Speeches of Barack Obama
Barack Obama served as the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017. Before his presidency, he served in the Illinois Senate (1997–2004) and the United States Senate (2005–2008).
It was during his campaign for the United States Senate that he first made a speech that received nationwide attention; he gave the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. and stated "there is not a liberal America and a conservative America—there is the United States of America". Obama began to run for president just three years after that speech. In response to a political controversy involving race during the primary campaign, he delivered his "A More Perfect Union" speech, which was widely seen as a critical point in the campaign.
Obama won election to the presidency in 2009 and re-election in 2013. Among the hundreds of speeches he has delivered since then include six speeches before Congress (including four State of the Union addresses), two victory speeches, a speech to the Islamic world in Egypt early in his first term, and a speech following the shooting of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords.
On January 10, 2017, We Are The Change We Seek,[1] a collection of Barack Obama's greatest speeches selected and introduced by columnist E.J. Dionne and MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid was published by Bloomsbury Publishing.
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Democratic National Convention keynote address, 2004
The keynote address at the
Obama first met Democratic presidential candidate
A More Perfect Union, 2008
"A More Perfect Union"
Obama addressed the subjects of
On March 27, 2008, the Pew Research Center called the speech "arguably the biggest political event of the campaign so far," noting that 85 percent of Americans said they had heard at least a little about the speech and that 54 percent said they heard a lot about it.[7] The New Yorker opined that the speech helped elect Obama as the President of the United States.[8]
Election victory speech, 2008
Following his victory in the
Speech to joint session of Congress, 2009
United States President
President Obama discussed the recently passed $787 billion
A New Beginning, 2009
"A New Beginning" is the name of a speech delivered by United States President Barack Obama on June 4, 2009, from the Major Reception Hall at Cairo University in Egypt. Al-Azhar University co-hosted the event. The speech honors a promise Obama made during his presidential campaign to give a major address to Muslims from a Muslim capital during his first few months as president.[18]
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs indicated that Egypt was chosen because "it is a country that in many ways represents the heart of the Arab world."[19] Egypt is considered a key player in the Middle East peace process as well as a major recipient of American military and economic aid. Reuters reporter Ross Colvin reported that the speech would attempt to mend the United States' relations with the Muslim world, which he wrote were "severely damaged" during the presidency of George W. Bush.[18]
Speech to joint session of Congress, 2009
United States President
State of the Union Address, 2010
The 2010 State of the Union Address was given by
The speech was delivered in the
The theme for President Obama's speech was "Rescue, Rebuild, Restore – a New Foundation for Prosperity".
Newly inaugurated
Space policy speech at Kennedy Space Center, 2009
This speech was delivered on April 15, 2010, at the Kennedy Space Center.
Birth Certificate statement, 2011
Obama delivered a speech at the White House Briefing Room on April 20, 2011. He stated that the release of his birth certificate is a settled issue saying that the American people "didn't care" nor were concerned about this. Obama blamed partisan politics and said this release is no different than any earlier release.
Tucson memorial speech, 2011
President of the United States Barack Obama delivered a speech at the Together We Thrive: Tucson and America memorial on January 12, 2011, held in the McKale Center on the University of Arizona campus.
It honored the victims of the 2011 Tucson shooting and included themes of healing and national unity. Watched by more than 30 million Americans,[28] it drew widespread praise from politicians and commentators across the political spectrum and from abroad.
State of the Union Address, 2011
The 2011
Speech to joint session of Congress, 2011
State of the Union Address, 2012
The 2012
Speech to the Clinton Global Initiative, 2012
Barack Obama's speech to the Clinton Global Initiative in 2012 took place on September 25.
