Franklin D. Roosevelt: Political Communicator Par Excellence

“Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”
 
So began one of the most famous speeches given in history by a remarkable individual: Franklin Delano Roosevelt. For anyone who is remotely acquainted with history, reading those lines today will undoubtedly continue to send shivers up one's spine. Seldom has a speech affected a nation so deeply and thoroughly, as well as impacted the course of world history.
 
The importance of the speech encompasses many dimensions. For a start, one would have been hard-pressed to find better words to express such heightened emotions in eight minutes. It is indisputably a masterpiece in political communication. It was a speech Roosevelt longed to make as he had wanted to enter the war on the side of the British for a very long time. He was unable to do so due to the isolationist tendency prevalent in American politics as well as opposition within his own administration notably led by General George Marshall and his ambassador to the UK, Joseph Kennedy. When the Japanese attacked and it became inevitable that the United States would fight, Roosevelt relished the challenge to defeat fascism.
 
Leadership skills
Roosevelt is considered by practically all historians to be the greatest president of the 20th century. In fact, in many polls he ranks only behind Abraham Lincoln as the greatest American president of all time. The reason why he is accorded such high accolades is due to his leadership skills, which led to monumental achievements. There were 31 presidents before him and another dozen since, though very few possessed the qualities that Roosevelt had.
 
He knew that while the public personally identified with the president in terms of taking action and solving the nation's problems, such demands needed to be met by a group of people. The president could appear tall only by standing on the shoulders of able men and women. Accepting this fact, he assembled a highly efficient team around himself. He firmly believed that in order to have a successful administration, there needed to be a collective effort; only through building a coherent and committed team could problems be solved. In short, success was not solely dependent on the abilities and qualities of the president. In this regard Roosevelt was especially successful in being able to assemble such a group, in particular encouraging Averell Harriman to serve first as a special envoy, and later as ambassador.
 
Following on this principle, he was also aware that it was far better to strive for consensus than to opt for adversarial politics, polarizing American society. Roosevelt firmly believed in trying to reach out to his political opponents. He wanted to build consensus with the internationalist wing of the Republican Party, most notably asking his presidential rival in the 1944 election, Wendell Willkie, to become a roaming ambassador at large. Needless to say at the time this created major ripples in both political parties; yet, Roosevelt weathered the storms and continued to preach the benefits of political consensus.
 
Innovation and courage
Another related key feature of Roosevelt's success depended on his insistence in innovation in federal administration. He was very much open to new ideas and willing to explore unorthodox methods, trying different paths to reach a particular goal. What mattered more than the means was the goal. Therefore, he gave the same tasks to different government institutions and individuals. He willingly changed the hierarchical structure of the government, believing that it would lead to swifter policy implementation.
 
He firmly believed that while goals were non-negotiable, the means could be. He was not afraid of making tactical alliances and giving in politically on issues that were not central to his policy platform. He was not averse to making political deals and compromises in order to reach his main goals. A good example of this was his firm belief that the notion of isolationism should be eradicated from the political debate.
 
All political leaders at one time or another require courage. In Roosevelt's case it contained two dimensions. Firstly, political courage in being able to take firm steps to genuinely remain a politician with conviction and accepting the fact that burdens must be shouldered in order to realize cherished ideals. Secondly, he also possessed great personal courage. His disability was to a great extent shielded from the public at large, though this did not diminish the great personal challenges he had to face on a daily basis. Few political leaders before or since have been in this unenviable position. Roosevelt admirably demonstrated that physical disability was not a handicap towards mental agility and effective decision-making.
 
Vision in a desperate time
Roosevelt was certainly a man with a vision. This is a trait that must be adopted by anybody wishing to run for public office. Some genuinely have a plan for the future, whereas others desperately try to convince everyone to think that they do. Few presidents faced the enormous economic challenges that awaited Roosevelt. After the stock market crash of 1929, it was not only America but the rest of the world which entered the Great Depression as well. Arnold Toynbee remarked at the time: "The year 1931 was distinguished from previous years … by one outstanding feature. In 1931, men and women all over the world were seriously contemplating and frankly discussing the possibility that the Western system of Society might break down and cease to work.”
 
The very next year Roosevelt was elected president for the first time and as though this was a harbinger for the future, on the morning of his inauguration the New York Stock Exchange shut down. It was a most inauspicious incident. Yet Roosevelt took it in his stride and made another of his unforgettable all-inspiring speeches declaring that the “only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” The optimism espoused by the new president became infectious and within 100 days America had transformed itself from a nation which had no faith in itself, its institutions or its system of government to one in which hope had been reborn. On March 15, the New York Stock Exchange ticker was able to declare that "happy days are here again." Very few people could have envisaged such a dramatic shift of paradigm in such a short amount of time. Only visionary leaders are able to accomplish such feats.
 
