The Teleological Discourse of Barack Obama


Book Description

The Teleological Discourse of Barack Obama, by Richard Leeman, provides an in-depth analysis of President Barack Obama’s speeches and writings to explain the power of the 44th president's speaking.This book argues that, from his earliest writings through his latest presidential speeches, Obama has described the world through a teleological lens. Teleology is the philosophy of discovering in the essential nature of humans or countries the telos, or ideal, towards which one should progress. Obama consistently portrays freedom and equality as essential to human nature and the American spirit. Understanding his discourse as teleological helps explain the inspirational and philosophical nature of his rhetoric, as well as his famous patience, perceiving progress where others become frustrated. Teleological discourse is ancient, with its roots in philosophies such as Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics and Christian theology, and its handprints evident in Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. In order to discover the roots of Obama's teleological perspective, Leeman also examines the speeches of presidents Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan, as well as the civil rights discourse of Martin Luther King, Jr., Frederick Douglass, and W. E. B. Du Bois. Although the roots of his teleological discourse run deep, President Obama's particular use of the philosophy is very modern. The Teleological Discourse of Barack Obama is an essential contribution to the study of American politics and political rhetoric.




Barack Obama Speeches


Book Description

This handsome leather-bound volume features 85 of Barack Obama’s most influential and impactful speeches—spanning more than a decade from his time in the Senate to his final day in the presidency. Hailed as one of the greatest orators of modern times, former President Barack Obama has inspired millions through his speeches. This gorgeous collection—a hearty 704 pages, in a timeless leather-bound edition with a foil-stamped cover and gilded edges—provides a comprehensive look at how Obama’s message of hope and change evolved from before his presidency until his last day in office. Today more than ever, these speeches resonate with optimism and keen insights that people of all viewpoints and political backgrounds can appreciate and learn from. Pieces include… Pre-presidential speeches that signified Obama as a rising star. Speeches from some of the most important events of his presidency. His first and second inaugural addresses, all of his State of the Union addresses, and his moving 2017 farewell speech. Dozens more, covering the greatest issues facing the United States and the world. Perfect for any political aficionado, newshound, or admirer of the 44th president of the United States, this collection makes an ideal gift.




The Teleological Discourse of Barack Obama


Book Description

The Teleological Discourse of Barack Obama, by Richard Leeman, provides an in-depth analysis of President Barack Obama's speeches and writings to explain the power of the 44th president's speaking. Highly regarded for his eloquent and inspiring rhetoric, Obama is often compared to Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. However, Leeman's study shows that Obama's teleological philosophy and discourse more closely resembles Ronald Reagan's rhetoric.




Double-Consciousness and the Rhetoric of Barack Obama


Book Description

“This incisive work” examining Obama’s speeches and the theories of W.E.B. DuBois “illuminates the influences of words and ideas” (Choice). The racial history of US citizenship is vital to our understanding of both citizenship and race. Robert E. Terrill argues that, to invent a robust manner of addressing one another as citizens, Americans must draw on the indignities of racial exclusion that have stained citizenship since its inception. In Double-Consciousness and the Rhetoric of Barack Obama, Terrill demonstrates how President Barack Obama’s public address models such a discourse. Terrill contends that Obama’s most effective oratory invites his audiences to experience a form of “double-consciousness,” famously described by W. E. B. Du Bois as a feeling of “two-ness” resulting from the African American experience of “always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others.” An effect of cruel alienation, this double-consciousness can also offer valuable perspectives on society. When addressing fellow citizens, Obama asks each to share in the “peculiar sensation” that Du Bois described. Through close analyses of selected speeches from Obama’s 2008 campaign and first presidential term, this book argues that Obama does not present double-consciousness merely as a point of view but as an idiom with which we might speak to one another. Of course, as Du Bois’s work reminds us, double-consciousness results from imposition and encumbrance, so that Obama’s oratory presents a mode of address that emphasizes the burdens of citizenship together with the benefits, the price as well as the promise.




