What Do the Candidates’ Speeches Reveal?
Analyzing campaign speeches of three presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain, reveals interesting stylistic differences and some commonalities.
ALL THREE CANDIDATES ARE CAREFUL TO AVOID THE GOBBLEDYGOOK THAT SO OFTEN CREEPS INTO POLITICAL DIALOGUE. THEY USE ACTIVE RATHER THAN PASSIVE SENTENCE CONSTRUCTIONS.
Clinton uses the greatest number of "humanizing" words in her speeches. References to "heart" and "voice" recur throughout her speeches in passages, such as "I come tonight with a very, very full heart," "I found my own voice," and "…we all spoke from our hearts." The "voice" metaphor morphs into "people who whisper to me" and "I will bring the voices of the American people back to the White House." At one point, she even says, "It’s enough to make you want to burst out in song."
McCain also injects a human element with frequent references to "eight years among friends" and "…never just fair-weather friends." Obama refers to people themselves, frequently mentioning his extended family, including his father, mother, wife, daughters, and even grandfather in one speech.
The notion of duty comes through clearly in McCain’s word selection. Phrases such as "an obligation…which I will faithfully discharge" is in the speech he gave after winning the South Carolina primary along with "…sublime honor that has been the treasure of my life." McCain’s speeches invoke the twin notions of responsibility and public service.
Obama is inclined to use the pronoun, "we" rather than "I." Clinton and McCain use "I" quite regularly, imparting a sense of the president as an individual rather than an office.
Interestingly, the two Democrats use religious phrases more than McCain does. Obama’s 2004 Keynote Speech at the Democratic National Convention often invoked a biblical tone with phrases, such as "a righteous wind at our backs" or "I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper." Equating hope with faith, he said, "The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God’s greatest gift to us, the bedrock of our nation. A belief in things not seen. A belief that there are better days ahead." The invocation of religion is less evident in his more recent speeches. Clinton continues to bring God into her speeches with references that she and the nation are "called upon to deliver…" and "if you join in this call to greatness" along with "to live up to his or her God-given potential."
All three candidates are careful to avoid the gobbledygook that so often creeps into political dialogue. They use active rather than passive sentence constructions. Of course, McCain has set the bar for clarity by declaring his campaign the "Straight Talk Express." Although clear and straightforward, his speeches are the most formal of the three. If overheard, his speeches would not be mistaken for conversations. Clinton, on the other hand, sprinkles her speeches with commonly used informalities, such as "make a big bet on solar power" and "I’m not a show horse, I’m a work horse." Although Clinton introduces new phrases, such as "green collar" job growth and "Green Building Fund," the phrases are easily understood even though unfamiliar.
Comparing Obama’s 2004 Keynote Speech at the Democratic National Committee with his recent speeches on the campaign trail reveals some stylistic changes over time. In 2004, his speech was quite colloquial using phrases, such as "seven bucks an hour," "a black youth with a book is acting white," and "fudge the numbers or shade the truth." When announcing his candidacy for president in February 2007, he continued to use conversational expressions, such as "you get stuck with the bills" and "rolling up our sleeves." His more recent speeches use fewer colloquialisms but he is fond of very short, declarative sentences: "Yes, we can change." "Yes, we can heal this nation." "Yes, we can seize our future." "Yes. We. Can."
Of the three candidates, Obama is the only one whose speeches attempt to rise to the level of literature. Metaphors, such as "a magical place that shone as a beacon of freedom" and "religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon" are rare instances where the mind’s eye is asked to envision rather than merely process information. Clinton’s attempt at erudition involves invoking the words of Winston Churchill (twice in one speech) along with quoting Franklin Roosevelt. McCain also alludes to literature with the sentence "We are the captains of our fate," but does not present it as a quote. My assumption is that he is reciting a variation of William Henley’s lines in "Invictus": "Master of my fate, Captain of my soul."
Of course, whether the speeches reflect the candidates rather than their speechwriters is a debatable issue. However, by delivering them, they are sanctioning them and allowing us to see a glimmer of their minds.