Decision 2012: President Obama Closes 2012 Democratic National Convention, Asks for Four More Years

Observers called President Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic convention as good but not one of his most memorable or poetic addresses. Other convention speeches received more acclaim from the media, including one conservative pundit saying former President Bill Clinton's speech was good enough to win Obama's reelection.

Class discussion: What makes a political speech good? Are specific facts and proposals more important than soaring rhetoric? How much impact do political speeches have on elections? Are speeches more important than raising millions of dollars for 30-second ads? Are the speeches better at energizing supporters or at winning undecided voters?