He begins by promising he will be a straightforward, genuine and bipartisan leader. He then describes his compassion. He provides a brief but rich history which shows how he fought for civil rights and the misfortunes of citizens. He also conveys himself as someone who is ethical by explaining how he fought for more stringent ethical standards. I thought it was especially interesting how he admitted he is neither a "perfect man" nor will be a "perfect president." While it seems foolish to do this, I think it is important for him to establish that he is relatable and will listen to the demands of the American public (which he later went on to discuss). Obama is heavily scrutinized for being an advocate of the middle class with such a privileged upbringing and perhaps he was intending to alleviate these concerns.
Friday, October 3, 2008
The Importance of Leadership
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2 comments:
Obviously, I agree that it is important that the presidential candidates portray themselves as effective leaders. But as you mentioned, leadership is situational. The U.S. government is a system based on checks and balances, with advisors and lots of other leaders in the mix. Being President is not just about leadership, it's also about teamwork. I think it is alo important that candidates convey that they can work well with others. I think this is also what Obama is trying to hint at by admitting imperfection and describing himself as compassionate.
I think another reason Obama may have mentioned that he won't be the "perfect president" has a lot to do with Bush right now. While he started out strong and with the highest approval ratings any modern president has seen, he also fell the farthest and stayed in low approval ratings longer than any president ever had, minus possibly Nixon, the only president ever forced to resign. Bush has made a lot of mistakes, but on top of the mistakes, I think was gets most people is that he refuses to admit that they were mistakes. He still stands by his convictions like a stubborn child and tries to justify all of his actions without any real support. So by presenting himself as imperfect, it could be Obama's ploy to show that he can admit to his flaws, showing himself as more of a real person that can relate to the American people.
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