Obama 2.0: It’s the economy, stupid! (but it wasn’t in 2008)

Over the next few months, we’ll be analysing the speeches of the US election campaign. To start off with, we’ll be comparing some of the early speeches of the two main candidates with each other, and their equivalents 4 years ago.

Image from: http://thecomingdepression.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/fundamentally-changing-america-obama.html (21/06/12)

   The biggest issue of both the upcoming and previous US election is obvious: the economy. So you’d expect it to feature prominently in Obama’s speeches of both campaigns. Yet, not only are economic words, terms and topics occurring far more frequently this time around: many appear for the first time.

  Much has been made of Romney’s pitch being as ‘America’s CEO’, and Obama’s early rhetoric for the campaign seems to respond to this. Words ‘debut-ing’ in his campaign lexis include ‘businesses’, ‘financial’, ‘investments’ and ‘growth’. And some of those on the right will no doubt feel rather gleeful and smug at the simultaneous introductions of ‘deficit’ and ‘trillion’. It seems Obama is incorporating more ‘business speak’ than 2008. He is certainly yet to reach the heights of soaring rhetoric we have seen from him. Perhaps the plan is to leave that for later, while establishing his economic capability to entrepreneurs, business leaders, and the more right-leaning economic thinkers. Interestingly, in 2008 Obama seemed uninterested in talk of ‘getting the economy moving’, and ‘moving’ itself appears for the first time.

   This introduction of ‘business speak’ is mirrored in the wider trend or speeches more focussed on the economy. ‘Cut’, ‘cuts’, ‘tax’, and ‘economy’ all appear more often this time around, as Obama shifts from inspiring to dependable - not to mention a greater emphasis on sustainable economics, and living within budgets. Of course, while this is partly down to the position of the economy and the nature of his opponent, it’s not unusual for the incumbent to talk about the economy. Firstly, it’s an ever-useful excuse for what the government hasn’t done; and secondly, at this moment some economists are saying positive things about parts of the US economy. Added to that, Obama played the 'outsider' card heavily in the last election, placing less emphasis on the issues themselves. There were policies, but it was personality that took precedent. Even when it was policy, it was more principles than programs. This time, Obama is known, and so he doesn't need to - and cannot - play the same game.

   

   This wooing of the centre-right will no doubt form a part of the Obama Camp’s dream scenario of leading the polls heading into the final straight, when (one imagines) they will shift to a more rousing tenor.

Either way, Obama seems to be taking on the (rather invisible) Romney on his own terms. For now.