"You didn't build that", 2012
The speech took place in Roanoke, Virginia, on July 13, 2012.[45]
"Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago", 2013
On July 19, 2013, President Obama gave a speech in place of the usual
There are very few African American men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me. There are very few African American men who haven't had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me—at least before I was a senator. There are very few African Americans who haven't had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had a chance to get off. That happens often.[48]
President Obama also spoke about stand-your-ground laws and pondered that, if Trayvon Martin had been armed, he might possibly have legally stood his ground on the sidewalk and shot George Zimmerman because he felt threatened. Based on that ambiguity, Obama said that perhaps such laws should be examined.[46]
Speech at the Brandenburg Gate Berlin, 2013
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Speech at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, 2013
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On August 28, 2013, the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "
State of the Union Address, 2013
State of the Union Address, 2014
State of the Union Address, 2015
Selma Anniversary, 2015
Obama spoke on the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery Marches, lauded unsung heroes and everyday Americans that stood up for justice. According to leading George W. Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson, the speech "falls into the category of speeches that every child should read in school" and is cited by the Washington Post as the Obama speech which will hold up best for posterity.[49]
Eulogy for Clementa Pinckney, 2015
After the Charleston church shooting, during which state senator Clementa C. Pinckney and eight other victims were gunned down by a white supremacist, Obama went to the College of Charleston to deliver eulogy for senator Pinckney while addressing bigger issues about race relations and civil rights in the United States.[50] Speech had Obama singing "Amazing grace" with the emotional crowd.[51] A part of this song in speech was sampled by British band Coldplay in their album "A Head Full of Dreams"[52].
Address to the Nation by the President, 2015
On December 6, 2015, after
State of the Union Address, 2016
Hiroshima Speech, 2016
On May 27, 2016 Obama became the first sitting US President to visit Hiroshima, bombed by the US in 1945. He made a speech at the
Democratic National Convention, 2016
"You know, nothing truly prepares you for the demands of the Oval Office. Until you've sat at that desk, you don't know what it's like to manage a global crisis or send young people to war. ... But Hillary's been in the room. She's been part of those decisions."
— Barack Obama in the 2016 Democratic National Convention[58]
In one of the last major speeches of his presidency, Obama strongly endorsed Clinton as the Democratic nominee for president, saying "there has never been a man or woman more qualified than Hillary Clinton. Not me, not
Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign speeches, 2016
Barack Obama gave eighteen speeches on behalf of the Clinton Campaign, many of which were in battleground states, such as North Carolina and New Hampshire. His last speech on behalf of the campaign was delivered at a rally at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on the eve of Election Day on November 7, 2016.[64]
Farewell Speech, 2017
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Barack Obama gave a farewell speech, stating many achievements made during his presidency and thanking the American people for their hard work they had done and would continue to do.
H.B.C.U. Commencement speech, 2020
On May 16, 2020, Obama gave a virtual commencement speech for some 27,000 students from 78 historically black colleges and universities (HBCU).[65] He said, "You've got more tools, technology, and talents than my generation did. No generation has been better positioned to be warriors for justice and remake the world."[65]
Notes
- ^ Transcript of President Obama's Remarks
* Remarks by the President on Trayvon Martin
Video of President Obama's Remarks
* President Obama Speaks on Trayvon Martin
References
- ^ We Are The Change We Seek: The Speeches Barack Obama, Bloomsbury Publishing
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- Finnegan, William (May 31, 2004). "The Candidate. How far can Barack Obama go?". The New Yorker. pp. 32–38. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
- Dionne Jr., E.J. (June 25, 2004). "In Illinois, a star prepares". The Washington Post. p. A29. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
- Mendell, David (August 14, 2007). Obama: from promise to power. New York: Amistad/HarperCollins. pp. 235–259. ISBN 978-0-06-085820-9.
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- Milligan, Susan (July 27, 2004). "In Obama, Democrats see their future". The Boston Globe. p. B8. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
- Seelye, Katharine Q. (July 28, 2004). "Illinois Senate nominee speaks of encompassing unity". The New York Times. p. A1. Archived from the original on June 24, 2006. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
- Broder, David S. (July 28, 2004). "Democrats focus on healing divisions; Addressing convention, newcomers set themes". The Washington Post. p. A1. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
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- ^ "'A more perfect union' by Barack Obama". The Los Angeles Times. March 19, 2008. Archived from the original on June 8, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
- ^ a b Barack Obama (March 18, 2008). "Text of Obama's speech: A More Perfect Union". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on March 20, 2008. Retrieved March 18, 2008.
- ^ Nedra Pickler & Matt Apuzzo (March 18, 2008). "Obama confronts racial division". Associated Press. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
- ^ "Obama Speech on Race Arguably Biggest Event of Campaign". Pew Research Center. March 27, 2008. Archived from the original on March 30, 2008. Retrieved March 28, 2008.
- ^ Hendrik Hertzberg, "Obama Wins", The New Yorker, November 17, 2008, p. 40, found at The New Yorker website. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
- ^ CQ Transcripts Wire (November 4, 2008). "Sen. Barack Obama's Acceptance Speech in Chicago". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 5, 2008.
