As a public relations guy during the day and someone who has written and delivered lots of speeches over the years, I can tell you from very personal experience that there are two parts of every address: what you say and what the audience hears. They are not necessarily the same. The one you really want to turn out right is the second.
That's really where Barack Obama succeeded last night. Six hours after he finished delivering it it, my impression is that the folks in the stadium and those watching at home heard someone who seemed to be:
1. Tough
2. Strong
3. Combative
4. Resolute
5. Self-assured
6. In charge
I suspect The Speech will be nitpicked to death in the coming days over some of what was said. And that's what the McCain campaign tried to do last night immediately after The Speech was over when it released this statement.
But if that type of response succeeds at all it will likely be slow and incremental. The real challenge now for the McCain folks will be to debunk the six character attributes listed above and that will be MUCH harder.
I'm not the only one who thinks that Obama's speech may have worked wonders with the voters. Last night, Alex Castellanos, one of the biggest of the big-time GOP advertising consultants, said on CNN following the speech, "whoever didn't get picked for Republican VP today may be a lucky Republican." To me, Castellanos looked a little shellshocked and even humbled by The Speech, not unlike a batter in baseball who realizes that he can't hit what the pitcher is throwing.
The Speech
The tough talk suggested a willfulness not much seen before. But, boy, this did nothing to dispel the impression that he has , at his core, a joyless disposition.
A passing resmeblance to Karloff doesn't help in this regard.
His secret hero, Reagan, by contrast seemed tough and sunny, and was never frightened of enagaging his opponents with a bit of warmth. Obama certainly doesn't have a record of doing so, and the grimness last night doesn't suggest anything has changed.
A great orator
After years of avoiding Bush speeches (barely fluent in his native language), here's somebody with speechmaking I can admire and enjoy. His timing, musicality, crescendos . . . it's like listening to a great Mozart concerto.
The pans of audience faces were fascinating -- all looked totally engaged, as if he'd cast a spell over them.
He has the power to motivate millions to action, to serve, to work toward a better future -- and that's just what we need right now.
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