The Top Political Speeches of the Noughties

Lists seem to be the modus operandi of plenty of political blogs. With the noughties screeching to a halt, I thought that today would be a good day to do a top five political speeches of the decade (I'm minded to to a top 5 albums tomorrow if anybody cares). A word of warning - the below will probably not please narrow political tribalists of either the right or the left. A good speech is a good speech, whether you agree with it or not. Let me know your thoughts.

1. Barack Obama - South Carolina Primary Victory Speech - "Yes We Can"

Obama made political oratory matter again. His soaring oratory took him from outsider to front runner in a race that the 'experts' said that Hilary couldn't lose. He inspired Americans and those outside of America who love the US but hated what Bush had done to it and achieved the highest share of the vote for any Democrat since LBJ. The spontaneous and near universal surge of joy that greeted his election (I helped campaign for him and was in a jubilant New York on election night) was proof that his oratory and message had reached millions.

Obama could probably have filled every spot of a top ten speeches of the decade. The 2004 convention speech; the Iowa caucus acceptance speech; the Philadelphia speech on race; the convention address; the election night acceptance speech; and the speech defending healthcare reform from hysterical right wing attacks would all be worthy contenders. But the acceptance speech in South Carolina was possibly the most soaring of the campaign. He had survived all that the Clinton camp could throw at him (including a red faced Bill) and emerged triumphed. As political oratory it is masterful.

2. David Cameron - Speech to Conservative Party Conference, 2007 - "We Will Fight, Britain Will Win"

They said that speeches didn't matter any more. This one certainly mattered. The media had made their mind up - Gordon Brown was ready to call an early election. That was until this speech. This speech in 2007 turned round the media narrative and forced Gordon Brown to bottle the election. A thoroughly progressive Conservative speech and very much one of the most important British political speeches of the decade.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7024919.stm

3. Robin Cook - Resignation Speech

We may not have seen many speakers of the greatness of Bevan or Foot in the noughties, but this resignation speech was very much in that oratorical tradition. Whether you agreed with him or not, Robin Cook displayed enormous courage in resigning from Cabinet over the Iraq War and he captivated the House of Commons in a way that very few people can with this address. His intellect and oratory are sadly missed.

4. Tony Blair - 2001

Tribal Tories might baulk at the inclusion of this in the list, but Tony Blair was the supreme political communicator of his generation. He was the master of the art of the setpiece speech - particularly in the annual showdown with Gordon Brown, where Blair regularly outshone the then Chancellor. He simply cannot be left off a list of the top speeches of the decade. This speech was the moment when Blair was probably at the peak of his powers. He had won a second landslide and he was, for so many people, speaking for them about the reaction to September 11th.

5. Howard Dean - 'The Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party'

The Democrats had acted like rabbits in headlights since the 2002 mid-term elections. They didn't know how to react to the damaging policies being introduced by the Bush administration. This speech shook the Democrats from their collective tupor and made them realise that they could win again. It wasn't Howard Dean who was to depose the hard right Republicans but his campaign made a lot of what happened in 2008 possible.