Last night’s event will garner round the clock media attention for days to come. There are a number of important stories to follow: the historical significance of this election, how this election will change America’s status in the world, and what is in store for the President-elect. But for this post, I would like you to focus on how the two candidates transitioned from campaigning to transition/governing. Start by looking at video clips from Obama and McCain’s final campaign rallies:
Barack Obama in Manassas, VA, 11pm Monday night:
John McCain in Roswell, NM
Now watch their speeches on election night, given within 24 hours of the speeches above. Start with John McCain’s concession speech, given after the networks called the election for Obama, and after John McCain called Obama to concede the election:
Finally, watch President-Elect Obama’s victory speech in Grant Park, Chicago:
Now for the prompts:
1) How do the candidates shift from campaigning to a conclusion of the campaign in their two speeches?
2) Did John McCain meet your expectations for his concession speech? Did he exceed expectations? Would you have had the same expectations if Obama had lost?
3) Did Barack Obama meet your expectations for his victory speech? Did he exceed expectations? Would you have had the same expectations if McCain had won?
on Nov 6th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
1) The candidates shifted their campaigns to a close in their speeches by mainly referencing the call that was made by McCain to Obama. That signified that it was over and that they respect and were honored to race against each other head to head. Each one was humble and gracious and seemed very honored to have been able to run for the office. Each also seemed to sum up their ideals and beliefs as well as what went right or what went wrong in getting the office.
2) John McCain definately met my expectations in his concession speech. He truly seems like an honorable man and most likely did somethings in his campaign he wouldn’t normally do to try and get votes. I believe he should his true self in his speech and was honorable and gracious for his loss. I feel Obama would have been the exact same way if their positions were reversed.
3) Obama’s victory speech was not quite up to my expectations. He was very humble about winning which I liked, but was a little boring in my opinion. In all honesty the Republican party was an underdog from the get go so I personally would have expected McCain’s victory speech to be a little better. However over all I believe that Obama is the better speaker, but I feel McCain’s speech was better.
on Nov 7th, 2008 at 8:44 am
Both candidates went through of major shift from the campaign trail to their concluding speeches at the end of the campaign. Before Obama won the presidency, he spoke of how he knew the real Americans—that he’s traveled to see the people, to hear what Americans were concerned about, and that through these experiences, he was prepared to give the Americans what they need and want. Obama also spent much of his time in his speeches countering the bad media attacks made by the Republican Party, and of course, he spoke of the hope he had in America’s future. Obama then always ended his speeches by calling to action the people to vote for change. In his concluding speech, Obama could shift to talking about the success of the Democratic Party, the hope that will come to America, and a list of what was to come in the future. His concluding speech was both a thank you for votes and a preview of what was to come under his leadership. McCain similarly changed from the campaign to his concluding speech. In his speech before Nov. 4, 2008, he talked about his experiences in government and military, Obama’s lack of experience, and Palin’s ability to lead, rally, and reform. In his concluding speech, he had to focus on what shortcomings his party may have had and what Americans can expect in the future from the Republican Party and from Obama’s term in office.
What I expected to see in John McCain’s speech was him telling his people that there was still hope, a thank-you for the support he did receive, and a promise that whatever was messed up in this term by democrats could be fixed in the following term by a republican. I also expected him to be humble and to talk about the good race that was run. What he actually talked about in the speech coincided with these notions. He thanked Palin and the people who voted for him. He commented on the race that was run, and he was humble about his loss and told people not to boo Obama. He also talked about how far America had come to vote in an African-American president, which was commendable. So, I would say he met my expectations, although at times, he did exceed them by being so humble and by not appearing overly bitter by his loss. I would expect the same from Obama if he had lost. I think he, too, would have been humble, would have thanked people, and would have commented on the race as well.
In Obama’s speech, I expected him to thank everyone, comment on the race, and talk about the hope for the future, and I wasn’t disappointed. I would have to say he exceeded my expectations though, because I mainly thought his speech would be a thank-you speech, but he still managed to rally everyone for a call to action—a call to make the hope for America real. With the “yes we can” slogan and his references to his grandmother and Martin Luther King’s legacy, he was able to invoke his audience more than I initially expected. If McCain had won, I think he would have given a similar speech, but his would have been more of a thank-you, and he wouldn’t have had the angle the Obama had about making ground-breaking history. I don’t think McCain could have rallied the sentiment or the crowds that Obama did.
on Nov 9th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
In Obama’s victory speech and McCain’s concession speech, both candidates shifted from campaigning to a conclusion in their campaigns. Both candidates mentioned the phone call that McCain made to Obama conceding the election. As we mentioned in class on Friday, this was the first time in speeches like this that both candidates recognized the other for their hard work during campaigning and reached out for their support. McCain ended his campaign by thanking his supporters for all of their support, and mentioning that the loss was his, not theirs. Also for the first time, McCain encouraged his supporters to move on and support the new president because the troubles our country faces at this time are too great for division among the country. In his victory speech, Obama ends his campaign by thanking his family and supporters, by briefly mentioning the problems we now face such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the economy, and the energy crisis, but like McCain, he focused on the need for unity in government and among the people. Essentially in ending this campaign, Obama begins his campaign for the next four years when he will again need the support of the country in order to win the presidency for a second term.
