Inaugural Speech Excerpt

It was a privilege to be able to attend Obama's inauguration. Many people I've talked to and some in the media have commented on the relative absence of applause lines in Obama's speech. First, I thought it was a good speech in setting up the public for what lies in store for us and preparing us for the tasks ahead, because our problems will not be solved just because we elected some new officials; these problems will take patience and input from ourselves. I thought Obama hit these notes when he talked about the need for us to take "responsibility" seriously again.

Second, I wonder whether the advent of the online age has or will have some effect on these speeches. Until now, speeches have been events heard once and quoted occasionally. But now they can be accessed anytime at our convenience. Perhaps Obama's speeches are geared to some extent for those interested in a repeat hearing in a screen-to-individual setting. If so, then the need to lay out a good argument may take precedence over a series of good applause lines.