Barack Obama’s speech to the combined Houses of Parliament at Westminster Hall, London, on May 25, 2011 was a further reminder that he is the finest political orator of his time. In a beautifully crafted speech that matched the splendour of the surroundings, Obama demonstrated the lasting truth that genuine eloquence still triumphs over the bland mood music generated by so many of the political class when they are in close proximity to a microphone.
In what some observers described as the most important statement for a generation or more on Anglo-American relations by a serving US President, Obama used the occasion to re-affirm the strength of the ‘special relationship’ through the long panorama of Britain and America’s shared past. In his 34-minute address the president movingly – and amusingly – disparaged speculation that the historic alliance was in a danger of being rendered all but irrelevant by recent tensions. Britain and America’s leadership, he said, “is essential to the cause of human dignity”, a fact underlined by the shared values which support the struggle for freedom that is going on in North Africa and the Middle East.
The making of a presidential speech
Although modern-day presidents no longer have the luxury of writing all of their own speeches in full, sources close to Obama say he was the principal author of his London speech. Previously, the White House has acknowledged the contribution of others to Obama’s speeches but on this occasion such suggestions were downplayed. Evidently the president was working on the speech until the last moment. Even so, it is unlikely the entire speech was written by Obama. Jon Favreau, the chief White House speechwriter, is generally thought to have assisted in the preparation of a speech of this significance.
Obama's Kennedy influence
As the words of Lincoln, Churchill and Roosevelt echoed around a magnificent setting dating back to the 11th century, it was probably the spirit of another ex-president – John F. Kennedy – which resonated the loudest in Obama’s speech. Obama is known as a Kennedy admirer, and it shows. Both believe in the power and glory of words, and it is not stretching belief to imagine a well-thumbed copy of the anthology of Kennedy’s speeches published in 1988 by Ted Sorensen occupying a place on the bookshelves of Obama’s speechwriters.
Sorensen, the prince of presidential speechwriters, came to understand perfectly the symbiosis between a president and his speechwriter-advisor. Yet, in Sorensen’s view, the important thing was not who coined this phrase or that sentence, but whether the speech gave clarity to Kennedy’s principles and his hopes. By any reasonable yardstick, Kennedy succeeded more often than he failed in this respect. His thoughts and words, particularly on the timeless themes of liberty and justice, still read so well they could have been written last week.
Why 'poetry' in speeches still matters
No speeches, however, count for much unless the president’s – or prime minister’s - policies score well with the electorate. All of Winston Churchill’s stirring oratory in the Second World War did not prevent him from being turfed out of office in 1945 by voters unconvinced that his vision for postwar Britain represented the best on offer. All the same, it would be a sad reflection on modern politics if all presidential speeches were calculated purely for their vote-catching potential. In her speech of thanks to Obama at Westminster Hall, Baroness Hayman thought that former New York Governor Mario Cuomo was only half right when he said that politicians campaign in poetry and govern in prose. The eloquence of your address, she told the president, “reminded us of the importance of maintaining the poetry in Government because to lead, that poetry is necessary, necessary not only to articulate the challenges as you did so masterfully, but also to bring others together to face those challenges with common principles and with shared purpose.”
Posterity will decide Barack Obama’s place in the pantheon of great public speakers, but it is reasonable to assume that at Westminster Hall, London, he laid down another important marker.
Sources:
- Written transcript of President Obama's Speech in London (May 25, 2011)
- Video transcript of President Obama's Speech in London (May 25, 2011)
- Sorensen, T. (ed), "Let the Word Go Forth": The Speeches, Statements, and Writings of John F. Kennedy 1947 to 1963. New York: Delacorte Press, 1988
Alan Kinghorn - Alan is a freelance writer and researcher.