John McCain exceeded my expectations in his concession speech. During the campaign, the Republican Party attacked Obama for his lack of experience, his religion, and his character. However, McCain was not solely responsible for these attacks and did not want to use malicious campaign ads. Still, because of this, I half expected his speech to come across more bitter in his defeat. McCain graciously accepts the loss, and genuinely thanks his family, friends, and all of his supporters for fighting for him throughout the campaign. I thought it was extremely powerful that McCain called this campaign the honor of his life and committed himself to continuing his servitude to the country. He offers hope to his supporters for a brighter future, and promises an even stronger Republican party in years to come. I think that I would have had higher expectations for Obama’s concession speech if he had lost simply because he is a more eloquent speaker. However, during the last few weeks leading up to election day, Obama was the clear front-runner. I think that Obama’s concession speech would have sounded a bit more surprised in his defeat, and possibly even bitter at the loss because it was unexpected. Even though he never gave up throughout the election, I don’t think the loss came as a surprise to McCain and he seemed very prepared and composed during his concession speech.
Obama also exceeded my expectations in his victory speech. Rather than alienate the Republican party for losing, Obama reaches out to those who do not fully support him and asks for their support over the next four years so that we can all face the country’s problems together. Obama’s and McCain’s platforms obviously differ, but Obama sincerely congratulates and thanks McCain for all of his hard work during the election and reaches out to him and Gov. Palin for their help in facing the issues in the coming years. As I mentioned earlier, I don’t think that the win came as a huge shock to Obama, so while he was obviously thrilled that he won the election, he appears very poised in the delivery of his speech. While I mainly expected Obama to thank his supporters, and he did, I was also impressed that he reached out to all Americans in a call to action for change in America. I would not have expected more from McCain, but based on his concession speech, I would have expected a similar speech because both candidates fully understand the importance of a united government and people in this country in order to move forward in the future.
on Nov 9th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
1) There is a definite shift visible between Obama’s trail from campaigning to victory and McCain’s journey from campaigning to conceding the presidential race. Obama’s speeches up to Tuesday, November 4th, 2008 were full of cuts to his opponent, but were really a call to action for citizens to volunteer, to organize, and primarily to get out and vote. He spoke about the individual hardships faced by Americans and encouraged his audience, particularly in Manassas, Virginia, to get “fired up” and “ready to go” for what he sensed would be a tough journey. He modifies his focus on the evening of the 4th to speak to an even broader audience than previously; regardless of political affiliation, he made an effort to rally for support from all people who will now call him President. His tone remained energized for the future, but also was much more subdued and humble for his overwhelming support and for McCain’s “gracious call.” As he thanked everyone, he also began to share his understanding of the challenges ahead with a full realization that it will not be easy and all of the world’s problems will not be solved overnight. The acceptance speech demonstrates that Obama has turned his attention on the White House and all of those responsibilities to fulfill his campaign full of hope, change, democracy, and unity.
John McCain had an even more noticeable shift in his speeches before and his concession speech after the announcement that he would not be America’s next president. During the campaign, McCain focused heavily on HIS strengths, HIS readiness to lead, and HIS ability to make the right choices for the country. He often played up his military experience and his understanding of what average Americans really wanted. His tone was completely different on November 4th, where he spoke in a solemn, respectful way and rarely discussed himself. The center of attention was on coming to the realization that he was going to move on and do all that he could to support Barack Obama and unite the different sides together. He directed this statement primarily at all of his supporters, but encouraged the world to rally behind the president-elect. He accepts defeat honorably and proves to the world that he is able to move on.
2) Both gentlemen recognized that their tones and audiences were changing and that they needed to develop a culminating speech that would exceed all possibilities. I think Senator McCain far exceeded expectations in his concession speech. I expected him to be honorable and respectful, but to also sneak into his statement that he should have won and would have been the better man for the job. His past speeches have taught me that he (or his speech writer) was capable of making snide comments or getting very defensive when anything bad was said about him. On Tuesday evening, he simply accepted the fact that as hard as they worked, it wasn’t enough. I respect him a lot more for not blaming anyone but himself for the loss, but feel Obama would have had a similar reaction had he lost the race. Obama seems to be humble and accepting of criticism by nature, so I can assume that he would also have only blamed himself and been very quick to rally support behind the winner.
