‘Not flawless’: Five speechwriters rate Obama’s historic address to Canada

U.S. President Barack Obama addresses Parliament in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 29, 2016.
(Justin Tang/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

A U.S. presidential speech to Canada’s Parliament is both rare and historic. Beginning with Franklin Roosevelt in 1943, some of America’s greatest presidents have taken their turn on Parliament Hill.

On Wednesday it was Barack Obama, the first time in more than 21 years that a U.S. chief executive has honoured Canada’s parliamentarians this way.

Some years ago at the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Queen’s University, Tom Axworthy and Arthur Milnes, both political speechwriters in their own right, established the informal and non-partisan Leonard Brockington Society of Canadian Political Speechwriters. Brockington is believed to be one of the first Canadians to ever work as a speechwriter for a Canadian prime minister, doing so for Mackenzie King.

The group, newly reconstituted, brings together writers of all party views who have worked with Canada’s prime ministers, opposition leaders and premiers over the decades in order to study and celebrate political rhetoric.

Members agreed to rate Mr. Obama’s speech to Parliament yesterday. You can watch the full speech here, or read highlights here. The group’s comments are below.

Sally Barnes, former aide to Ontario premier William Davis and former president of the Ontario Legislative Press Gallery:

I could not stop thinking of myself back in St. Mary Magdalene’s Church in our small town on a Sunday morning when our very gifted rector predictably elevated the congregation’s spirits to the spires but always made the same mistake in delivering his sermon: He didn’t know when to quit.

And that was the one failure in President Barack Obama’s speech to the Parliament of Canada and to Canadians as our own Prime Minister and an enthralled audience listened in awe as the most powerful politician in the world delivered the message of optimism that this troubled world craves and needs.

But no matter how good you are as an orator (and Mr. Obama is one of the best) and no matter how talented your speechwriters (second to none), someone has to give you the hook before the air starts to escape from your soaring balloon. Even when your time is about up and you have a legacy to nail down.

He also delivered a nice elbow that Gordie Howe would have been proud to execute in reminding us that we are not fulfilling our obligations when it comes to NATO operations and troops on the ground in the Baltics. (Editor’s note: Sources said Thursday that Canada will soon send troops to Latvia.) But by then he had flattered us to the point that we hardly felt the jab.

And finally, after 54 minutes, the man who loves us and regards our young Prime Minister as a worthy soldier to continue the fight for basic values of human dignity and equality wrapped it up after more standing ovations and a few tears.

His audience was left convinced he was right – and grateful the lesson had finally ended before he said something to ruin the love-in. Or before one of the senators in the front row fell asleep.

Arthur Milnes, former speechwriter to prime minister Stephen Harper:

Leaders hosting a visiting president often, quite understandably, go overboard in praising the American leader, whoever he is. In this case, however, I want to salute Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for one of the phrases used in his generous introduction. He said that Mr. Obama has taught us lessons, “not by executive order, but by example.” This was warm and generous, and I believe it will stand the test of history.

But now the bad news for the Prime Minister. While Mr. Obama is at the end of his service, he demonstrated that he can still throw a political punch. Mr. Trudeau will probably hope that the President’s highly effective pitch-criticism of Canada’s minuscule defence spending regarding NATO is forgotten. As only a true orator can, Mr. Obama brought his audience along with him, our MPs unknowingly cheering (as the Americans giggle perhaps?) as he said the “world needs more Canada,” and with our parliamentarians on their collective feet, got in his zinger on defence. Whether the next president is a Republican or a Democrat, in January they will surely start reminding Canadian ministers visiting Washington of Canada’s “support” for these increases in Canadian military spending. Well done, Mr. President.

There was, sadly, a blush of unfortunate partisanship in the address that I thought beneath a visiting president. While quick to laud past Liberal prime ministers such as Lester Pearson (leaving out Louis St. Laurent in this context is forgivable, as even Canadians usually don’t honour this great prime minister) and Pierre Trudeau, he did not name Kim Campbell when he praised Canada for already having had a female prime minister and did not give Brian Mulroney the recognition he deserves when the Montreal environmental protocols were invoked. Finally, as Justin Trudeau recently did, a nod to former prime minister Stephen Harper’s life of public service would have been in order.

