Do you have any idea how sick I am of hearing about Obama's inaugural address?!
I watched it live. I watched a recording. I analyzed his rhetorical strategies. I dissected the ways in which he appeals to rich, poor, white, black, atheist, and baptist. I searched for his subtle references to past presidential speeches. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.
It is really getting old.
I didn't examine his speech for fun. No. I was forced to 'ooh' and 'aah' over the whole affair because it was "an historical event", a "milestone in our history". Because he is "such a skilled orator". Well of course he is a skilled orator! He is a skilled everything! He pays people big money to make him that way.
It is almost ridiculous how effectively he has been marketed. From the very beginning news channels and papers were pushing his image. Even at his inaugural address he was strategically branded.
Take the musical number for example, you've got an African-American, a French-born Chinese-American, a cripple from Tel Aviv, and a Venezuelan--We should all forget our differences.
Then there was the benediction (which was almost insulting) delivered by a civil-rights contemporary of MLK, Jr.--He recognizes his roots.
Obama's wife and daughters were decked out in bright, spring colors which were in striking contrast with his own somber attire--especially important because our nation is facing hard times. While Obama's staff wore bright blue neckties he sported a dark crimson. Heck, Obama doesn't even wear a necktie half of the time in order to promote a "working man" image, he shows that he isn't an "executive snob".
I could continue rambling, but I'm not going to.
I'm just sick of everyone fawning all over him just because he is a great orator. Let me remind you that Hitler and Satan were both great orators. Rhetorical skills don't mean you have peoples' best interest in mind.
Oh! And I get to watch the Inaugural Address again tomorrow! yay!
6 comments:
"Rhetorical skills don't mean you have everyone's best interests in mind." Korihor was also a skilled orator.
Ok. First let me say - yes - there has been way too much praise for one person who hasn't actually been in office..
But, to play devil's advocate:
Lao Tzu, Jesus, Plato, and William Wilberforce have likewise been considered "great orators" or "amazing rhetoricans" (even though probably each one of them made fun of rhetoric at some point or another). And I want to say it's St. Augustine who said (but, dangitall, I don't want to look it up) that those within the church of the time should learn and use rhetoric so as to appeal to reason and emotion rather than allowing the athiests, etc. of the age to sound more intellectually sound than they did.
To be good at speaking or to be isn't necessarily a sign of corruption.
Likewise - Nelson Mandela was pretty dang commericialized into the limelight. So.. if you like Mandela.. then you can't totally discredit the idea of commericialized rulers.
(By the way, you're missing "Yes we can!" up there.)
HAHA! Amen Logan! I've watched it three times in school!!
Well you see Logan,
The rest of us love hearing about him and how much he has done for america the entire 143 days he served in the senate. Because he is the anointed one. The one that will be the savior of our country. and I for one, am offended that you would say such things about a man that who we should all love and adore. :)
Sarah Lynne,
There are as many righteous orators in history as there are evil orators. The danger lies in becoming blinded by powerful speeches and inspirational sound bites, whether righteous or unrighteous. To be good at speaking isn't a sign of corruption, but it isn't a sign of wholesomeness either.
Language is a form of creation.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (In Spanish, they use el Verbo instead of the Word.)
God speaks, and a world is created. He speaks again, and the light is divided from the darkness.
One of the kabbalistic works is called Sefer Yetzirah, which means Book of Creation. The concept behind the book is that through language one can influence or alter events.
But the "faith without works is dead" concept can be applied to this - "language without action is dead."
I hope it wasn't just lip-service to all the special interests and groups. I tend to feel cynicism as you do. Time will tell.
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