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The student of contemporary American public address, rhetorical criticism, and persuasion needs two fundamental kinds of original materials upon which to build a successful mastery of these disciplines. I believe that the student can begin to study these disciplines by scrutinizing texts of speeches. But which speeches should one study? From many useful criteria, I chose two that somewhat overlap. First, I selected significant or standard political speakers. I make the word "political" go beyond mere party politics and use the word in its original and wider Greek sense of the polis: the concerns of the state. Second, I selected speeches which can be treated as examples of advocacy or debate on important issues of the American polis. -- pg. xi.
Successful presidential leadership depends upon words as well as deeds. In this multifaceted look at rhetorical leadership, twelve leading scholars in three different disciplines provide in-depth studies of how words have served or disserved American presidents. At the heart of rhetorical leadership lies the classical concept of prudence, practical wisdom that combines good sense with good character. From their disparate treatments of a range of presidencies, an underlying agreement emerges among the historians, political scientists, and communication scholars included in the volume. To be effective, they find, presidents must be able to articulate the common good in a particular situation and they must be credible on the basis of their own character. Who they are and what they can do are thus twin pillars of successful rhetorical leadership. Leroy G. Dorsey introduces these themes, and David Zarefsky picks them up in looking at the historical development of rhetorical leadership within the office of the presidency. Each succeeding chapter then examines the rhetorical leadership of a particular president, often within the context of a specific incident or challenge that marked his term in office. Chapters dealing with George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton offer the specifics for a clearer understanding of how rhetoric serves leadership in the American presidency. This book provides an indispensable addition to the literature on the presidency and in leadership studies.
The rise of the media presidency through radio and television broadcasts has heightened the visibility and importance of presidential speeches in determining the effectiveness and popularity of the President of the United States. Not surprisingly, this development has also witnessed the rise of professional speechwriters to craft the words the chief executive would address to the nation. Yet, as this volume of expert analyses graphically demonstrates, the reliance of individual presidents on their speechwriters has varied with the rhetorical skill of the officeholder himself, his managerial style, and his personal attitude toward public speaking. The individual chapters here (two by former White House speechwriters) give fascinating insight into the process and development of presidential speechwriting from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration to Ronald Reagan’s. Some contributors, such as Charles Griffin writing on Eisenhower and Moya Ball on Johnson, offer case studies of specific speeches to gain insight into those presidents. Other chapters focus on institutional arrangements and personal relationships, rhetorical themes characterizing an administration, or the relationship between words and policies to shed light on presidential speechwriting. The range of presidents covered affords opportunities to examine various factors that make rhetoric successful or not, to study alternative organizational arrangements for speechwriters, and even to consider the evolution of the rhetorical presidency itself. Yet, the volume’s single focus on speechwriting and the analytic overviews provided by Martin J. Medhurst not only bring coherence to the work, but also make this book an exemplar of how unity can be achieved from a diversity of approaches. Medhurst’s introduction of ten “myths” in the scholarship on presidential speeches and his summary of the enduring issues in the practice of speechwriting pull together the work of individual contributors. At the same time, his introduction and conclusion transcend particular presidents by providing generalizations on the role of speechwriting in the modern White House.
THE STORIES BEHIND the WORDS THAT MAKE HISTORY "Four Score and Seven Years Ago" The Gettysburg Address as told by an eyewitness of the event "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" Franklin Delano Roosevelt's stirring call to courage "Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You" John F. Kennedy's unforgettable inaugural address "Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall" Ronald Reagan's demand for freedom for the people behind the Iron Curtain Plus Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton on the speeches that influenced them most Also hear... The voices of every U.S. president since Benjamin Harrison in 1889 A reading of the first presidential speech ever, George Washington's "American Experiment" address A reenactment of Abraham Lincoln's incendiary "House Divided" speech Campaign recordings of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson FDR's assertion that Americans have a "Rendezvous with Destiny" Dwight D. Eisenhower's warning against the "Military-Industrial Complex" JFK proclaiming "Ich Bin Ein Berliner" Lyndon Johnson adopting the civil rights hymn "We Shall Overcome" Gerald Ford promising that "Our Long National Nightmare Is Over" Ronald Reagan consoling the nation after the space shuttle Challenger explosion George H. W. Bush's call for a "Kinder and Gentler Nation" Bill Clinton speaking from the pulpit where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his final sermon George W. Bush's ultimatum to Iraq and his promise to its people that "The Day of Your Liberation Is Near"
Persuade, mentor, and motivate like the Great Communicator More than just an influential speaker, Ronald Reagan was a master of all types of communication and employed his personal warmth and charm to rally Americans around his vision. Now, former Reagan speechwriter James C. Humes shows how you can replicate Reagan's ability to influence others and utilize his communication tools when interacting with colleagues and partners. Don't just rely on words, instead: Communicate with gestures, postures, and even clothing Learn the power of podium presence Fine-tune your humor and voice for each unique audience Praise for James C. Humes's Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Reagan: "As a student of speech, I very much enjoyed this intriguing historic approach to public speaking. Humes creates a valuable and practical guide."—Roger Ailes, chairman and CEO, FOX News "I love this book. I've followed Humes's lessons for years, and he combines them all into one compact, hard-hitting resource. Get this book on your desk now."—Chris Matthews, Hardball with Chris Matthews
New in paperback As we ask anew in these troubled times what it means to be an American, You, the People provides perspective by casting its eye over the answers given by past U.S. presidents in their addresses to the public. Who is an American, and who is not? And yet, as Vanessa Beasley demonstrates in this eloquent exploration of a century of presidential speeches, the questions are not new. Since the Founders first identified the nation as “we, the people,” the faces and accents of U.S. citizens have changed dramatically due to immigration and other constitutive changes. U.S. presidents have often spoken as if there were one monolithic American people. Here Beasley traces rhetorical constructions of American national identity in presidents’ inaugural addresses and state of the union messages from 1885 through 2000. She argues convincingly that while the demographics of the voting citizenry changed rapidly during this period, presidential definitions of American national identity did not. Chief executives have consistently employed a rhetoric of American nationalism that is simultaneously inclusive and exclusive; Beasley examines both the genius and the limitations of this language.
Building on the premise that the 20th century has witnessed the rise of the `rhetorical presidency,' Ryan parses the public addresses of a master persuader. Overall, FDR's verbal gifts strengthened his hand while enriching the language of American politics. Ryan examines the mechanics of a typical Roosevelt speech, considering such factors as intonation, rhythm, and choice of metaphor, as well as Roosevelt's incomparable body language--these are the best parts of the book. Ryan effectively treats the question of authorship, arguing that although FDR wrote little of his own material, his speeches bore a distinct Roosevelt imprint. . . . Ryan's work makes clear why the packaging of a speech must be considered as significant as its substance. Choice This thought-provoking study makes a unique contribution to the literature on Franklin D. Roosevelt by focusing on his presidential rhetoric. Unlike previous works on Roosevelt, this volume demonstrates how he tried to persuade the public and the Congress, what rhetorical techniques he used, how he attempted to manage the reception of his messages through the press and the media, and what the effect was of his oratorical endeavors. It examines his leading orations on national and international issues, his persuasive campaign strategies and tactics, his four inaugural addresses, and his unsuccessful speeches against the Supreme Court and in the Purge. It further demonstrates how contemporary Americans responded to and received Roosevelt's rhetoric.