As much as I believe that speech writers are "essential personnel" in political campaigns, and as much as this speech, as all of Obama's speeches, was moving and brilliantly delivered, I think it is the passion and deep commitment to an ide al upheld by a united organization that transfuses in the strategic choice of the words that are written (often by Obama himself).
Here are my choices of such phrases from a beautifully structured, inspiring victory speech that started with the graceful acknowledgement of his opponent's commitment to public service, then heartfelt thanks to the nation's citizens, with a reiteration of his campaign slogan in short, succinct phrases about the military and his health care reform and carefully chosen words (like hope, believe, forward), ending with a brilliant string of perfectly aligned closing arguments in sequences of three. Just the image we want to hear. Reassuring and strong to the human mind, and soul:
- We rise or fall as one nation.
- For the United States of America, the best is yet to come.
- I want to thank my friend and partner of the last four years, the best Vice-President anybody could ever hope for.
- I wouldn't be the man I am today without the woman who agreed to marry me 20 years ago. Michelle, I have never loved you more or been prouder to watch the rest of America fall in love with you too as America's First Lady.
- To the best campaign team in the history of politics. No matter what you do or where you go from here, you will carry with you the memory of this history we made together and you will have the lifetime appreciation of a grateful president. You lifted me up the whole way and I will always be grateful.
- That's why we do this. That's why politics matter... The arguments we have are a mark of our liberty.
- That's where we need to go: Forward.
- A decade of war is ending.
- Whether I have earned your vote or not, I have listened to you, I have learned from you, and you have made me a better president.
- We have the most powerful military in history but that's not what makes us strong.
- It is the belief that our destiny is shared, that it only works when we accept certain obligations to one another, that the freedom we have fought for and died for comes with responsibilities as well as rights, and among those are love, charity, duty and patriotism!
- I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that exists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us, so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting.
- We are not as divided as our politics suggest, we are not as cynical as the pundits believe, we are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions.
Which do you think was the best line in Obama's victory speech? Share in our comments section below