3) Obama’s acceptance speech also exceeded my expectations. He is a spectacular orator and I was fully expecting a powerful and rallying speech. What he did do to impress me was to turn all of the night’s victory onto the people. He often would mention the historical nature of this election, but on Tuesday he really hit home how influential his election in the eyes of the world will be. I loved the story of the 106-year-old voter from Georgia and the way he used that story to go through the landmarks that got us here today. McCain would have similarly used stories and experiences from along the campaign trail to connect to the audience and validate his victory, but I think he would have spent more time on the “we did it,” not “here’s what we do now” discussion like Obama did. We are lucky to be living in this time of change, and while the changes won’t all happen at once, Obama has been chosen as the man for the job.
on Nov 9th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
John McCain’s final speech before elections seemed to be a hodgepodge mix of elements. He began by sending his condolences to Barack Obama concerning the death of his grandmother but then poorly transitioned to endorsing Sarah Palin. He then went from topic to topic without any clear path. McCain spoke about Native American affairs, natural resources, veterans, and small businesses all within a few minutes. The one part of his speech I did like was when he spoke about making “government live on a budget just you do” because I felt this was one issue most American people could relate to. Other than that one brief part of his speech, I though McCain’s speech was very weak and did not really encourage or excite voters.
McCain’s concession speech was exponentially better than his speech the night before. He was very straightforward and clear. He thanked his family, friends, and supporters and congratulated Obama on his victory. McCain did not sound defeated in his speech. He spoke about how blessed and privileged he was to have had the opportunity to run for president. He transitioned well from someone campaigning for office to someone accepting defeat gracefully. I felt that McCain did not sugarcoat his failure yet he remained extremely composed and respectful. I think that this speech showed McCain’s true character and I feel it was a very strong speech.
Obama’s final speech, for me, was a bit gimmicky. He appealed to the masses with a humorous story and silly chant. He was very charismatic as usual and sent a powerful, motivational message to those watching. His conversational tone was relatable but I just did not feel that his speech was very developed. This was Obama’s opportunity to assure his supporters of the specific changes he would bring to America and he did not take full advantage of it.
Obama’s acceptance speech strongly emphasized the need for unity in America. I was very pleased with how Obama did not gloat about his victory and spoke of McCain very respectfully. He sounded very sincere when he mentioned working with McCain and Palin in the future and hopefully this will occur. Obama spent time thanking many people who had helped him during his campaign. Although Obama did not speak of anything too specifically during his speech he did make it a point to stress the change America would see and needs to see in its future. Overall, I was a bit disappointed in Obama’s acceptance speech.
on Nov 10th, 2008 at 12:56 am
In Obama’s final campaign rally, the personal story was a great touch. The story he chose was funny and engaging, and worked on several levels. It allowed him to keep a conversational tone, get positive audience feedback, and really humanize himself by describing the long ride, the rain, his lack of sleep, etc. The story itself also illustrates that he keeps his promises, no matter what the cost. The end of his speech was all high energy, and truly got the people “fired up.” What a great way to wrap up a dynamic campaign.
McCain’s final campaign speech establishes several important things right off the bat. He graciously offers condolences to Obama’s family for the loss of his grandmother. He then immediately works to defend his running mate, addressing rumors. He attempts to inspire and rile up his crowd by saying they are going to “shake up Washington.” He uses his standard “my friends” line to connect to the people. I didn’t particularly care for his “alien endorsement” joke, but I guess it was predictably tacky because he was in New Mexico. Overall I felt his speech was a bit disjointed. The flow wasn’t as logical and concise as Obama’s speech, but rather serves as McCain’s final attempt to get across the message that he is ready and all the things he knows and plans to address. By the end of his speech he was getting the audience feedback he had been looking for, and seemed stronger and more confident while speaking, but that didn’t entire compensate for the beginning which had no real structure.
By contrast, McCain’s concession speech was one of the best speeches he has given in a long time. It almost seems that the relief of knowing the outcome loosened his nerves. He came across gracious and compassionate, and seemed genuinely dedicated to uniting the people and standing behind president elect Obama. He stressed not whether or not the best candidate had one, but the things the two men have in common; their dedication to the country they both love. I thought it was appropriate and very well done. He could have been a bitter, sore loser and made a lot of damaging comments, but in giving this speech he gained respect from both Republicans and Democrats that will undoubtedly boost his public image for the rest of his political career.
