Obama Speaking on CNN from Selma...

[Infinite Hope]

Having listened to him speak many times, I find it interesting that while he's speaking in this black church in Selma, his linguistic habits are changed. Sometimes he puts in a slight southern drawl/twang and other times he'll suddenly start speaking like a southern preacher. Having her him speak before and having an interest in linguistics, it really stands out to me and sounds awkward. I wonder if we'll hear comments about this after the speech at all; it's pretty subtle most of the time so most of his audience who haven't really heard him before might not know it's so different from his normal linguistic character.

Update:
To change accents as he did could be deliberate, but there's also a linguistic term for it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication_accommodation">Communication Accomodation - Convergence. It might be something like "mirroring." Essentially, it's normal and subconscious to sometimes subtly take on the linguistic style of those around you.

Obama's second half of the speech stood in stark comparison to the beginning which, to me, lacked passion. The second have was far more passionate and spoke of "oppression within yourself" - people holding themselves back because of the hate of others. It was a very powerful message; one we've heard before, but need reminded of. He also spoke of the notion of "acting white and being educated" in the black community and how such things are shunned.

Overall, the speech was very effective for him in helping people get to know him and he also included many religious references which will play strong.

Hillary is speaking now at a nearby church. The first half of her speech was also lacking passion. She, too, took on another accent at times. After the first several minutes, she began speaking about the atrocities in Katrina and against our soldiers returning home and she became very passionate and seemed to find her groove.

[Island Blue]

1. I noticed the same thing. n/t

[tridim]

2. I love Obama, but changing drawls on a dime seems like a Bush trait.

He doesn't need to play the pandering game IMO.

Be YOURSELF Senator!

[carpe diem]

3. he was asked about this in an interview on NPR last week

there's a transcript and audio at the link

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7630250

(excerpt)

At his Capitol Hill office this week, Obama spoke with Steve Inskeep about his upcoming trip to Selma and his experiences as an African American presidential candidate:

Do you try to talk in the same way to a black audience as a white audience?

I think that the themes are consistent. It think that there's a certain black idiom that it's hard not to slip into when you're talking to a black audience because of the audience response. It's the classic call and response. Anybody who's spent time in a black church knows what I mean. And so you get a little looser; it becomes a little more like jazz and a little less like a set score.

[Dr Fate]

21. Fantastic & HONEST response from Obama. Case closed. n/t

n/t

[lyonn]

4. Hillary on now and oh how southern can you get?!

She is laying it on. Hope she turns it down.

[tblue]

5. It's better than * sportin' his cowboy hat or stuffing his codpiece & landing a fighter jet

Please don't criticize Obama for this. Is it important in the scheme of things?

[Infinite Hope]

8. Who criticized?

Sometimes it seems like honest discussion of some things is automatically criticizing. People need to be more open to discourse without assuming conspiratory intent.

[tblue]

14. Who assumed conspiratory intent?

You say we 'need to be more open to discourse.' Well, I'll just be wide open and say I've been black all my life, and I have never heard black people commenting about how someone talks to black people a certain way and to other people a different way. It's either not noticeable or it's irrelevant, and who cares?

Is there really such concern about how Barak speaks to his own people? If I were him, yes I could take it as a criticism, but from someone who really doesn't know what it's like to be a black American trying to succeed in mainstream society. We adapt in many ways that may or may not hit your radar in order to make it. If you want to have an 'honest discussion' of how Obama adapts to his audience, that's your right. But it's my right as well to say it makes it sound like you're not really in the know. You may be very well meaning. Maybe you didn't realize how such comments could be construed.

Let's face it. For the first time in our history, we have a viable, very competitive African-American presidential candidate with enormous cross-over appeal. The election season is long and only just beginning, and I think it is absolutely important to discuss openly relevant subjects of race and culture. As liberals and Democrats, we should openly discuss and wonder aloud about what we observe in this new reality. We are not and never even should be colorblind. The ability to see the different colors is a gift if you observe with an open heart, and a truly open heart is unfailingly honest. So let the discourse be open and frank -- on all sides.

I'll say it again. If you want DU to take special note of how Obama varies the cadence of his speech, you have every right to. But if I want to say it sounds like a criticism, I have every right to also.

[Infinite Hope]

15. You have a right to say it sounds a certain way, but the fact is it wasn't criticism.

I thought he gave the best speech I've seen him give since the 2004 Convention. But the fact is he and Hillary both varied their accents/dialects during their speeches. It's a linguistic fact that many people do this to some degree when around people of other accents. There's nothing wrong with pointing out the characteristics of his speech while discussing the elements and points within his speech. It's wholly relevant. Being relevant doesn't mean it's a "con," it simply means it's directly related to the speech's linguistic content because it's one and the same.

There's a tiny segment of DU that seems to think anything other than unabashed praise is criticism, perhaps as a result of fear of defeat of their candidate or issue from within. Whether or not that's the reason, and whether or not that fits you, the vast majority realizes there are shades of gray, that points can be made that are neither criticism nor praise, but rather simple observation.

