The shooting in Tucson last weekend lead to very different responses from the two people who have the highest profile in the US when it comes to public utterances

 As the Sunday Times put it “Obama had at last recovered the voice that won him so many admirers in his 2008 campaign”. He was under heavy pressure and  despite this, perhaps because of it, he earned unanimous praise and may well have transformed his election prospects. He was as the MoS said ” in preacher mode but pitched it perfectly, emotionally and politically.”

For Sarah Palin her politics are all emotion. Seemingly any words will do, however appalling, as long as they push the emotional jugular, love or hate.  What is scary is just how many get carried along by her. 

In the typical business pitch the words are written and rewritten to meet the political/commercial brief, with emotion taking a back seat. A touch of Palin might not be such a bad idea. The ideal,  an Obama.  Get the words right and then invest time in practising to deliver them with the right emotional impact for your audience.