Report Card

Writing: C+
Clarity: C
Efficiency: C+
Elegance: B-

Delivery: A-
Pacing: B-
Intonation: B+
Body Language: A
Passion: A

There’s been a lot of praise for Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at the 2008 Democratic Convention, with commentators like Andrew Sullivan calling it “a deeply substantive speech,” and celebrities like Oprah describing the night as “something that was transcendent.”
UPDATE: Gallup Poll of Aug. 30: [...]

Story-telling played a major role in Barack Obama’s acceptance speech in Denver last night – from the introductory video to the numerous references throughout the speech both to his own story and those of ordinary Americans. One particularly effective use of story came when he drew parallels between the stories of others and his [...]