Obama Breaks the Right Rules of Political Dialogue
Apparently Barack Obama didn’t get the standard political memo – the one that says how to respond to political controversy. He gave a speech on race relations that defies the rules of political dialogue and hit a homerun in the process.
Everyone knows the rules of political communication. Here are the rules the Democratic frontrunner ignored yesterday:
• The biggest taboos are religion, politics, race, class, and gender. Don’t discuss these topics unless you want to start a fight.
• Your grandmother is the only person you need to speak more kindly of than your pastor.
• If you want to reach a large audience, speak simplistically and stridently as you address the dullest person in the room.
• Dumb the message down, avoid complexity and subtlety so the audience can follow you even in their sleep. Stick with what they have all heard before.
• Speak only in short sound bites to get the most press coverage.
• Unless it is a nasty fight, no one cares what you say. Frame every issue as a battle between sharply polarized positions.
• Tell them what they want to hear. Tailor each speech so that it addresses the special interests of your present audience.
• Attention spans are short, speeches should be shorter.
• In politics, negative attacks work best.
Yes, these are the rules…unless you want to do what communications author and strategist Meryl Runion calls Unite and Concur. These are the rules, unless you want to confront the biggest issues that have divided this nation for so long. These are the rules, unless you want to transcend conflict. These are the rules, unless you are Barack Obama delivering one of the most important speeches of his career.
Obama’s speech rejected the false dichotomies that have divided this nation for so long. Instead, it examined the complexities inherent in a nation formed by immigrants over hundreds of years, even as we are still deeply divided by slavery, race, gender, class, religion, national origin, and age. He demonstrated his deep understanding of the complex issues that keep us apart even as we hope that we can somehow come together. Obama’s speech demonstrated his understanding of the messy chaos and the magnificent possibilities of democracy in action.
Did Obama’s speech squelch all criticism? No – no speech could do that. But it did raise the bar on political dialogue and set a new standard that would benefit America if others would follow.
Instead of assigning blame to a single cause, he recognized that this fallacy is simplistic, inaccurate, divisive, and destructive. He recognized that difficult problems have many contributing causes. He charged each of us to take responsibility for our own contributions to these problems, and to take responsibility to contribute to the solutions.
Disingenuous politics contrasts to candor and courage of leadership – the kind of candor Obama displayed yesterday. With a frank, in-depth, insightful, intelligent, courageous, wide-ranging, and passionate examination of the authentic and deeply felt issues that have kept us divided for so long, paths to transcending our conflicts have began to emerge. The national dialogue can continue at a new, more productive level if it includes more people with more insight, more respect, more compassion, more courage, more trust, more inspiration, and more skill. We can now say what we mean about the most important issues that have plagued this country since its formation. We have been shown how these powerful issues can be addressed at their core without being mean to one another.
We learn best from example, and Barack Obama has modeled for us how to speak in a way that is not about divide and conquer, it’s about Unite and Concur. It’s an invitation for us to carry out the most important work we can ever hope to accomplish as Americans. To listen closely to our fellow citizens in order to fully understand their points of view and learn from them so we can better understand the true complexities of the most important issues. To suspend judgment, challenge assumptions, identify and fix inaccuracies and fallacies, expect careful thinking, ask questions to increase our own understanding, seek substance, and fully respect other people and their viewpoints. For each of us to find our most authentic voice and say what we mean: directly, honestly, completely, candidly, courageously, and passionately.
And to encourage our leaders to do the same and applaud them when they do.
~ Leland R. Beaumont
Leland R. Beaumont writes about logic and emotional competency at:
EmotionalCompetency.com
Reprint/Reuse Policy:
You have permission to use any of these articles in your newsletter, publications, or on your web site. Please:
1. Let us know when and how you are using the article via email:
2. If it is a web posting, please link back to this article
3. Place Meryl’s tag line at the end of the article with all her contact information. If on-line, please make certain that her web address links to her site. Thanks!
Tag line
Meryl Runion, Unite and Concur and Speak Strong (SpeakStrong) provides Power Phrases (PowerPhrases) and other tools to help you improve communication skills at work and at home and in your community.
She is the author of the books Unite and Concur, PowerPhrases!, How to Use PowerPhrases, Perfect Phrases for Managers and Supervisors and How to Say It: Performance Reviews. You can reach her at 719-684-2633 or by email:
Back to
Unite & Concur
Article Index
Click above for the new
Unite and Concur Newsletter
Unite & Concur Video Introduction
Watch Meryl's
Get Strategic:
Stop arguing
and start communicating
about politics
Audio ♪♫
Listen to Air America
host Richard Greene talking with Meryl
in streaming MP3 audio
