Obama Ruthlessly Crushes Dissent With Inspirational Speech
Posted on | March 27, 2009
Articulate autocrat Barack Obama
Facing anger over the corporate bonus scandals and scepticism over his ballooning budget, US President Barack Obama today used his favoured ‘rousing rhetoric’ method to forcefully quash opposition to his economic stimulus plan.
Mr Obama was answering questions submitted to the White House website by Americans as part of his efforts to make the presidency more accountable to ordinary citizens.
The so-called cyber-Town Meeting was streamlined live online to millions watching at home.
The President seized this opportunity to suppress rising criticism of his policies by getting the doubters back in line with twenty minutes of unrelenting eloquence.
Approval ratings for Mr Obama jumped ten points immediately after the speech. Many commentators attributed this to the President’s single-minded use of inspirational imagery (often drawing from quasi-mythical events from US history) designed specifically for maximum rallying impact.
Littered throughout his address were carefully selected turns of phrase such as ‘bold action’, ‘new beginning’, ‘eventual recovery’ and ‘American ingenuity’.
President Obama was also able to avoid embarrassing questions surrounding the €165 million bonuses paid to AIG executives, by skillfully comparing the present situation to that of the Great Depression of the 1930s:
“Americans had to unite together in the spirit of brotherhood, of cooperation, of hard work. We proved to ourselves and the world we had the will and the tenacity to get our country back up and running…
“The odds were against us then, but we prevailed. And Lord knows they are against us now, but I assure you America, we will prevail again! God bless you, and God bless these United States of America.”
During the Democratic primaries and his subsequent presidential campaign, Mr Obama mercilessly utilised his verbal dexterity to gain political backing for his cause.
That uncompromising articulacy was on display again today, according to Democratic congressman Clint Dashound:
“I was one of those from his own party who had creeping doubts about this stimulus package, but after that devastating speech I’m completely back on his side, even though I never intended to be…
“I tried to stay impartial on the issue, I really did. But it’s difficult to withstand that level of hypnotic oratory.”
Even the Republicans were not immune to Mr Obama’s dissent-crushing words.
“There was little or no support for this budget within our party,” said Senate Republican leader Midge Gradgrind, “yet we have to go along with it because nobody listens to us anymore. Even I lose interest in my own principles when he starts to speak.”
“And there are millions of others who, like me, may or may not agree with his decisions, but still fall helplessly under his spell when he turns on the charm like that.”
Mr Gradgrind is also of the opinion that Mr Obama’s skills of dissent suppression are far more potent than that of his predecessor:
“Bush’s method was to use 9/11 and the threat of foreign terrorism to silence his critics by questioning their patriotism. But that only worked up to a point. Obama, on the other hand, will keep us wrapped around his little finger as long as he can continue to talk into a microphone…
“We are weak and he is strong. What can you do in the face of that kind of smooth-talking power? Nothing, except submit.”
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