Obama’s speech: Pretty paper, empty box

The language in Barack Obama’s nomination acceptance speech was shockingly banal, says Michael Long, director of the White House Writers Group.

Last night, Sen. Barack Obama delivered a historic nomination acceptance speech to an estimated crowd of 84,000 Democratic National Convention attendees packed into Denver’s Invesco Field. But did his presentation make the mark of a great presidential speech?

I give him an A on delivery and a C on content. Here’s why.

Nearly every speech by anyone is too long; political speeches, more so. Few but true believers and political junkies sat through this near hour-long speech. Obama fell into the talk-talk-talk tradition and trap that every politician, executive and Toastmaster member falls into, too. (Every nominee, every year does. Next week, so will Sen. John McCain.)