“And if you will join me in this improbable quest, if you feel destiny calling, and see as I see, a future of endless possibility stretching before us; if you sense, as I sense, that the time is now to shake off our slumber, and slough off our fear, and make good on the debt we owe past and future generations, then I'm ready to take up the cause, and march with you, and work with you.”
—Barack Obama, Announcement for President Speech, February 10, 2007
As I was searching through numerous quotes, this very long yet powerful sentence from Barack Obama’s campaign speech caught my attention. Obama’s use of strong action verbs such as stretching, shake, slough, march, and work bring energy to his speech as well as inform the reader that he is ready to work alongside us and endorse new, positive change. These verbs make his claim concrete and persuade the reader to contribute to his extraordinary cause. Also, throughout this sentence, Obama uses pretentious diction to glorify his claim. He uses words such as quest, cause, and destiny to transform his basic political statement into a destined voyage were the common people will “fight” and hopefully, “make good on the debt we owe past and future generations”. To an ordinary citizen, Obama’s speech is very enticing. He is calling them to take up arms (figuratively) and to join his crusade.
This sentence can be considered propaganda however in a good way. Obama effectively twists the simple task of acquiring political support into a quest for the future success of our country. Obama is successful in “recruiting” these new followers because of his unique tone. He incorporated numerous action words and ideas into a faced paced sentence which does make the reader feel overwhelmed yet involved in all of the intense action. It is Obama’s simple, dynamic tone that keeps the reader occupied in the up-tempo beat of his “march”.
“And if you will amalgamate me in this unconvincing pursuit, if you heed destiny summons, and see as I see, a forthcoming of infinite contingency stretching before us, if you sense, as I sense, that the instant is contemporary to totter off our dormancy, and slough off our trepidation, and make good on the arrearage we owe retrospective as well as subsequent procreation, then I’m primed to take up the crusade, and traverse with you, and labor with you”
Nick Curosh
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