Wednesday, February 13, 2013

My Take on the State of the Union

President Obama hit a home run last night in his State of the Union speech. He covered the usual topics (deficits, gun control) and dropped in a few surprises (raise the minimum wage and address climate change). Florida Senator Marco Rubio gave the GOP response. It was a very weak speech for someone who's been anointed the "Republican savior" and a rising political star.

From a communications standpoint, Rubio looked unsure of himself, his delivery was timid and he did not give a strong rebuttal of Obama's speech. If you are a leader, who wants to make a convincing argument or sway public opinion, you've got to give 100%. The Rubio speech was an example of how not to deliver a powerful message.

Great speeches grab our attention, throw out new ideas to consider and give us a call to action. Obama opened his speech by quoting JFK and closed by calling on Congress to take action in the face of growing gun violence that's mowing down innocent victims at school, in our streets and at home. Bravo, Mr. President. Take notes, Senator Rubio!

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