Monday, November 17, 2008

Gone Oratory Gone

In this world of constant selling why has the pressure of success not produced better oratory among Canadian politicians? I am frankly at a loss to explain this (although, perhaps I have not tried hard enough.) I have just ordered Great Canadian Speeches from the Federal Press here in Toronto and I even plan to read it. Perhaps I will even attempt to write what I think our politicians should be saying to inspire us.

This minor polemic has been inspired, of course, by my listening to the acceptance speech of President Elect Barack Obama a couple of weeks ago and my near obsession with The West Wing as of late. Words are just words I know and deeds speak the truth but we all need a good argument to get off of the couch and start doing something or at least to pay our taxes without grumbling too loudly.

As I get through Great Canadian Speeches I will let you know about the inspiring ones and perhaps try to clue our politicians into the fact that oratory matters.

ORATORY MATTERS!!

1 comment:

linanneblack said...

I, personally, am interested in the juxtaposition of Laurier and Borden. Laurier, of course, is famous for his beautiful rhetoric, whereas Borden was extremely logical, and spoke plainly, but elegantly. I have only read a few excerpts of Borden's letters and speeches, but I would like to read more.

Of our more-recent PMs... well, my favourite quotation from Jean Chrétien was in the news about a month ago: "Je ne parle pas anglais."