Obama v. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

In a well written essay, explain the major similarities and differences between FDR's & Obama's Inaugural speeches. Feel free to comment on similar happenings and circumstances, but also on similarities and differences in structure and content.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt the 32nd president of the United States of America was the only president elected to four terms in office, serving from 1933 to 1945. Barack Obama the 44th president, but the first president to be of African American descent spoke his inaugural address January 20, 2009. The two, short and to the point, inaugural speeches by Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Barack Obama are two of the most important speeches in US history. Both of these speeches were and are during economic hard times in America, as well as during War, and they were both watched by millions of people who had a desperate desire for change. As well as having similarities, there are also differences; the way the presidents' chose to incorporate the American People in their speech, they both had different ideas of how to repair the nation, plus the tone and mood differs between the speeches.

Both Presidents chose to take a stand in the United States, when our country was in crisis. The Great Depression occurring in the 1930's, the same time Roosevelt took office, was one of the biggest problems our country has ever faced. Now, the same disaster will occur once again if our country is left without correct guidance. In 2008 our country went into a recession, now in 2009 our economic standing is at it's lowest point since 1974. Obama now has the power, and it's his responsibility, like it was Roosevelt's, to bring our United Nation out of the economic hole we have buried ourselves in once again. Obama and Roosevelt have a larger amount of power then previous presidents, because the people want to be brought out of the recession and depression that have made their lives difficult. The people are willing to accept the decisions they make if it will help them, they need to act quickly though, especially Obama before it gets worse.

Roosevelt's tone of his speech was more militaristic and he came across more of a dictator than president, unlike Obama's speech which encouraged unity and help from the people of the United States. Roosevelt states "There are the lines of attack" and he doesn't fail to mention the military term "attack" numerous other times in his speech. He obviously thought that war would help the nation, and it did. Obama is going about this a different way, he is more for going "green". He believes that the American people need to work together to lower CO2 emissions and cut down energy costs. Obama points out that "each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet." Obama also gives something to the American people that Roosevelt failed to; Obama gives inspiration and hope he guarantees that the challenges America faces today "will be met." This is important people won't be able to do something that they believe impossible.

Just as Roosevelt had, Obama has the power and the ability to turn our nation around and save not only the United States economy, but the world's. Even though their speech has many differences, the country's economic status at the time of both their terms are considerably equivalent. For the good or for the better, change was inevitable when they were elected and that was deeply implied in the two speeches.