We Are the Change We Seek


Book Description

A collection of Barack Obama's greatest speeches, now including his farewell address, selected and introduced by columnist E.J. Dionne and MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid. "It is a political partisan's dream to see them [Obama's words] so finely gathered here." - Washington Post We Are the Change We Seek is a collection of Barack Obama's 27 greatest addresses: beginning with his 2002 speech opposing the Iraq War and closing with his emotional farewell address in Chicago in January 2017. As president, Obama's words had the power to move the country, and often the world, as few presidents before him. Whether acting as Commander in Chief or Consoler in Chief, Obama adopted a unique rhetorical style that could simultaneously speak to the national mood and change the course of public events. Obama's eloquence, both written and spoken, propelled him to national prominence and ultimately made it possible for the son of a Kenyan man and a white woman from Kansas to become the first black president of the United States. These speeches span Obama's career--from his time in state government through to the end of his tenure as president--and the issues most important to our time: war, inequality, race relations, gun violence and human rights. The book opens with an essay placing Obama's oratorical contributions within the flow of American history by E.J. Dionne Jr., columnist and author of Why The Right Went Wrong, and Joy Reid, the host of AM Joy on MSNBC and author of Fracture.




Historical Dictionary of the Barack Obama Administration


Book Description

This dictionary has over 200 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, including the president, his advisors, his family, his opponents, and his critics, as well as members of Congress, military leaders, and international leaders.




Hope Draped in Black


Book Description

In Hope Draped in Black Joseph R. Winters responds to the enduring belief that America follows a constant trajectory of racial progress. Such notions—like those that suggested the passage into a postracial era following Barack Obama's election—gloss over the history of racial violence and oppression to create an imaginary and self-congratulatory world where painful memories are conveniently forgotten. In place of these narratives, Winters advocates for an idea of hope that is predicated on a continuous engagement with loss and melancholy. Signaling a heightened sensitivity to the suffering of others, melancholy disconcerts us and allows us to cut against dominant narratives and identities. Winters identifies a black literary and aesthetic tradition in the work of intellectuals, writers, and artists such as W. E. B. Du Bois, Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, and Charles Burnett that often underscores melancholy, remembrance, loss, and tragedy in ways that gesture toward such a conception of hope. Winters also draws on Walter Benjamin and Theodor Adorno to highlight how remembering and mourning the uncomfortable dimensions of American social life can provide alternate sources for hope and imagination that might lead to building a better world.




Say It Like Obama and WIN!: The Power of Speaking with Purpose and Vision


Book Description

A fully updated, expanded edition of the leadership classic! President Barack Obama never fails to fire up a crowd. Whether he’s addressing societal injustices or explaining complex policy decisions, Obama gains legions of enthusiastic supporters with every speech he makes. With Say it Like Obama and Win!, you hold in your hands the secrets to the President’s amazing success. Author Shel Leanne dissects Obama’s style to reveal his remarkable communication tactics—which you can put to use right away. You’ll learn how to: Make a strong first impression Communicate using body language Establish common ground with your audience Gain trust and confidence Convey your vision with imagery that resonates Build to a crescendo and leave a lasting impression This updated edition contains brand-new material, including Obama’s historic presidential election acceptance speech, the inaugural address, election-winning debates, and communications regarding the economy and foreign affairs. Say it Like Obama and Win! is about the art of persuasion, the power of presentation, and the most effective techniques of communication. From building strong arguments and facing tough issues to inspiring a team or workforce to new levels of innovation and productivity, Say It Like Obama and Win! gives you the tools you can use to instill positive change at every level of your organization.




To Reach the Nation's Ear


Book Description

Throughout much of American history, African Americans have been denied easy access to most of the traditional modes of effective reform, such as newspapers, legislative assemblies, unions and political parties. Public speaking has thus been one of the most critically important means by which leaders and individuals have reached an audience, enacted or prevented change, and created community. Dating from the earliest days of American history, the African American community has produced many notable and eloquent speakers and has demonstrated a vibrant oral tradition. The volume will follow a chronological organization, tracing the history of African American public speaking from colonial times to the present.




Foreign Policy Discourses of the Obama Years


Book Description

For any action in foreign policy to be possible, it has to first appear as plausible in the spoken and written discourses of foreign policy. This is the basic axiom at the core of the case studies that Kovács carries out in Foreign Policy Discourses of the Obama Years. In each case study, she investigates discursive products such as presidential speeches and news accounts, with the purpose of teasing out the types of meanings that emerge. These meanings, she argues, have an impact on the types of foreign policy action the Obama administration could plausibly undertake. The findings show both that foreign policy in the US is mostly understood and evaluated in terms of its impact on domestic politics, and that the study of discourses surrounding foreign policy is a useful tool for assessing administrations.