Masterful speakers or performers can be undone by good technique if they, as author Lillian Hellman said “…let the stitching show.”

After eight years of listening to a President garble simple words and sentences, we now have an accomplished debater with a command of rhetoric and his vocal instrument. However, there is a delicate balance—because if the American public senses that Obama’s easy delivery denotes a lack of authenticity, his skills undermine the message.

Like a Broadway actor who performs the same show eight times a week, President Obama must keep stripping away the veneer that results from multiple speaking engagements. Like a trained actor, he needs to ask himself, “what do I want—right now; and why is this important to me?” Only then can he put himself back into the moment and bring spontaneity, immediacy and presence back to his speaking. This is how he will connect to a nation hungry for leadership.

As history has proven, it is never the most “elegant” speaker who wins hearts and minds. It is one who can speak unadorned, with passion and a clear point of view. The voice that connects with us is the voice that sounds like our own conscience. When we listen to Obama, we want to believe our better self is speaking to us, urging us to take the action that we know is right for ourselves and others.

President Obama, with all his rhetorical gifts, must do what’s counter intuitive. Rather than listing specific debate points, he needs to share what he believes in and why. For example, when rallying the country around health care reform, we recommend he deliver a simple theme that resonates with both sides of the aisle. This theme should reflect his ideology and conviction, e.g. “we can lead the world in providing medical care.” Only then will Obama exhibit a strength of spirit and resolve that will overtake the naysayers. Only then will we see a change in public opinion. And only then will he “own the debate”.

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