly, McCain did enough things wrong that he failed to sway voters during the debate. Here are four top ways McCain could have improved his performance:

First, McCain blinks an awful lot. It is not clear to me if there is a physical reason for this, but many people have (fortunately or unfortunately) been taught to believe that when people lie, they blink their eyes more than normal. Rapidly blinking eyes send a negative impression, similar to when someone displays “shifty eyes” or refuses to look others in the eyes. This was one of the most striking performance differences between the two presidential candidates, and one that—though it may sound small—can have profound influence on the perceptions formed among viewers. Take a look at the footage again—you will see what I mean.

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In my recently published book, Say It Like Obama: The Power of Speaking With Purpose and Vision (McGraw-Hill, October 2008), I analyze for readers the key practices that have enabled Barack Obama to emerge as one of the most effective and powerful orators in a political generation. Obama’s techniques and best practices can clearly be employed with great effect through speeches and prepared remarks. Some people have wondered whether we can employ those same best practices during extemporaneous speaking. To borrow a phrase from Obama—“Yes we can!” Senator Joe Biden showed this brilliantly with his outstanding debate performance at the vice presidential debate of October 2, 2008.

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