Influential Speaker Commentary Political views aside, most can agree that Barack Obama is an influential and very effective speaker. He is able to inspire masses of people with his simple, yet articulate use of words. He always speaks with a sense of smooth confidence, yet never near the spectrum of arrogance. Most importantly, he is so effective because he accurately knows his audience before performing the speech. Obama is truly talented in his ability to make people identify with him, because the audience feels as if he walked a mile in their shoes. Interestingly, Obama is rarely seen reading a speech. The president is known to read from tele-prompters however the audience is unable to tell. It appears to the audience that Obama creates every speech on the spot, however he is somehow able to convey every point with extreme clarity, and free from any pauses. It is clear that Obama is a naturally talented orator, and that he has honed his skills through practice at Harvard, and throughout his political career. No matter what side of the political arena one may be on, seeing Obama speak live is a compelling experience, more so than past presidents. He is able to instantly connect with the audience with clarity and conviction. Obama is known by many as the people’s president, with his goal of strengthening the middle class, and opposing trickledown economics. He effectively communicates with the lower and middle class demographic because he radiates a feeling of humility and his diction is simple, clear, and effective. Obama can easily connect with this demographic because one of his first jobs was a community organizer in Chicago. Some economists claim that the middle class is shrinking; however it still makes up the majority of America. Obama has many strong supporters because he grew up living a modest lifestyle, so he is able to identify with the