If. You, Barack Obama, Were to Really, Really “Turn the Page”—

—as I think you can, and will, you will show us a model of communication that has seldom been seen since the lesser rhetorical lights (actually, dim bulbs), the Nixons, Roves, Bushes, Cheneys and their ilk, have taken over after the Kennedy style! In the first part of the letter to the Democrat Nominee Barack Obama, a “turn-the-page”, “evolved” presidential form of address was proposed. However, the change would be revolutionary, rather than evolutionary because of the sudden, dramatic contrast with the mundane, uninformed, ego-centric manner of speaking in those men.

The question is begged: what would be the specific elements of an innovative, “turn-the-page” rhetoric of presidential speaking? I acknowledge, Barack Obama already has achieved a remarkable speech-making record, no doubt about that, as contrasted with McCain, and especially George Bush. Obama’s presentations are not, as the lady said, “just a speech”. She might have made “the” speech on gender and sexism, just as Obama did for “race”, but she did not. Turning the page from his demonstrated luminosity involves consideration of some added points.

The whole of presidential communication constitutes a system, a collection of functions that can be installed in the press conference, the cabinet meetings, the diplomatic presentations, reports to Congress, mass communications.

CAMPAIGN SPEAKING: Start with the campaign speeches coming up in the general election after the party conventions. Trivia is allowed when the candidate does not take charge in a manner of speaking above the trivia of lapel pins and “elitism’. We need first and foremost to hear Sen. Obama speak for a minimum of fifteen minutes on each of the chief issues, for examples, Iraq, health care, environmental crises, economy, Social Security, energy, immigration. Each speech should be followed by a speech by his opponent on each issue. That would emulate somewhat the Lincoln-Douglas Debates. One topic for each separate meeting. That is not a “town hall” meeting.

Citing the significant shortcomings in the abilities of the people to attend, concentrate and make sense of what they have heard is selling the citizenry short, a shameful view of the people. ANY COMMENTATOR WHO SAYS THAT THE PEOPLE WOULD NOT TUNE-IN, LISTEN PATIENTLY, UNDERSTAND, AND RETAIN A CLEAR PARAPHRASE OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE CANDIDATES ON THE ISSUE—that commentator should be cast out as a pariah in our society. It has been said by one commentator that the present types of debate formats and content “are generally received as very stodgy” (heavy, indigestible). Hmpf! Typical journalistic comment! Sound bit-byte-bite is what they want. Wait until he has to listen to the President speak for 10-15 minutes!

CITIZENS’ PAGE-TURNING DUTIES, OBLIGATIONS: Auditors of presidential and all governmental communications, and that is just about every mature citizen of the United States, as serious citizen audiences, should be given (by the President) what citizens should be expected to handle. The President will not be dispensing pabulum. Therefore, any page-turning by the President has a counterpart page-turning among U.S. Citizens.

Beyond the campaign speaking, we should be told how a President Obama would inform himself on the issues.

THE CABINET: For increasing “transparency, how would the President’s cabinet be selected and by what criteria?

OUTSIDE EXPERTISE: How would the President involve the world scholars who have book-length opinions on the crucial issues, tap that valuable resource, juxtaposing contrasting views?

DISPENSING POLICY DECISIONS: How would the President introduce to the people his formulations of the issues, reviewing the lead-up debate by providing the arguments on all sides, and how he evaluated and chose what he deemed the best solutions?

NATIONAL PLATFORMS: He should take his reporting to different parts of the nation, finding the region that relates most directly to the issue to be reported.

PRESS CONFERENCES: How might the President change the press conference? Could he select different small groups of three reporters for a chat about the issues, a la Meet the Press, eventually giving the whole press corp the opportunity to speak up close and personal with the President? Then confronting the whole White House press, at other meetings, would it be a good change if he came to it with his anticipation of the questions he might be asked, answering each and then taking additional questions he did not anticipate?

CHATS WITH THE PEOPLE: He should arrange to speak more informally to the nation, like the Roosevelt Fireside Chats, on problems in governing that are not critical issues. I merely suggest.

That’s what I would be pleased to see happen. What would you be pleased to see happen in any makeover of the President’s style in this  major responsibility of our national CEO?