1. The president’s definitive command of the spoken word. President Trump stood for two hours and didn’t seem to miss a single syllable or point of emphasis. Likewise, he was able to go on and off script, seamlessly, at will. At the same time, he was superb at “reading” the audience, and its reactions. In this way, he kept the address lively, seemingly spontaneous and unpredictable. These are the marks of someone who has clearly mastered public address.
2. The president – – any president – – in order to be truly effective must also be a showman. Having dabbled in the world of media and entertainment, and having led a hit TV series, Trump is a master showman and his talent in this area, were on full display last night. So, the speech was periodically peppered with captivating moments showcasing ordinary people who had done extraordinary things. It was exciting, inspiring and hugely aspirational. It helps, of course, that we like to think of these qualities as quintessentially American.
3. Trump seems to know how to get precisely the reaction he wants out of various segments of his audience at any given time. He is a champion provocateur. He knows how to push people’s buttons – – and, when necessary, how to trigger them. Lamely, the Democrats played right into his hands. At the same time, it helped that the Republicans cheered precisely when they should have cheered and glared disapprovingly at their Democrat colleagues exactly when they should’ve done that. The entire symphony was a tour de force orchestrated by the master impresario, Donald J Trump
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like this in my lifetime. Then again, I was born after Andrew Jackson, and both Roosevelts – – Teddy and FDR. Make no mistake about it, we are living through unprecedented and historic times!
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