Inaguration speeches

I read five speeches to compare and contrast. The first was Lincoln's 1st inagural address. The second was his second. The third and fourth were Clinton's and the last was Bush's 1st inagural.

Niether Clinton nor Bush hold a candle to the logical consistancy, wordsmithing, and shear dramaticism of Lincoln. They are both posers.

Inerestingly GW's first speech comes across as far more critical of Americas lack of progress on civil rights and economic fairness than does Clintons. Both Clinton's speeches were really upbeat.

What strikes me is that both Lincoln and Clinton, use continuously positively reinforced imagery in their phrases. Bush, though using triumphant phraseology tends to end each segment of his speech with a dark ambiguity that borders on the bizzare. Particularly his closing where he says:

"Never tiring, never yielding, never finishing, we renew that purpose today, to make our country more just and generous, to affirm the dignity of our lives and every life.

This work continues. This story goes on. And an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm.

God bless you all, and God bless America."

I highlighted in red the bizzare parts. I have never really thought of America as a storm or a whirlwind. Though we are acting like it in Iraq.

Compare that to the closing of Clinton’s 1st:

“And so, my fellow Americans, at the edge of the 21st century, let us begin with energy and hope, with faith and discipline, and let us work until our work is done. The scripture says, "And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not.

From this joyful mountaintop of celebration, we hear a call to service in the valley. We have heard the trumpets. We have changed the guard. And now, each in our way, and with God's help, we must answer the call.

Thank you and God bless you all.”

And Lincoln’s

“In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow-countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The Government will not assail you. You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors. You have no oath registered in heaven to destroy the Government, while I shall have the most solemn one to "preserve, protect, and defend it."

I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

Of course Lincoln new what was about to happen. His was a far weightier speech. It had to be. It was a last plea to preserve the Union. But even there, in the last scentance, of the last desparete cry to avoid war, he uses this awsome imagery of the:

“The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

I am curious to hear GW’s next address. Lincoln’s first was four times as long as his second. And another thing that is really striking is that in the span between those speeches Lincoln was able to fight to near victory and nation destroying civil war. What has GW been able to do in 4 years?

Lastly Lincoln did not ask God to bless the US at the end of either of his speeches. Though both his speeches are filled with biblical phrasing and gospel imagery, way more than Clinton’s or Bush’s. Actually Bush’s speech is the least biblical in tone.