Peter O’Malley, former speechwriter to NDP leader Ed Broadbent:

In a world dominated by darkness and chaos, no U.S president could find a more welcoming, calming and grander perch from which to offer hope – if not to the world, then at least to his Canadian neighbours and to any folks back home paying attention. Mr. Obama’s speech covered all that is demanded in such an occasion: He spoke of the importance of the peaceful, long, remarkable Canada-U.S. border; the need for continued good business and trade relations over that border and beyond; the logic in addressing shared national and international security issues through co-operative action. What was surprising to this observer was how much of the speech focused on what the President clearly believes has made people so angry and volatile that a majority of British voters would go to the polls and support protectionism and a general withdrawal from the world. In his view, the problem isn’t trade, it is that the economic benefits associated with trade have not been shared equally, fairly or much at all. Meanwhile, the costs have been withering and brutal and sustained for most people. Though he seemed somewhat weary, his delivery was elegant, rich and passionate when he called for promoting what he described as shared Canadian and U.S. values – values such as equality, tolerance, openness, fairness, compassion, justice, freedom under the rule of law. The speech was received with ovations throughout and concluded with thunderous applause. Though it made no direct mention of any presumptive GOP nominee who might currently exist, one suspects that we may have just seen a preview of Mr. Obama’s postconvention general election stump speech. If so, its focus on equality could make it a solid appeal to angry voters, especially any remaining Hillary-reluctant Bernie Sanders supporters.

Scott Reid, former director of communications to prime minister Paul Martin:

How we will miss Barack Obama. Standing before a rare joint session of Parliament, the President unleashed his remarkable oratory for the last time on Canadian soil – at least as an occupant of that office. In the years to come we will more fully recognize what it meant to watch this master craftsman at work. To witness Mr. Obama deliver one of his pin-perfect, teleprompted speeches was like watching Gretzky pass the puck or Jordan play above the rim. He is an all-time great – able to transform vocabulary into acts of athletic triumph. And he did it again in Ottawa. In the shadow of Brexit and the echo of Trump, Mr. Obama used the occasion to send a message with pointed currency. He not only praised the durability of the Canada-U.S. partnership, he held it out as an antidote to the swelling tone of pique and protectionism that dominates contemporary politics. He celebrated our continental success as a living contradiction to the hysteria of those who would put up walls and break apart unions. It was not flawless. He ranged a bit far afield and occasionally tilted toward the partisan. But these are weaknesses most leaders would indulge. Whereas his strengths were of the sort that few could ever hope to imitate. The address had another purpose: It constituted a laying on of the hands. Not since Brian Mulroney and Ronald Reagan have a prime minister and president shared such an easy rapport. Mr. Obama’s words made it clear: No matter who wins the White House in November, he sees Justin Trudeau as his natural successor.

Critics have often said that, as a president, Mr. Obama just gives great speeches. Perhaps. But man alive, he sure gives great speeches. Don’t think for a moment we won’t miss them when he’s gone.

Hugh Segal, former senator and chief of staff to prime minister Brian Mulroney:

Mr. Obama had two very different speeches in the body of his address, and both underlined his wide and compelling rhetorical ‎reach. The usual recitation of the many small but outstanding miracles of the Canada-U.S. alliance was delivered with verve and flourish. He touched on all the totemic pieces of Canadian self-regard – Cuba, hockey, joint sacrifice side by side in wars past and present by men and women in uniform, massive and peaceful trade flows across the long “border of peace.” His was not a speech that sought to use Canada as a mirror of what is best in America. It was, instead, a call to arms on central values of humanity, equality of opportunity, inclusiveness and welcoming of those who, while superficially of different colour or creed, are at root human beings whose shared humanity builds a bridge to, and obligation for, us all. That call to arms was delivered with an intensity and emotion that constituted his second speech – one that will be cited and remembered for decades to come. He honoured Canada not only by coming, but by addressing our houses of Parliament on what really matters if the civilized, democratic and humane values that have taken us so far in the free world and beyond are to survive the present onslaught of small-mindedness, bigotry and isolationism in so many places.