In Obama’s acceptance speech, he truly sounded presidential. He gave appropriate thanks and respectfully addressed John McCain. He also addressed all demographics of voters, and tried to eliminate parties but focus on the “united” states of America with the phrases “one America, one people.” In this way, he reached out to the people who helped him along the way, and effectively congratulated and thanked them. He concludes his campaign and begins to address the issues ahead. The speech isn’t all positive, and by addressing the more negative points of the war and the economy, he shows that he is ready for the challenges he faces He is no longer campaigning, but he still needs the people behind him, and his speech does a great job of unifying the people, even those who didn’t vote for him, and helping them recognize the long road ahead. He recognizes that this speech may be the end of the journey he began to become president, but also the start of a new journey, where he encourages the people to take responsibility and get ready for the future. It was a powerful transitional speech, and when compared to the previous speech shows Obama’s oratory skill at both rallies and more serious occasions and knowledge of how to appropriately address his audience at all times.
on Nov 10th, 2008 at 12:56 am
1) The difference between McCain’s speeches on Monday and Tuesday is stark. On both occasions, however, he spoke warmly and respectfully of his opponent, Senator Obama. On Monday, naturally he still had a fighting spirit. He took the opportunity to sum up his differences from Obama and his goals for office. Unfortunately, his delivery was much stronger on Tuesday. On Tuesday, he emphasized the need for unity and his own support for Senator Obama.
Senator Obama’s speeches also differed. In both speeches he used anecdotes. On Monday he didn’t talk about his opponent, his policies, or his plans. Instead, he engaged the audience and used humor to make his last appeal. On Tuesday, his tone was more solemn, though personable, and he did actually speak of his opponents, plans, etc.
2) Senator John McCain exceeded my expectations in delivering a gracious and pivotal concession speech on Tuesday night. I expected him to be humble, respectful, and thankful in his speech, which he was, but he went above and beyond. He looked uncomfortable when the crowd booed Obama, and motioned for them to stop. He commended Obama for his victory, which I am sure must have been difficult to do after such a long, hard race. His body language and tone of voice conveyed genuine gratitude for the opportunity to represent the Republican party in the bid for presidency. For me, the most powerful part of his speech was his statement that the loss was his, not anyone else’s. McCain carried himself as a truly patriotic ’servant’ as he has called himself, and conceded with dignity and honor.
3) Senator Barack Obama failed to meet my expectations, as I was not very impressed with his speech. Everyone’s hopes were high for the speech, in part due to his charisma and eloquence, but also due to the historic significance of his victory. He was humble and spoke very kindly of Senator McCain, which was of course expected of him. He said his ‘thank you’s’ and even reached out to those who did not support him. His emphasis for unity was crucial in light of the current economic crisis and the two wars in the Middle East. Though his delivery was probably superior to McCain’s, the speech itself was pretty standard. All in all, I think that after such a long race, his speech was anti-climatic.
on Nov 10th, 2008 at 2:48 am
1. The candidates shift from campaigning and the conclusion of the race were clearly evident in both of their final speeches. This was due mainly to the fact that Barack Obama was able to say that he accepted the nomination to be the next President of the United States. In his speech, he also was not ruining the name of John McCain and talking about how his proposal for the country were bad, but rather he thanked him for a good race and called him a hero. In John McCains speech he admitted defeat and conceded from the race. He also talked highy about Obama rather than slandering his name for the sake of politics.
2. John McCain exceeded my expectations for his final speech. He handled the lose with grace and refused to let the audience boo Barack Obama. He talked about how the country needed to come together, rather than separate the the country by political party. He talked highly of Obama and encouraged his many proposals that he had. All in all his speech was probably one of his bests, that showed him as a true gentleman will to accept defeat.
If Obama had lost and had to give this speech, i would suspect that he would have given it the same way. He would have been support John McCain and his new policies. I believe both candidates realize that to ensure themselves with political power, they need to be supportive of the new President Elect.
3. After such a long and close race, i found that Obama did not exceed or meet my expectations. For the number of people there and the stress put on his speech i found it to be anti-climatic. Although he talked well, and it was an over all good speech, but i believe that he has had better speeches. He covered all of his point by thanking everyone who helped out and told the country that he was going to began the task of turning the economy around and put the country back into a positive light, however there was something missing. I feel that the excitement at which he gave the speech was lack luster. For just winning the Presidency, i was expecting more emotion and charisma.
on Nov 10th, 2008 at 10:12 am
1) The most marked difference between the speeches during the campaign and those given on election night is the difference in the call to action that the two candidates put forth. Where both McCain and Obama asked the people to support them over their opponent whilst on the campaign trail, they were now obliged to call for unification, asking everyone to band together and support the government and the presidency over the next four years. Obama, instead of trying to convince us to choose him, now had to tell us that he was going to live up to expectations and do the things he’d said he would during the campaign.