Roosevelt was an intelligent man -- a Harvard graduate -- and knew full well that there could be no end to learning. Therefore, he was constantly trying to add to his wealth of knowledge. Interestingly, he was able to achieve this with minimal assistance from books but mainly through conversations with his aides and experts. Possessing a powerful memory, he could provide his listeners with statistics and convey in an understandable manner complex policies. His appetite for learning was a positive feature of his leadership which contributed to his successes. He was not one who thought that after reaching the highest office in the land, he had become the fount of all knowledge and wisdom.
 
Fireside chats and duty
Twentieth century leaders have undergone dramatic changes in terms of campaigning and electoral experiences. Whereas up until the 1930s, American politics depended on the printed word to convey and distribute political messages, the advent of the radio revolutionized the political scene. Oratory and charisma came at a premium, offering exponential returns. Roosevelt was blessed in terms of his voice and his method of delivery. Possessing the common touch of appealing to ordinary Americans, he became highly popular.
 
A good illustration of this point was what became known as “fireside chats,” or the radio broadcasts he made whilst president. Whereas previous incumbents received very few letters and employed only a single person to manage correspondences, due to his speeches the letters turned into an avalanche, with nearly half a million posted after the inauguration. In one of the broadcasts Roosevelt rhetorically asked his listeners to tell him of their troubles. His audience, the American electorate, took this literally and letters arrived by the trainload to the White House and it took his office months to respond to each letter.
 
Due to his upbringing and education Roosevelt firmly highlighted that he attached the utmost importance to the concept and notion of duty and virtue. Having had no profession other than public service, he firmly believed in devoting his life to bettering the lives of his fellow citizens. His concept of duty was certainly a noble one, intent on giving the poor a chance to improve their fortunes as well as advocating the responsibility of the state in such matters. Up until then, American society had contemplated the state as a necessary evil which had to be kept in check. Business circles clearly favored a minimal state that had as little impact on life as possible.
 
With the elaboration of the “New Deal,” the federal government became a major actor in the economic life of the country and began to establish the new contours of the state. The modern understanding of the government would include a social and welfare dimension. The state would be more interventionist when the need arose.
 
Underlying all of these measures and policies was the belief which Roosevelt felt deeply: people in need could not be truly free. One had to eradicate the aspect of need in order to attain freedom. In this regard the state could and would play an influential part.
 
Monumental achievements
Thus, Roosevelt is considered to be a giant among presidents for a multitude of reasons. In terms of achievements they are noteworthy. Firstly, he overcame the despair and hopelessness of the Depression to steer the country to stability through his New Deal. Secondly, when the United States entered the war, it emerged victorious. At the time there were many who believed that the attack on Pearl Harbor was a game-changer and that sooner or later the Japanese would land on the West Coast. Yet not only did Roosevelt ensure victory, but he also helped elevate his country to superpower status. Having established the Manhattan Project, he knew that constructing a nuclear weapon was not far off. In fact in the year of his death, America detonated two atomic bombs and enjoyed a nuclear monopoly for four years.
 
Thirdly, his legacy during the post-war years was of unparalleled economic growth and peace. The American economy more than doubled during the war and at its end accounted for half of global manufacturing. Fourthly, Roosevelt was elected president an unprecedented four times, demonstrating his ongoing popularity with the electorate. In 1947 Congress proposed a two-term limit in the presidency, adopted as the 22nd amendment in 1951, which has ensured the unique legacy of Roosevelt as no other president can match the number of electoral victories he managed. Fifthly, dying in office, especially during wartime, has also elevated Roosevelt's reputation as it reaffirmed that he devoted his life to the cause and became another casualty on the road to ultimate victory.
 
Roosevelt had charm and political integrity. The same could not be said for his personal integrity, given his longstanding affair with Lucy Mercer. His personal transgressions, however, did not interfere with his conduct of government nor did it taint his political achievements. The 1940s was a different era in terms of social morals and the media, and the affair was kept hidden from the public until the mid-1960s. Ultimately, it was his brilliance in getting his message across to the public, either directly though radio or via the media, that gave Roosevelt the opportunity to reach new highs.
 
His strengths as an effective communicator were in abundance, whether explaining and appealing to the masses or having discussions with individuals seated across from his wheelchair. His “date of infamy” speech, which he delivered 62 years ago today, is a notable example of the heights he was able to scale. It has ensured that Franklin Delano Roosevelt remains a central figure in the pantheon of political communicators.