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- ^ Levi, Michelle (February 10, 2009). "Date Set For Obama's First Address To Congress". CBS News. Archived from the original on February 17, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2009.
- ^ "Obama outlines ambitious agenda for 'lasting prosperity'". CNN.com. February 25, 2009. Archived from the original on February 24, 2009. Retrieved February 25, 2009.
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- ^ "Holder Draws 'Survivor' Duty". Washington Post. February 25, 2009. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
- ^ a b Colvin, Ross (May 8, 2009). "Obama to reach out to Muslims in Egypt speech". Reuters. Archived from the original on May 11, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
- National Archives.
- ^ "Energy secretary stays away during Obama health care speech to joint session of Congress". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. September 9, 2009. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
- ^ "Obama's first State of the Union address set for January 27". AFP. January 18, 2010. Archived from the original on January 22, 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ Bazinet, Kenneth R. (January 19, 2010). "President Obama won't be 'Idol' on January 27 when he delivers State of the Union address to Congress". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on January 30, 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2010.. ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and PBS online schedules as of January 24, 2010.
- ^ Zeleny, Jeff (January 27, 2010). "Obama's Themes: 'Rescue, Rebuild, Restore'". The New York Times. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
- ^ "Obama Vows to Restore a 'Tested' Nation". January 28, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
- ^ "After spending binge, White House says it will focus on deficits". Politico. November 13, 2009. Retrieved January 8, 2010.
President Barack Obama announced in next year's State of the Union address that he wants to focus extensively on cutting the federal deficit in 2010 – and downplayed other new domestic spending beyond jobs programs, according to top aides involved in the planning.
- ^ "2010 Republican Response". BBC News. January 27, 2010. Archived from the original on January 30, 2010. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
- ^ "McDonnell Trumps Obama's State of the Union Speech". Human Events. January 28, 2010. Archived from the original on April 8, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
- ^ "More than 30 Million Watch President Obama's Address at Tucson Memorial" NielsenWire, January 13, 2011. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
- ^ H.Con.Res. 10
- ^ "Remarks by the President at Families USA Health Action Conference". January 28, 2011. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
- ^ "Obamas Speeches: Remarks by the President at Families USA Health Action Conference". January 28, 2011. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
- ^ "Video: President Addresses Health Care Advocates--"I'm happy to report that granny is safe"". January 28, 2011. Archived from the original on September 23, 2012. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
- ^ Kamen, Al (January 13, 2012). "Obama's State of the Union: A work in progress". The Washington Post.
- ^ Calmes, Jackie (January 21, 2012). "Obama to Push Activism in State of the Union Address". The New York Times.
- ^ Kaitlin Helm (November 29, 2012). "Students join Obama's campus challenge to end human trafficking". TCU360. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- The Huffington Post. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- ^ Nathi Gule (November 12, 2012). "Tapping in on Obama-mania". Swazi Observer. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- ^ Clarissa Kell-Holland (November 15, 2012). "Transportation industry unites to stop human trafficking". Land Line Magazine. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- ^ Lee Rickwood (November 27, 2012). "Calgary tech company crowdsources fight against sex trafficking". Calgary Herald. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- Connecticut Public Radio. Archived from the originalon September 21, 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
- ^ Liz Nicholls (September 26, 2012). "Theatre review: Performances outshine writing in vivid activist play". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
- ^ Sarah A. Altschuller (December 1, 2012). "Corporate Responsibility for Human Trafficking & Five Steps that Your Company Can Take Right Now". JD Supra. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- U-T San Diego. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- ^ David Davis (December 2, 2012). "Watson to visit White House". Cleveland Daily Banner. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- ^ Weiner, Juli (July 18, 2012). "The Rise of Romney's "You Didn't Build That" Meme". Vanity Fair. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Obama: 'Trayvon Martin could have been me'". CNN. July 19, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
- ^ "Obama: 'Trayvon Martin could have been me'". The New York Times. July 19, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
- National Archives.
- ^ "Which Barack Obama speech is the one for the history books?". Washington Post. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- National Archives.
