Lim: Obama’s Current Communication Style Inevitable

A story for NPR explores an interesting, and very noticeable change in Barack Obama: as a candidate, his communication style was bold, inspiring and at times even poetic; but, now, nearly two years later as the country’s chief executive, “President Obama does not hold a candle, oratorically speaking, to Candidate Obama.” Why? Elvin Lim, assistant professor of government, discusses the changes in Obama oratorical style, explaining that, the president’s current approach is an inevitable function of leading in a polarized political environment. Lim adds that the functions of campaigning and governing are completely different: “And poetry is of much less use to him as president.”