Dozens of politicians have hit the stage at the Democratic National Convention this week. While some are gifted orators, others are not.
But why listen to me? I know a little something about a good speech performance: A decade before I became the senior host of the City Cast Chicago podcast and a communications professor, I was a member of the national championship–winning Bradley University speech team. Plus, I’ve coached college and high school students in the years since.
That’s why I’m grading a few speeches from local politicians, mostly on performance and style. Fair warning: I graded harder than usual.
Michelle Obama: A-
The former first lady couldn’t even speak for the first few moments due to applause. After jumping right into the storytelling, she grabbed the energy in the room and held it throughout. When she honored her late mother, she tapped into a different level of emotionality and serenaded the audience with her cadence. Strong range in pace, tone, and inflection. Plus, a true master class in physicality and hand gestures!
Barack Obama: B+
Twenty years after taking the DNC stage for the first time as a state senator, the former president’s speech felt like an acceptable remake of a classic but with more bite, urgency, and a bit of desperation. We’ve grown accustomed to these moments, yet there were still flashes of his youthful oratory bounce.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth after speaking at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday. (Kevin Dietsch / Getty)
Tammy Duckworth: B-
The Illinois senator and military veteran who typically uses a wheelchair walked out onto the stage to a raucous crowd and immediately started throwing verbal blows, calling former President Donald Trump a “draft-dodging coward.” Her pace was solid, but predictable after a while. It was an effective and concise speech that largely focused on protecting reproductive rights and access to health care.
Brandon Johnson: C+
While the mayor had an A+ script packed with hometown references, he overperformed it. He was overextending and pushing the words out versus letting the mic and script do the heavy lifting. Remember, it’s better to build to a crescendo instead of trying to maintain booming energy throughout. By slowing down the pacing, reducing the volume, stretching out the emotion, and holding the pauses, Johnson could have delivered a welcome address to be remembered.
JB Pritzker: C+
It was a stacked lineup of speakers, but the governor pushed too hard out the gate. Was he trying to capture a “presidential” energy? It felt a little too forceful, too soon. His zingers were plentiful — if a bit telegraphed — but his Illinois wins contrasted against Trump gaffes were the highlight. He needs more work on diversifying pace, sentence structure, and line delivery, but overall has the right components.
Honorable Mentions
U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood: C
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin: B-
