Who do you think is the greatest speaker of all time? Well Barack Obama seems pretty strong right now, his charisma and speeches are actually very good. But I don’t think he is the greatest orator of all him. Neither should demagogues like Hitler and Mussolini be considered; although they certainly did motivate people through their emotion and speaking skills, I think that they had certain situational advantages and used those to further their own negative views. A lot of people could have riled up the Germans after their depression and war reparation payments.
I personally think that the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. deserves the most praise for his work. He led, obviously, the civil rights movement. But after analyzing his speeches and listening to recordings of his speeches, I note the cadence in his voice, his inflection, his word choice, etc. that all work together to produce the kind of leadership that he possessed.
However, I would also have to argue that Jesus was also a great orator. Granted, he did have some advantages, such as divinity, the power to transform objects, etc., but he did manage to speak out to the people, and made the ultimate impression, for Christianity thrives today. Like Martin Luther King, Jr., he gave the ultimate sacrifice for his beliefs.
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Comparing Martin Luther King Jr. to Jesus... bold.
locke
Hmm, the greatest orator all time. This is a debatable topic, but what is the point of figuring out who's the top dog in that game? I mean, there are contemporary speakers who move crowds like Barack, I guess because a lot of people unintentionally pay attention to big old primaries and elections and such. There are many people who are less renown and they are great speakers as well. So honestly, it's tough to say and should be left alone. I say I don't have the knowledge, experience, or backbone to name one specific person worth that title.
-zEro
Greatest Orator? Cicero and all the old Roman and Greek speakers.