Saturday, March 8, 2008

Clinton and the Use of Stories

As I watched Hillary Clinton's victory remarks in Ohio last Tuesday evening, I was struck by the fact that she has finally begun telling short stories in her speeches. Senator Obama has been doing this and it is high time that Hillary employed the persuasive power of a vignette.

In Hillary's January 3, 2008 remarks after finishing 3rd in Iowa, Hillary failed to mention any sort of personal story (either from her own life or from the life of a supporter).

In Hillary's January 8, 2008 remarks after winning New Hampshire, Hillary failed to mention any sort of personal story (either from her own life or from the life of a supporter).

In Hillary's February 5, 2008 remarks after Super Tuesday, Hillary failed to mention any sort of personal story (either from her own life or from the life of a supporter).

However, in Hillary's March 4, 2008 remarks after winning Texas and Ohio, Hillary finally begun using personal stories:
  • For more than a year, I’ve been listening to the voices of people across our country. The single mom who told me she works two jobs; neither provides health care for her kids. She just can't work any harder. The little girl who asked how I helped people without homes - turns out her family was about to lose their own. The young man in a Marine Corps shirt who said he waited months for medical care. He said to me, "take care of my buddies, a lot of them are still over there. And then, will you please help take care of me?"
  • I want to end by sharing with you a message that I got late last month from someone who didn't have much money to spare, but sent me $10 for my campaign and sent an e-mail in which she wrote: "My two daughters are two and four, and we chant and cheer for you at every speech we see. I want them to know anything is possible." Tonight I say to them, keep on watching. Together, we're going to make history. To those little girls, I say this is America, and we do believe you can be anything you want to be, and we want our sons and our daughters to dream big. I have big dreams for America’s future. The question is not whether we can fulfill those dreams, it's whether we will. And here's our answer: yes, we will.

2 comments:

Randall Bytwerk said...

You may remember Nixon's "Checkers Speech," in which he reports a check from a woman whose husband was in the service. "Folks, it's a check for $10, and it's a check I will never cash."

unspun said...

I did not recall this speech. However, I Googled it and found the entire transcript at http://www.watergate.info/nixon/checkers-speech.shtml

I find it interesting that both Senators Obama and Clinton use stories of individuals who send in money. It is a good way of making a fundraising appeal without sounding like you are on national TV pleading for money.