- ^ "Obama singing amazing grace". Washington post. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
- ^ "Coldplay pays homage to Obama's rendition of 'Amazing Grace'". MSNBC. November 23, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
- ^ "President Obama's full Oval Office address". CNN. December 7, 2015. Archived from the original on December 14, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ^ Shear, Michael D.; Gardiner, Harris (December 6, 2015). "Obama Says of Terrorist Threat: 'We Will Overcome It'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 7, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ^ Shear, Michael D (December 6, 2015). "For Speech, Obama Selects a Setting He Usually Shuns: The Oval Office". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 6, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ^ "Here's what Obama said in his Sunday night address: An annotated transcript". The Washington Post. December 6, 2015. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ^ Obama in Hiroshima calls for 'world without nuclear weapons' May 27, 2016 CNN. Retrieved August 3, 2016
- ^ Will Drabold (July 27, 2016). "Read President Obama's Speech at the Democratic Convention". Time. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
- ^ a b Hirschfield Davis, Julie; Shear, Michael (July 27, 2016). "Obama, at Convention, Lays Out Stakes for a Divided Nation". New York Times. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- ^ Memoli, Michael (July 27, 2016). "Obama portrays Clinton, his former foe and advisor, as uniquely qualified for the White House". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- ^ Grunwald, Michael (July 28, 2016). "5 takeaways from Obama's last convention". Politico. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
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- ^ Lee, MJ Lee (November 8, 2016). "Obama passes the torch to Clinton". CNN. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
Further reading
- Baysha, Olga. "Synecdoche that kills: How Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin constructed different Ukraines for different ends." International Communication Gazette 80.3 (2018): 230-249.
- Belisle, Jordan, et al. "Feasibility of contextual behavioral speech analyses of US presidents: Inaugural addresses of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, 1993–2017." Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science 10 (2018): 14-18.
- Bostdorff, Denise M. "Obama, Trump, and reflections on the rhetoric of political change." Rhetoric & Public Affairs 20.4 (2017): 695-706. online
- Degani, Marta. Framing the rhetoric of a leader: an analysis of Obama's election campaign speeches (Springer, 2015).
- Gleason, Timothy R., and Sara S. Hansen. "Image control: The visual rhetoric of President Obama." Howard Journal of Communications 28.1 (2017): 55-71. online[dead link]
- Hill, Theon E. "Sanitizing the struggle: Barack Obama, Selma, and civil rights memory." Communication Quarterly 65.3 (2017): 354-376. online[dead link]
- Holliday, N. "'My Presiden(t) and Firs(t) Lady Were Black': Style, Context, and Coronal Stop Deletion in the Speech of Barack and Michelle Obama." American Speech: A Quarterly of Linguistic Usage (2017) 92(4), 459-486, https://doi.org/10.1215/00031283-6903954
- Holliday, Nicole, Jason Bishop, and Grace Kuo. "Prosody and political style: The case of Barack Obama and the L+ H* Pitch accent." Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Speech Prosody 2020. online
- Iversen, Stefan, and Henrik Skov Nielsen. "Invention as intervention in the rhetoric of Barack Obama." Storyworlds: A Journal of Narrative Studies 9.1-2 (2017): 121-142.
- Kurtz, Jeffrey B. "'To Have Your Experience Denied... it Hurts': Barack Obama, James Baldwin, and the Politics of Black Anger." Howard Journal of Communications 28.1 (2017): 93-106.
- Perry, Samuel. "Barack Obama, civil mourning, and prudence in presidential rhetoric." Howard Journal of Communications 28.2 (2017): 160-173 online[dead link].
- St. Onge, Jeffrey. "Neoliberalism as common sense in Barack Obama's health care rhetoric." Rhetoric Society Quarterly 47.4 (2017): 295-312. online[dead link]
- Widiatmika, Putu Wahyu, I. Made Budiarsa, and I. Gde Sadia. "Rhetorical Schemes in Barack Obama's Winning Speech." Humanis 24.4: 394-401. online
Editions
- Dionne Jr, E. J., and Joy-Ann Reid, eds. We are the change we seek: The speeches of Barack Obama (Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2017).
- Easton, Jaclyn, ed. (2008). Inspire a Nation: Barack Obama's Most Electrifying Speeches of the 2008 Election. Publishing 180. ISBN 978-0982100509.
- ISBN 978-0-14-311642-4.
- Olive, David I. (2008). An American Story: The Speeches of Barack Obama: A Primer. Toronto: ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-55022-864-9.
- ISBN 978-0-7624-3789-4.
- Ruth, Greg (2009). Our Enduring Spirit: President Barack Obama's First Words to America. London: Collins. ISBN 978-0-06-183455-4.
- Sharpley-Whiting, T. Denean (2009). ISBN 978-1-59691-667-8.
External links
- ObamaSpeeches.com
- Speeches in Text, Audio, Video at AmericanRhetoric.com