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Faculty Blogs: President Obama's Speech at Notre Dame

Lately, I?ve been researching Abraham Lincoln as a writer.

 

I?ve also noticed how President Obama has drawn implicit parallels between Lincoln and himself, for example, by opening his campaign in Springfield, Illinois, where Lincoln practiced law.

 

Obama had a tough challenge in appearing at the Notre Dame graduation, due to controversy over whether he should receive an honorary degree because he does not completely agree with the official Catholic position on abortion.  Before his speech, I wondered how Lincoln might handle the situation.  I believed Lincoln would confront the issue instead of dodging it, he?d use humor, he?d make some reference to God or the Bible, and he?d tell at least one story.  Obama did all of these. 

 

After receiving his honorary degree, Obama confronted the surrounding issues with humor: ?These honorary degrees are apparently pretty hard to come by. So far I'm only 1 for 2 as President. Father Hesburgh [former Notre Dame president] is 150 for 150.?   He then said Father Hesburgh might give him some pointers.

 

Obama alluded to Jesus?s command to love others, and he deftly tied that principle to other major world religions.

 

And he also told several stories.  Two were particularly felicitous because they related to the Catholic Church.  The first told how, when Obama was a community organizer, he worked with Catholics who influenced his decision to become a Christian. The second told of the crucial involvement of Father Hesburgh on the commission whose work led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which paved the way for Obama?s presidency.

 

These devices were just the right touch to defuse the tension.  Very Lincolnian.

Full post as published by University of Louisville Law Faculty on May 17, 2009 (boomark / email).