Students and practitioners of PR would be wise to study President Barack Obama's communication skills. His ability to connect to an audience was on display last night during his nationally televised address to a Joint Session of Congress. I can't recall the last time we had such a clear and prominent example of a master communicator in the forefront of American culture. If part of a president's job is to inspire hope and calm the country's fears, then Obama needn't worry too much about his job performance in that category. Some would argue that our daily Dow Jones nosedives better reflect the president's overall approval on Wall Street, but his approval ratings on Main Street--which are currently in the sixties-- should be his top concern at the moment in regards to public opinion.
Obama walked a difficult line last night between acknowledging the harsh reality of our current economic situation and delivering a hopeful message to the American people in desperate need of help. A good communicator addressing his people in times of crisis must never underestimate the hardships of his constituents, nor should he continually linger on a message of sorrow and pessimism. Former President Bill Clinton, in a recent interview on Good Morning America, offered a few helpful suggestions to Obama. Clinton felt that Obama was focusing too narrowly on the reality of the economic situation, which is nothing short of bleak. Though Obama's adherence to transparency in the oval office is commendable, his near abandonment of the soaring, hopeful rhetoric that was so vividly on display during his campaign was disconcerting for many Americans, especially his supporters.
But judging from last night's speech, Obama has taken Clinton's advice and added the necessary "lift" to his oratory address. Obama basically said that though we may have dark days ahead of us, our country has always succeeded and will continue to do so. We've faced much worse in the past, he said, yet still came out on top. Obama carefully stressed several non-partisan issues like improving education and fixing healthcare in order to rouse both sides of the congress to its feet in unanimous applause. 33 times to be exact. He even managed to raise his former rival, Senator John McCain, in support of ending the war in Iraq. Was McCain's gracious gesture more out of courtesy and respect for our country's leader than for full agreement? Probably. But Americans like to see their politicians put aside their differences in support of a common purpose for the greater good of the country. And the people's opinion means everything in a democracy of elected representatives.
It seems that more than ever, we need a good leader to show us out of the darkness of recession and into the light of prosperity. He needs to be a symbol of strength, fortitude, and tenacity. And as we all know, it takes someone who can really connect with the people. Let's hope our leaders continue to practice the lessons of good PR. We need it now more than ever.