President John F. Kennedy and newly elected President Barack H. Obama are historically significant presidents. Kennedy was the first Catholic to be elected in America, a country that at one time was rather anti-Catholicism (Akin 1); at the time, many felt that Kennedy could not be elected, due to his faith, but he won in a close election, defeating then Vice President Richard Nixon. Kennedy was a decorated war hero, was young, and spoke with passion, exuberance, and fire, enabling him to beat out the older, less socially skilled candidate.
Barack Obama’s skin color was seen as a factor that would keep him from being elected by many political pundits in their analysis before the election. Obama was able to rise above such petty discrepancies through his use of strong rhetoric, wonderful speaking skills, and confidence; Obama also was lucky enough to run against a beleaguered Republican party that had suffered great damage to its brand, thanks to the unpopularity of George W. Bush.
Both Kennedy and Obama delivered historic inaugural addresses before a captive audience of television viewers. Before television, radio had been the great tool of communication through which U.S. Presidents had delivered their speeches; the medium of radio did not allow for the great confidence that Obama and Kennedy both exuded through their youthful appearance, facial expressions, and gestures. Nevertheless, both Presidents delivered addresses that were the focus of great attention in 1961 and 2009.
While both speeches are historic in nature, the historical context behind both is significant. Kennedy had just attained a presidency following the Red Scare, in which communism was seen as a tremendous threat to the country. The Korean War had ended without much fanfare several years beforehand, and the terror of a nuclear war the most serious nightmare in most Americans’ minds. Kennedy spoke very little about the economy, and his speech focused mainly on national defense and adherence to God’s law.
When Obama took office some forty-eight years later, America had greatly changed. The Cold War with Russia has long died out, the threat of nuclear war is minimal at best, and communism was no longer feared, but had actually been encouraged throughout many liberal sectors of the United States for decades. The new issues of the day included the degree to which the U.S. Government should be “helping” people, gay marriage, abortion, civil rights, a devastated economy, and a bevy of other things that Kennedy did not have to deal with (although he did work for civil rights).
Additionally, Barack Obama’s inauguration speech was under a much greater microscope; Kennedy had television, radio, and newspapers to report his words; Obama’s words are under the scrutiny of the aforementioned media sources, in addition to the Internet, cable television news sources (which tend to lack political neutrality), out of control political correctness, and the instantaneous global news cycles of 2009. That being said, Obama needed to parse his words in many areas.
Kennedy did not have to deal with the leftist tilt of America from the mid-1960’s to today, making his job of delivering a political inaugural address seemingly less complicated than Obama’s. Things such as a legalizing abortion and medical marijuana would have never been conceivable in 1961, but both are realities today. Obama faces the difficult task of adhering to will of the liberal groups that helped get him elected while not trampling on the conservative voters who voted for John McCain; while Kennedy faced similar problems of right vs. left, the bitter partisan nature of 2009 is as bad as its ever been, due to the polarizing nature of President George W. Bush’s previous eight years.
Obama’s inaugural address, as could be expected, was covered favorably by leftist news organizations like NBC, MSNBC, and the N.Y. Times, while more right wing media outlets, such as Fox News and The National Review were less glowing. In terms of neutral, impartial assessment, it is hard to come by. However, Clarence B. Jones, a former speech writer for the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. felt that, “…his speech was good, relevant and appropriate for our time. I do not think, of itself, it was such a distinctive speech” (Sorensen). John Woolly, a University of California, Santa Barbara professor, noted similarities between J.F.K.’s address and Obama’s. She felt that Obama’s telling enemies that America will not apologize for its way of life was similar to what Kennedy told American enemies in 1961. Martin Medhurst, a Baylor University professor of rhetoric, noted that Obama not only mimicked J.F.K. in his address, but he also paid homage to the rhetorical style of Reagan and F.D.R.
Regardless of how various analysts and pundits view both men’s inaugural addresses, it needs to be stated that the office of United State President is one of great power and responsibility. Both men wanted the job and won; upon giving their inaugural addresses, both must have been incredibly nervous, but they delivered inspiring speeches, the scope and importance of which most Americans can only begin to comprehend.
Works Cited
Primary Sources
- Hossell, Karen Price. John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Speech. New York: Heinemann Educational Books, 2005.
Secondary Sources
- Akin, Jimmy. “The History of Anti-Catholicism.” Catholic Answers. 2009. Web.
- Sorensen, Ted. “Inauguration 2009.” National Journal. Web.
Media Sources
- “Obama’s Inaugural Address.” Web Video. The United States Government.
- “President Kennedy’s 1961 Swearing-In Ceremony.” Web Video. The United States Senate.