You’re the Inspiration —Or Not

This year's candidates may have the greatest gap in oratorical skills since FDR and Hoover, says historian Allan Lichtman. But do great public speakers make great presidents? Top orators—FDR, JFK, Reagan—tend to be great presidents because they use their bully pulpit to lead in crisis. But Truman and Eisenhower, well regarded presidents, were not rhetoricians. (Harding, one the poorest-rated leaders, was noted for his verbal abilities.) Obama's rhetorical advantage doesn't necessarily mean he has a better chance of winning in November: William Jennings Bryan, an enthralling speaker, lost three times as the Democratic nominee; Adlai Stevenson, a most eloquent public speaker, lost twice. Historian Sean Wilentz says that McCain's Navy background may explain his oratorical disadvantage: "Military men are not called upon for their rhetoric." In fact, nearly all presidents who were military officers were mediocre public speakers: Washington, Jackson, William Henry Harrison, Grant and Eisenhower.

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