A Presidential Inauguration or a Binding Contract of Reformation?

A presidential inauguration represents a crucial moment in time, a time of transition, and for some, it is an opportunity to change from bad to good. On the day of January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the first African-American president. From this point on, it will be recognized as a crucial time period in which racial segregation will be politically unacceptable. It is a time in which the conservative federal government will undergo radical changes to meet the standards of a Democratic president. For many, it is a moment of victory and relief and for the rest, there is a feeling of defeat and despair. Although there is this separation and disagreement of political beliefs, an inaugural address seeks to unify all divisions and in the end, inspire the nation.



Throughout his campaigning, Barack Obama's public speaking skills were widely recognized and admired. Even Republicans began to wonder if McCain was falling short merely because of the overall reaction and inspirational spirit Obama could build out of a crowd. He was moving; he stimulated his audience and he motivated his fans and was able to convert the swayers. The peak and final bang of President Obama's public speaking was his inaugural address that instilled confidence in the nation. At that point, citizens of America were relieved with their new president.



The reason for such success for President Obama's inaugural address, was because he used the power of "kairos." He recognizes the crucial moment of time we were living in. The fact that an African- American was elected president is a crucial moment in history within itself. But Obama also recognizes the fact that we are amidst economic devastation, in need of health care and education reformation, and facing terrorism on a universal level. Without a doubt, Obama addresses the right people, at the right time and in the right place. All the citizens of America are looking to be reassured - they want to know they will be taken care of. Certainly, the American people are reassured all of this as Obama states, "Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in short span of time. But know this America: They will be met" (par. 11). The reason for his success is because he points out that we need many changes due to the trivial time. He uses kairos to his advantage. Because of the truths he states, people do not recognize that they are being persuaded into an agreement.



This is the reason for Obama's success- he lures people in and soon enough, they are not conscience of the unwritten contract they are making. He promises that by unifying our nation we will choose "purpose over conflict and discord" (par. 12). Of course this is appealing to all, but what we don't realize is that there is work to be done on each citizen's behalf - in other words, the government, despite what some may think, is not going to fix it all for us. Obama manages to slip in that Americans need character change and we need to develop more integrity in terms of spending, developing better habits and conducting honest business. Of course these are all truths and each issue must be addressed - but what the audience must realize is that each citizen needs to agree to do these things for the betterment of our nation. Obama says, "For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies" (par. 58). When he reads this statement, Obama's audience is too caught up in the inspirational spirit to truly understand its meaning. In a sense, he is placing more responsibility on the individual saying that the government cannot function without citizen participation. Obviously, this is an acccurate statement - the government cannot work for a large body of inactive citizens. However, common knowledge is that if anything, Obama's policy will be strengthening the central government to the point where an individual's political responsibility is insignificant. The purpose of this statement is persuasion. It is enforcing the unwritten contract - the contract that John Locke once spoke about centuries ago. Each citizen has responsibility and in order to function as a unified body under government, individual wants or desires must be given up. These individual wants and desires are the bad habits Obama is talking about. Citizens must give up greediness and laziness - the individual freedoms that will not promote national unity.

In many cases, the audience does not recognize this "contract." Citizens do not recognize the persuasion in Obama's argument because he effectively works in motivation for a better day that hides the responsibilities that come with the future. Obama uses motivation from the past, a history that we all share, the sacrifices our Forefathers made for us, the battles they endured and the everlasting hope and virtue they first established. These are such powerful bonds that we all share, any contract would be hard to recognize or fully understand under such emotional ties. But citizens don't understand the importance, let alone the changes they will have to make in their lives. As citizens, we have agreed to "spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government" (par. 33). These are not bad things to change, the purpose is for a better tomorrow and to help our nation reform. But the persuasion is key under these circumstances.

It is obvious that a presidential inaugural address is an example of kairos - a critical point in time. But many do not see how in this case, Obama uses the kairos moment to his advantage by presenting an agreement among the people. Throughout his term as president, we will see if his persuasion through kairos was actually effective by watching the habits of our fellow citizens. We will see if his contract of reformation persuaded the American people. We will ask ourselves looking back, "Has there been a transformation in business transactions?" Overall, Obama uses the current times as a source of inspiration to present a contract of reformation. Initially, people do not think of an inaugural address as a piece of persuasion, but underlying the inspirational words and the motivational spirit of Obama, lies a contract that each citizen must abide by in order to experience success as a nation.