First, think about what you might say if you were running for office and were asked to say a few words about Tim Russert.

Then, click on their names below to hear them speak their comments, or read the transcript provided:


John McCain:

Senator Lieberman and I would like to make a brief statement concerning the shocking news about the untimely death of a great journalist and a great American, Tim Russert.  Tim Russert was at the top of his profession, he was a man of honesty and integrity.  He was hard, but he was always fair.  We miss him, our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, and we know that Tim Russert leaves a legacy of integrity of the highest level of journalism, and we'll miss him, and we'll miss him a lot.  Again, he was hard, he was fair, he was at the top of his profession, he loved his country, he loved the Buffalo Bills, and most of all he loved his family.

Barak Obama:

I've known Tim Russert since I first spoke at the convention in 2004.  He's somebody who, over time, I came to consider not only a journalist but a friend. There wasn't a better interviewer in TV, not a more thoughtful analyst of our politics, and he was also one of the finest men I knew. Somebody who cared about America, cared about the issues, cared about family. I am grief-stricken with the loss and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family. And I hope that, even though Tim is irreplaceable, that the standard that he set in his professional life and his family life are standards that we all carry with us in our own lives.

Which one sounded more like you?   Why?


Let's look at it again:


McCain: (125)

Senator Lieberman and I would like to make a brief statement concerning the shocking news about the untimely death of a great journalist and a great American, Tim Russert.  Tim Russert was at the top of his profession, he was a man of honesty and integrity.  He was hard, but he was always fair.  We miss him, our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, and we know that Tim Russert leaves a legacy of integrity of the highest level of journalism, and we'll miss him, and we'll miss him a lot.  Again, he was hard, he was fair, he was at the top of his profession, he loved his country, he loved the Buffalo Bills, and most of all he loved his family.

Obama:(118)

I've known Tim Russert since I first spoke at the convention in 2004.  He's somebody who, over time, I came to consider not only a journalist but a friend. There wasn't a better interviewer in TV, not a more thoughtful analyst of our politics,   and he was also one of the finest men I knew. Somebody who cared about America, cared about the issues, cared about family. I am grief-stricken with the loss and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family. And I hope that, even though Tim is irreplaceable, that the standard that he set in his professional life and his family life are standards that we all carry with us in our own lives.

Both men used almost the same number of words: McCain 125, Obama 118.  The statements were similarly structured (in this order: opener, general description, description of professional life, expression of sadness and "thoughts and prayers,"  and then legacy.)  They were also similar in trigger words, though usually used only once or twice:

America/country: McCain 2, Obama 1
family: McCain 2, Obama 3
profession(al) McCain 2, Obama 1
(Remember, Obama said slightly fewer words.)

One word has an important divergence: the personal pronoun "I."  McCain uses it once (0.8% of his words), Obama 6 (5.1%).

You hear it in the style: McCain is telling you about Russert, Obama is telling you what Russert means to him.  Note the openings: McCain describes Russert, Obama describes his relationship with him.

Or how both describe his legacy.  McCain states it as a fact ("Tim Russert leaves a legacy of integrity") while Obama describes what it means to us ("And I hope that... the standard that he set... are standards that we all carry").

When McCain runs out of things to say at the end, and repeats himself in order to keep talking, what he falls back on is a description of Russert's attributes.  Obama begins with a fluent "I" but then searches for words to follow.  (For example, "I am...... grief stricken"; "I hope that.... even though Tim is irreplaceable")

There are a number of possible explanations for the disparity in the use of "I", including personal histories with the man (i.e. knowing him well or not knowing him at all), narcissism, context, statement prepared in advance, statement prepared by others, etc.  I am not judging either man's character, but if you consider that this is exactly what Presidents do-- as the embodiement of the spirit of America, frame an issue about which they may or may not personally have strong feelings -- then it is interesting to see the differences in the way they will do this.

Discuss.

(And I look forward to your all-caps hate mail.)


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P.S. Similar analysis done on an anti-abortionist's writings.