I do agree with those who’ve said that McCain had to make a more significant shift, because he had to promise to support Obama and ask everyone else to band together to do the same.
2) I believe that John McCain definitely met my expectations for his concession speech. He seemed sincere and and gracious, and his promise to support his opponent and continue to serve his country came across as both genuine and respectful, and he didn’t say anything bitter or underhanded about how he should have won instead, even trying to quell the booing from his disappointed supporters. I also believe it was a very honorable statement when he chose to take all the blame for his defeat, which made him look honest and rather brave for owning up, so to speak. I think this was especially important in McCain’s case, because it is very unlikely that he will run for President again, so this was probably the last highly televised speech he would give and he knew to cast himself in the best light possible through what he said.
I would have had the same expectations for Obama in terms of the sentiment offered, but at the same time, it would have possible for him to hint at or promise to run again, because had he lost, he would have still had a chance to run again in the future.
3) Obama did indeed meet my expectations for the speech, sounding rousing and patriotic. This inspired people to support him in his new position. He also even started on hinting at his goals while he’s in office, which made him look as though he could support the sentiment of his speech with actions while being President. Significantly for Obama, he also had to acknowledge the historical nature of his election, which he did very effectively, thereby adding even more to the aforementioned rousing patriotism of his speech.
On some level, I expect McCain would have done the same, by expressing how great the country is and how he plans to serve it while in office, but at the same time, he wouldn’t have had the same sort of historical significance to his victory that Obama had, so that element would very likely have been absent.
on Nov 11th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Both candidates seemed to me relaxed on stage compared to their previous speeches on the campaign trail. They did not get the crowd fired up. They were done trying to persuade the country that they were the right candidate. They were both very humble and both said they were honored to be competing against the other man. Even though Sen. Obama won the presidency he seemed to keep an even keel, he did not get to excited. The same went for Sen. McCain; he lost the race but was more upbeat and talked about how he would help his country in whatever way he could.
I believe I was like a lot of people in this country and was extremely impressed by Sen. McCain speech. He did not come out and say this country has made a huge mistake by voting Sen. Obama; in fact he was the complete opposite. He said that Sen. Obama would make a great president and that he looks forward to working with him in Washington. He stressed that he wanted a more peaceful Washington. He called for his supporters to help Obama, not to stand in his way. I was also extremely impressed with how McCain addressed the fact that this is a huge step for the African American people of this country. This was a very classy move on his part, realizing what a significant moment this is for this country. I believe Sen. Obama would have acted in the same manor. He would have thanked his supporters and would have stressed how far this country has come. I also believe he would have been careful with what he would have said because he would have been a senator for a long time in Washington, and I believe if he did not win this election he would have ran for president again.
I was impressed with Sen. Obama’s speech as well. He did not was very humble in his speech, commending Sen. McCain on his campaign. He stated that McCain has done a lot for his country and has made sacrifices for this country that most of us can not even imagine of doing. He briefly thanked all the people that helped him get to the point in his life. He was grateful for the family was blessed with and his amazing campaign team, saying none of this would be possible without them. He started talking about his policies and how he would fix the economy and called both parties to come together to fix this issue. He stated that he will make mistakes but he will always be honest with the people of this country. I believe McCain would have been about the same. They are both upstanding gentlemen and are humble as well. They respected one another even though they disagreed on some issues.
on Nov 11th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
1. Both McCain and Obama began making shifts from campaigning to either a victory or loss in their speeches prior to the elections. In Obama’s speech prior to the election he talked about how it all began in Greenwood, SC and how far they had come since then and the promises he was making to the country. McCain brought up points of how he’s been fighting for the country since he was 17 and outlining his contributions and highlighting what he could still do for the country. Both of them gave a brief overview of their work in politics and then went on to discuss what they would do if they were elected the next night.
2. I think McCain exceeded everyone’s expectations for the speech. Even though he lost, he did not seem defeated but was very composed and optimistic for the future of the country. Instead of denouncing Obama or even letting people boo him, McCain spoke of how the country needs to come together and how he had just spoken to and congratulated Obama. McCain emphasized how the American people needs to move forward peacefully in Washington. I think that a concession speech from Obama would have been respectful but would of had a much different tone. The win for Obama was such a huge stride in American history with electing such an atypical candidate that if he lost it would have needed to take a different approach.
