The Art of the Campaign Speech . . .

Backstory: I was a Political Science major in college. ("why try, go poli-sci!"). I chose that major simply because I had always loved politics. I have a vivid memory of coming from school in 1976 (3rd grade, maybe?) to ask my Dad if President Ford had been re-elected. Fast forward to the summer before my senior year in high school (the 1984 election). I was a student in the "Governor's Honors Program" here in Georgia, a 6-week residential program for "gifted" students held every summer. While I was there as a music major, my love for politics had not abated. It had only been supplemented by an additional appreciation for the skill of public speaking and communication. For two of those six weeks, I remember huddling around the TV in the dorm common-room watching the political conventions. Remember, this was back in the days of only the three major networks (and an infant CNN). And, it was the days when the networks actually SHOWED the whole convention on TV, not just the last two speeches of the night (but don't get me started on that!).

I still remember Jesse Jackson's speech at the DNC that summer. He spoke eloquently about the various groups that made up the voting block of the Democratic Party at that time, likening them to the patches of a quilt sewn by his grandmother. He described how, standing alone, those individual groups were powerless to accomplish anything great; in fact, "their patch was too small". But, he went on, sewn together, those patches could create a quilt of great beauty, value and function. What powerful imagery. (Now that I think about it, the Democratic Party has been striving for party unity for quite a while now, hasn't it?). That same year Mario Cuomo made his debut on the national stage. I remember looking at a buddy and saying "that man can speak! I don't agree with anything he's saying, but boy he sure says it well". (or something like that; give me a break, it was 24 years ago!).

Of course, a few weeks later we were cheering on the Republicans as they prepared to return President Reagan for four more years. I remember Mrs. Reagan standing on stage after her speech, turning to look at the huge screen behind her to see a smiling President Reagan waving to her from his hotel suite.

I wander down this path to make a few points ("then make them, why don't you?").

1. A great speech is more than the sum of it's parts. It isn't just a nice organization of verbs, nouns and adjectives; most well-crafted speeches are poorly delivered and thus have a pretty short shelf-life. Similarly, a mundane, trite speech composed largely of sound-bites and cliche's, regardless of how eloquently it is delivered, remains a mundane, trite speech. But, when those two moons align, greatness can occur. More on that later.
2. Imagery is important. Whether in a political speech, a sermon, or a pep-talk to your shareholders, a great text well-delivered only gets you part of the way. The setting, the images, the context all can have a multiplying effect. For every one speech I remember, there are probably hundreds of vivid mental images and memories that I have where I don't remember a single word.

All of this, of course, is written in the context of last night's speech by Governor Palin. Only time will truly tell, but I would hazard a guess that this speech will be one that will be remembered for a very, very long time.

It was well written, with wit, grace, and strength. There were too many quotable lines to include them all here, but here are a few of my favorites:

"Since some of our opponents seem to look down on that [mayoral]
experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town
mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual
responsibilities."

"To seek the presidency is not to be a journey of personal
discovery."

"Some use change to promote their careers, while others use their careers
to promote change."

It was masterfully delivered. For someone who has never spoken in such a forum, and who has likely not used a teleprompter more than a hand-full of times, she looked comfortable, in command, and powerful. In fact, she looked like she was having fun!

The images were powerful. While these were not in her control, the scenes we saw on the TV screen during the speech provided powerful mental hooks upon which to hang her speech in our minds. Her soldier son, preparing to go to war. Her oldest daughter, being welcomed and cheered by a loving crowd for a few extra seconds longer, as if to say "we know what you've been through this week; we love you". Her youngest daughter, licking her palm to smooth Trig's hair down. Her husband, still "her guy", smiling proudly at his wife as she stood before the entire country. Those images will remain seered in our collective conscience for a very long time.

Last night was the whole package. I hope you were there to experience it. If not, go find a copy somewhere on the web and watch it now. I may watch it again anyway, just for fun.