Audiences are unresponsive. The talking-points of speeches are clichéd, ordinary, and mundane. Political inspirational oratory has become lost here on the southern border.
Instead of catching up to the populist zeitgeist and talking them down, politicians are now inspired to reach higher and uplift the people. Stephen Lewis, the former leader of the Ontario NDP and Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, was known for his soaring eloquence. But where is he today?
It was encouraging to see what happened when Hakeem Jeffries, the first Black person to lead the congressional party, shortly stepped onto the podium in the U.S. Congress, succeeding Nancy Pelosi. Today’s age of rage requires communicators who can counterbalance with artistry, wit, and imagination.
During his transition speech, Mr. Jeffries, who has been compared to Barack Obama by some, utilized a remarkable and innovative rhetorical approach while House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his eccentric far-right Republicans observed.
In order to make their words more memorable, politicians often use rhetorical devices such as inverting or repeating the latter word in the nicely deployed address “Ask not what your country can do for you …”.
In a zap-you’re-frozen blitzkrieg, Mr. Jeffries creatively deployed all 26 letters to impale his antagonists, which has been called “the alphabet speech.”
“We will never compromise our principles, as Democrats in the House will prioritize American values over autocracy, benevolence over bigotry, the Constitution over cults, and democracy over demagogues, all while promoting economic opportunity instead of extremism. The congressman, now in his sixth term, started this commitment.”
“Restriction instead of freedom. Unfair and biased courts instead of knowledge. Excessive interference of the judiciary instead of justice. Exclusion instead of inclusion. Animosity instead of hopefulness. Manipulation instead of governing. Authoritarianism instead of freedom,” he continued, his voice growing louder.
“Emphasis on substance rather than slander. Prioritizing reason instead of racism. Focusing on quality-of-life issues rather than QAnon. Valuing people over politics. Choosing opportunity over obstruction. Preferring normalcy over negativity,” came the resounding statement. “Advocating for maturity over Mar-a-Lago!” Mr. Jeffries’ selection for the letter M was met with thunderous applause from the members, and within the chamber, a clamor ensued at this point.
Mr. Jeffries, speaking spontaneously without a teleprompter, proposed prioritizing working families over those with influential connections, voting rights over attempts to suppress voters, understanding over ugliness, and triumph over tyranny for the grand conclusion.
He went with “xenophobia instead of xenial” when presented with a challenging letter X. Additionally, he stated “yes you can’t do it ‘over can, ‘ and finally, there is a zealous confrontation over zero-sum representation.”
The adversary will host the feast with a table d’hôte for the party – serving it well. The clever oration, delivered in a sonorous cadence, quickly went viral to an audience of millions. It was a one-page book briefing for progressives, but not mean-spirited.
As an impeachment prosecutor and outspoken critic, the individual gained recognition during the presidency of Donald Trump. In the Arabic language, the name Hakeem signifies wisdom and knowledge, which is also the first name shared by Mr. Obama. With a magnetic personality and eloquent speech, resembling the ex-president, he embarked on a political career at the state level following his experience in the legal field, mirroring Mr. Obama’s path.
Jeffries, who represents a generational change for the party that has been headed by platform plodding performers since Mr. Obama left office, is not yet a household name. However, his forceful presence will be sorely needed by Democrats, as they go toe-to-toe with the wrecking crew GOP and the likes of Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, despite the potential problem of his moderate policy stances.
In my previous attempt for the nomination, Vice-President Kamala Harris experienced a stumble, making her a significant unknown, especially as a politician who connects with voters on a personal level. However, recently, she has been receiving fewer negative headlines, so it is probable that she will become the frontrunner. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who performed well in the 2020 primaries, is the most effective communicator compared to others who are waiting for their chance. This time, there will not be a presidential campaign by him if Joe Biden decides not to run again, which is highly likely according to my fallible opinion. Despite displaying more passion and unpredictability, Mr. Jeffries, in contrast to Mr. Obama, restrained himself excessively, some would argue.
The phrases could ascend beyond. Their phrases were all outstanding communicators: Mr. Obama, Bill Clinton, JFK, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, we remember those, like Hakeem Jeffries, who possess the unique ability to establish a connection, tend to be the prominent victors in the Democratic sphere, as history unveils.