3. Obama, as usual, met everyones expectations in his speech but I think he exceeded most expectations by giving more than just an acceptance speech. After thanking the people for electing him as the next president he went out to outline some of the changes he was trying to make in Washington. He also did a great job of getting an emotional appeal from the people and illustrating how he wanted to move on with change in America. He did this by talking about a black woman that has seen times where she couldn’t vote because she was black and woman and now she is alive to see the first African American president. I think this illustration helped to show how so much change can be accomplished in a lifetime and that Obama was planning on doing as much as he could during his presidency. Obama also did a good job of not bashing Obama. He never spoke of how his policies were superior to McCain’s, but spoke positively of him. I think that if McCain would have won, he would have had the same positive tone towards Obama, but I don’t think his speech would have had the same overall impact that Obama’s did. Both candidates gave two very compelling speeches.
on Nov 11th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
1) Both candidates addressed in their campaign speeches something that they would later refer to in their respective speeches after the election results. Obama, a major underdog at the start of the campaign, mentioned how one voice can change a nation. In his victory speech, he emphasized that supporters voted for “change in America” - his political slogan. This ability to vary the content of one’s speech but still draw on their campaign’s main theme is show by McCain as well. McCain constantly reminds his supporters about his service in the armed forces and the experience he has in Congress. While he was able to use this during his campaign, he was still able to effectively utilize this in his concession speech, saying how he can still contribute to the “peaceful years” ahead.
2) Considering the all the events taken place in the past eight years and how divided the country has become over that time, I was hoping for a candidate to preach about the importance of a unified nation during its most difficult times. I’m not sure whether I expected this from either candidate, but I was thoroughly happy to hear McCain speak about this. He seemed honest and genuine in his support for Obama and his promise to continue serving America.
3) Obama’s speech was very powerful, and as talked about in class, he seemed “presidential.” I did not know what to expect, considering that Obama’s victory was a historic one. His speech resonated with every one of his supporters, taking advantage and acknowledging the fact that he was making history. He went through his thank yous as he should have, and then spent the rest of his speech re-assuring his supporters that they made the right choice, and reaching out to the other party and saying that he would be committed to working cohesively with them. McCain’s victory speech would carry different weight, though. He obviously wouldn’t have the “history-in-the-making” expectation, but since McCain was considered the underdog to Obama, he would have to gear his speech towards reaching out to a larger population of people. Either way, both candidates gave effective speeches, and the expectations for each of them were plentiful and exceeded.
on Nov 11th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
1. In the initial speeches, the focus is still on getting out to vote, still on the possiblities that lie ahead. Of course, in the second speeches the candidates know what the outcome of the election was and so John McCain focuses on a gracious consession of the election, asking his supporters to stop booing and putting down his opponant, and thanking those who supported him. Barack Obama also thanks everyone who has given him their support and makes sure to emphasize his respect for McCain and for those who support McCain, avoiding devisive rhetoric in favor of focusing on the possibilities open to America.
2. I was really impressed by John McCain’s concession speech. He was very supportive of the man who, until that night, when the campaign ended, had been his opponant and who, until that night, he had been criticizing. It was really classy of him to ask his supporters to stop putting down the candidate they had voted against, even though it probably would have been very easy to let them say what may have been on his mind. No doubt his was incredibly disappointed, but he was very gracious and supportive of Obama, which is something that it is hard not to be impressed by.
3. Brack Obama definitely met my expectations for a victory speech, as far as I had any, though I admit that I hadn’t totally thought about what to expect. I certainly expected him to speak well of his opponant, because even though they’ve been working against each other for a long time now, it cannot be said that John McCain has not given his all for his country and it would, in any case, be extremely bad form to kick his opponant while he’s down. I would have expected precisely the same from McCain, probably because it is a basic tenant of being a decent person that you do not brag about your victories and are gracious in your losses.
on Nov 11th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
1) Both candidates do a fantastic job putting the campaign behind them and shifting focus to the days ahead. In Obama’s speech he shifts the concentration beyond the campaign towards what he plans to for the country. He thanks those who have helped him, then moves on to discuss not only his supporters but shows he will be the president of those who do not agree with him. He talks about how he will not ignore these people as he realizes they are Americans as well and there voice should be heard too. McCain Has a similar strategy in his speech. Telling his supporters that Obama is his president and they need to acknowledge he is their president as well.
2) McCain exceeded my expectations with his concession speech. I believe his graciousness of his defeat really relfect well on his character. While we saw glimpses of this in his campaign I felt McCain really showed this aspect of his character in this speech. He attempts to heal party lines drawn during the campaign, which is extremely important, especially after a campaign which at times got fairly heated. I would hope Obama would have a similar speech if he had won. However with the expectations Obama had going into the election I’m sure he would be devastated had he lost.
