This is a special treat for all the linguists and language philosopher in da houze. It is time to compare and contrast the rhetorical styles of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Lady's First :
Highlight of the speech it's right there at the beginning :
I come tonight with a very full and I want especially to thank New Hampshire. Over the last week, I listened to you and in the process I found my own voice.
John Edwards is next :
Highlight from the last third of the speech:
I want to be clear to the 99% of Americans who have not yet had the chance to have their voices heard that I am in this race to the condition, that I intend to be the nominee of my party and I am in this race until we have actually restored the American Dream and strengthened and restored the middle class of America.
So I ask all of you here and all of you who can hear the sound of my voice that 99% whose voices have not been heard in this democracy to join us in this grassroots campaign to create the kind of America that all of us believe in.
And now it's time for Barack Obama :
Aside from his brilliant "you can be the New America Majority who can lead this nation out of this long political darkness", this is the part that I believe is almost flawless (I challenge you to spot the flaw) :
We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.
We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics and they only grow louder and more dissonant in the weeks and months to come. We have been asked to pause for a reality check.
We have been warned against offering the people of this nation, false hope. But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about Hope.
For when we have faced down impossible odds, when we've been told we're not ready or we shouldn't try or we can't, generations of Americans have responded with the simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people : Yes we can ... yes we can ... yes we can.
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation. Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed the trail to freedom through the darkest of nights. Yes we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out for distant shores and pioneers who pushed west against an unforgiving wilderness. Yes we can.
It was the call of workers to organize, women who reached for the ballot, a president who chose the moon as our new frontier and a King who took us to the mountain top and pointed the way to the promised land, yes we can to justice and equality.
Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity,
yes we can heal this nation,
yes we can repair this world,
yes we can.
Compare.
Contrast.
Discuss.
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