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Thursday, February 28, 2008
The Psychology of Hope
Great new article over on the Huffington Post that discusses why Barack Obama's words are more powerful than Hillary Clinton's:
"[S]tanding up for people," "fighting," etc. position Hillary as not necessarily able to change anything. In this formulation, she's more like an older sibling, taking on a neighborhood bully. Nice to have around, and appropriate for a lower office -- but on an instinctive level, not exactly displaying a presidential level of authority.Read More: The Psychology of Hope: Why Obama's Words Are More Effective Than Hillary's
Obama's language positions him not as a fighter, but as a winner, stating the outcome of his election in absolute terms. Stretching (and surely over-stretching) the family metaphor, Obama comes off not as an older sibling, a mere equal of the bad guys, but as a powerful and self-assured father -- one ready to march right down the stairs and give those bullies some whoop-ass.
Moreover, the ad begins with "[i]f you are ready for change" -- so that everything that follows is conditional: it's you, not Obama, who is ultimately responsible for the future. If you don't vote for Obama, the continuing mess is your own fault. But if you do -- "[t]heir days of setting the agenda are over."
Posted by Metavirus at 2/28/2008 10:00:00 AM
Tags: Barack Obama , Hillary Clinton , Power of Words , Primaries
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