3) Obama exceeded my expectations as well. I felt it was nice that both campaigns talked about how well the concession phone call went. Obama did a good job trying to bring people together as well, and I thought his speech complemented McCain’s. I feel the specificity Obama went into in his plan for the country was important for Obama to outline as he did. With the current problems we currently have, it is important to get to work as soon as possible, and by outlining his plan hopefully Obama can hit the ground running when he takes the office. I would expect McCain to do the same with the current situation of the country I would hope he would focus on the future as well.
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 2:56 am
(1) Obama gave his speech in Manassas using his own story, and he drew some phrases like ‘fired up’ and ‘ready to go.’ It was centered on giving a belief about his ability to lead a nation because it was before the election. However, in his victory speech he concluded his campaign mentioning ‘change has come to America’, which indicates the victory of his campaign and the beginning of his period in the United States. He has claimed the phrase ‘yes, we can’ and for that change he told about what America should do as a people in the future. He encouraged people to go to the new future and emphasized that change in the future can be only realized by America’s work all together.
Senator McCain pointed out his understanding about the problems which New Mexico has and his career on that in Roswell, New Mexico. Whereas he argued on his career and ciriticized his opponent career, he showed his support toward the next president and admitted his loss. He concluded his campaign by appreciating all of the supports he has had and encouraging people to support the next president who was once his opponent as their president.
(2) It exceeded my expectation. I think he showed his great aspect through his concession speech. He displayed his sorry for Obama’s grandmother’s passing away. He admitted his loss and congratulated Obama, stopping ‘boo’ noise from the audience. He tried to comfort his supporters and remarked he would not regret this election. What I liked most in his concession speech was that he admitted the differences between Obama and him and encourage people to support him as the next president, saying ‘my’ president. I don’t think it was easy to say his opponent his president right after the election because he must have been disappointed at his loss. But in doing so, I think he showed the aspect that he is a great man who knows how to accept the failure and to look at the future with it. He also mentioned America in the future, the next four years, which made him seem like he is an honest politician. I felt like he is a person who can embrace either win or loss and also an indispensable politician in this country.
(3) I was pretty impressed with Obama’s speech because he showed various aspects. I think he showed his faith in the next four years, his humanity as a person and his love for the country as a leader and one of the people. When he mentioned that the hard work of McCain and Palin and he was looking forward to working with them, I could feel his passion and embracement as a leader. (I’m not sure it soundes make sense.) and When he thank his families and appreciated people who support him, naming each name, I felt like he was humane. I felt like he is a person who can give credit. Also I liked the last part that he asked people to think of the future for the next generation, your very children, ‘my’ daughters. For very that future what ‘we’ have to do? The last part reminded people of their lovely families and gave an impression that he must work on for the change and also encourage people work on for their future and the nation. As I watch him embracing all people in the country, I think I could see him as a real leader of one nation.
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
1. There was definitely a noticeable shift from campaigning to the conclusion of their campaigns in Obama and McCain’s speeches. Obama’s speeches regarding the campaign were full of humor, and very engaging. His personal stories associated with fellow Americans were not only an effective way of removing his celebrity status (sleepiness, wet from the rain, long travels, etc.), but they were also inspiring to his audience. I think his ultimate goal was to encourage everyone to reach for the ballot. In his victory speech, he didn’t criticize or attack McCain, but thanked him for his life-long dedication and loyalty to the United States. For McCain, the shift was much more noticeable. During the campaign, he focused a great deal on Obama’s faults as a potential president, and criticized his proposals. He also reinforced his experience in the military and as a Senator. In his concession speech, McCain offered his condolences to Obama and the loss of his grandmother. He addressed the outcome of the presidential election and stated that will support his new president of the United States, and continue to work with him for the overall good of the people. The content of his speech was a gracious way to accept the loss of the election and very effective in uniting both parties.
2. McCain’s concession speech definitely exceeded my expectations. I think most people would agree that this speech was the best speech he has ever delivered in his career. McCain didn’t blame anyone for the loss, but thanked everyone that supported him for a long, hard-working journey. He also congratulated his opponent for their victory and assured the people that he will continue to work hard in Washington by working together with Obama and supporting his new president. I think that if Obama had lost, he would have given a very similar speech. He would go through his “thank you” list and offered his support to McCain as the new president.