You can continue this sub-discussion on your own. I'll continue discussing with the everyone else who added to the discussion of the speech and elements and content thereof, with those who recognize the objective shades of gray.

[tblue]

23. It doesn't seem right to me for someone to post something and then tell people to take their

comments about their post elsehwere. But okay, Infinite Hope, I'll leave.

I don't agree with eveyrthing you say, but you have a right to say it. I guess I am 'on my own.'

[Connie_Corleone]

6. My speech changes when I talk to southern people.

It just happens automatically. I end up sounding like my grandmother.

As far as Obama's speech, I didnt' hear a southern drawl, but I think he always sounds like a southern preacher when he gets to the powerful parts of his speech.

[EST]

7. Sen. Obama certainly speaks with clarity and authority.

It would be difficult to determine whether this is affectation or accident. Some people seem to have an accent or dialect locked in and will sound the same no matter where they are or how long they've been there.

Others, and this includes myself, seem to adapt to wherever they are, with speech patterns and execution blurring almost immediately, picking up on local dialect. This seems to occur automatically and without intention, although one should not rule out the mark of a consummate politician and majority builder.

Either way, unless one is so clumsy as to "talk suthun" with a Brooklyn accent and thus offend one's listeners, it speaks well for mr. Obama.

[Perky]

9. It is called "call and response"

I know very littel about Obama's UCC congregation in Chicago. but the cadence and vocabulary of the african American church experience feeds the pasto ast the pasto feed the congregation. Call and Response is a very familiar style to those with any familiarity with the black church.

[Infinite Hope]

10. That isn't what I was referring to. I was specifically talking of the accents.

I edited the original post to include the term for it: "Communication Accomodation (Convergence)." It's why we might find ourselves talking with a southern twang when we go south or other accents when we go elsewhere.

[never cry wolf]

11. After listening to Rev. Lowery and that Bishop speak

I still have a change of accent/drawl... and I'm a suburban white guy from Illinois.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

12. It bothered me a little

I noticed it particularly at the beginning. I especially noticed the dropping of the "g" at the end of some words. It wasn't nearly as pronounced as George Bush's accent, which normally sounds like that of an East Texas pig farmer and, when he campaigns to an audience consisting of his good ole boy base can gradually sound like he's just had sex with his sister, had a swig of moonshine, and eaten a fine possum dinner.

I think perhaps it's part of the effort of every politician to try to connect with his/her audience. I noticed the accent less and less as the speech went on and I focused more on the content. I'm not sure if that's a result of his return to his normal accent or the fact that the speech was good and captivating. I particularly liked the part of his speech involving self-criticism. Only through self-criticism can people grow and societies grow. I noticed he received a good response to that.

One additional thing that bothered me, and one that might have the same purpose as the slight accent change was Obama's references to his religion. I realize he was speaking in a church and to preachers. But I hate the fact that every American politician feels he must be religious and make references to God all the time just to be acceptable to America. And I consider myself a religious person. I think religion should be an entirely private matter, even though it is perceived by politicians as a way to communicate and get closer to the listener.

[never cry wolf]

13. Not only was he in a church, this was all part of the service.

The church service was in session so I don't see how he could totally ignore religious references. I think his Joshua generation references were just an allegory he used that was apropos to the setting he was speaking in. That the previous generation of civil rights workers did the heavy lifting but the next generation still has work to do.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

18. I think I mentioned that it was in church and in front of preachers

But I for one, even though I consider myself a religious person, would find it extremely refreshing if a candidate for office would have as part of his/her entire and official campaign the promise that he/she will never involve himself/herself in a discussion of religion. Even though Obama's political speech took place in a church, (and is there any doubt that it was a political speech through and through?) it doesn't mean it has to involve references to the candidate's own personal beliefs. I hope some day we are beyond that in America.

[loyalsister]

16. He was raised by midwesterners

It had to have rubbed off a little. Rural midwestern is pretty tough to distinguish from southern.

[Infinite Hope]

17. "Rural midwestern is pretty tough to distinguish from southern."

I don't think any linguist would agree with that. I'm from rural midwest myself and I have friends/relatives scattered throughout the Midwest and I've never heard anyone born and raised in the Midwest who sounds linguistically like a Southerner. We Midwesterners have a very distinct vowel cadence and Southerners have their own very distinct vowel cadence as well as a twang/drawl.

[KoKo]

19. Thanks for the post....I noticed what you say in Obama's speech

and it was fascinating. It could be worrysome that his "accomodation" might be taken as pandering...but as a person who is a "victim" of speech accomodation myself...I can see that he might have been so much in empathy with his audience that he subconsciously accomodated his speech to the "vibes."

I only heard a snip of Hillary and she sounded very monotone and stilted. I missed where she seemed to get into her groove. Maybe C-Span will repeat it.

[KoKo]

20. Kick!

[Dr Fate]

22. I purposely thickened my Southern accent when I raised money for the DNC & Kerry.

Post #3 has all the explanation I need for Obama's style.

I found that donors really seemed to like the idea of a white, male Southerner who was also a passionate Democrat- so I played it up a little. I really am a Southerner and Obama really is black, so Big deal.