3. Obama is such a talented orator and his speeches usually tend to exceed my expectations. Compared to the other speeches on the blog, his victory speech was twice as long and I sighed when I saw that it was nearly 19 minutes long. Once I started listening to the speech, I was so focused on what Obama was saying that the time just flew by. As usual, he made his promises of hope and change to the American people, but what I especially liked, was his story about the 106-year old woman from Georgia. The story became a timeline of all the hardships people had to endure over the last century and that made this historical speech that much more memorable. I think that if McCain would have won, he would have used personal stories as well to illustrate his road to victory. However, I think the overall point of his speech would be that they won the long journey as opposed to we have another long journey ahead of us in Washington.
on Nov 13th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
1) As Obama’s position changed from a presidential candidate to a president of U.S, his speech changed in many aspects. Before the election, Obama focused on persuading voters to vote for him if I consider his saying that he is ready to go. He kept saying his slogan “change” to the audience, and appealed them that he is the person who they should vote to change the world. After the election, he spoke as a president of America. He inspired audience to change the world together through saying “yes, we can.” He stressed the result of the election is voters’ choice, admitting his victory. He also confirmed a promise that he will listen to citizens’ voice as a president.
MacCain’s attitude also changed. Before the election, MacCain differentiated himself from Obama insisting his qualified experiences. He made sure his public commitments such as cutting taxes. He looked more excited with passion. After election, he expressed regret but admitted defeat. He complimented Obama, asked him to lead America, and asked the audience to co-operate with him.
2)MacCain met my expectation for his concession speech. His attitude was humble but this attitude made him more glorious regardless his defeat. Rather than arguing on his political party, he expressed his love toward America. With his patriotism, he embraced not only his supporters but also Obama’s supporters and all citizens in America. Even though he won, I would expect him to exceed a biased attitude because he maintained this attitude when he gave speeches before.
3)Obama met my expectations for his victory speech. He expressed gratefulness to his family, friends, and American citizens. Above all, rather than being proud of himself, he stressed America’s change, social problems, and social issues to solve in the world such as women’s rights and pursuing peace. I would say his speech was for Americans and rather than for his victory. Even though he lost, he would not express deep regret about his defeat and would promise to work for America and world peace.
on Nov 13th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
1) Both Senators during their campaigns had different styles to gain supporters and their votes. Obama made himself appealing to average American by sharing many of his personal stories. He also promised big change in America and created an inspiring slogan “yes we can”. When Obama made his acceptance speech he celebrated on how far America and also recognized his opponent McCain and his accomplishments. McCain during his campaign constantly referred to his experience in the senate and with foreign affairs. He would also point out Obama’s flaws and try to persuade voters that he was a better candidate. In his concession he congratulated Obama and gave his support to the new president. Overall both Candidates did something they had never done during their campaigns, took time to appreciate each other.
2) I think Senator McCain exceeded everybody’s expectations by how gracious he was. I was expecting him to give a weak congratulatory remark for senator Obama but never fully recognizing his acceptance of him as president. However McCain emphasized his support for Obama and his belief of one nation instead of one divided into republicans and democrats. I think if Obama had lost, he would have done the same thing as McCain in trying to show more of an importance on a united America instead of the fact that McCain won the presidency.
3)Obama met my expectations, only because they were very high to begin with. His speech was heart filled and inspiring to the American people much like his speeches during the campaign. He touched on many things, not only the past and present but also the future. I think McCain would have given a speech similar to McCain except he would feel content with his victory for presidency instead of yearning for more to be done in the white house once he was elected.
on Dec 14th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
1) Both candidates seemed to noticably change gears when giving their concluding speeches from their previous campaign speeches. Both stressed the need for unity in their concluding speeches, while they took turns criticizing each other in their campaign speeches. In their campaign speeches, they referenced the shortcomings of the opposing patry’s policies, and explained why their own policies were better. Also, Obama spends a lot of time calling his supporters to action tosupport change. In the conclusion speeches, however, both candidates were very gracious and very complimentary to each other.
2) Honestly, after watching McCain’s previous speeches, his concession speech exceeded all of my expectations, not only in content, but in speaking style as well. He seemed very well prepared and looked very presidential as he made the speech. He did well controlling the crowd’s rections, especially those against Obama. Instead, he encouraged all those who supported him to support Obama in the next few years, despite their feelings, because that will be what is best for America. He thanked his supporters for voting for him, but stressed the need for a united America, and I admire him for accepting defeat so graciously. I expect that Obama would probably behave in the same manner, since he encourages unity in his acceptance speech as well, but I don’t know if he could have pulled it off as well.
3) As for Obama’s speech, I don’t think that it lived up to my expectations. He is a great speaker, and he talked about some significant things, but it all felt a little lackluster, especially on such a historic occasion. I think I had higher expectations for Obama than for McCain, so that might play into my opinion here. He does do a good job of projecting for the future, and he praises McCain for a hard-fought battle, which I liked. But it felt too long for what he said, and I feel like, if he had made it more concise, it would have been better. Would my expectations for McCain have been so high? No. Do I think McCain would have exceeded my expectations had he won? I’m not sure. But I do like that both speakers went beyond party lines to urge the unity of our nation in these hard times.