The best speaker in history.

[CartesianFart]

not to be a spoil sport, but i did mention blair

Opps! My bad.

Presumably the fact that you (a) said Blair hadn't been mentioned, and then (b) said he hadn't been omitted.

And presumably you didn't intend to contradict yourself quite so obviously.

Only if it is the case that I was indeed misleading anyone presumably.

Blair certainly belongs up there as far as living people go - I think he's a remarkable speaker, and very versatile too.

I guess that is one of the best way to describe his style - that is him being versatile.

I guess it is safe to say that he is a rare exception in contrast to other present-living speakers who don't rely on specific policy notes that is handed to him; meaning, as what to be said and what to not say in regarding public relations in comparion to other statesman who do it.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I'll cast in a vote for Cato the Elder. Gotta love a guy with the cachones to end every speech with "Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam."

 

[firecoder]

Ill say hitler.Was not a great ruler,but you got to admit he was charismatic and influencial through his speech.

 

[West 36]

Probably Lincoln. But don't forget Demosthenes and FDR.

I'm surprised Demosthenes wasn't mentioned more, I'll put my vote in for him. Lenin at least seemed like a powerful speark, and Hitler and MLK are of course great. FDR and Churchill come to mind as well.

 

[Lucius Julius]

I would consider Yeshua (Jesus) to be the best speaker. But not counting Jesus, I would have to say either Gaius Julius Caesar, or George Washington.

Live long and prosper.
-Lucius Julius

 

[Gaius Octavius]

As far as the original poster's criteria go, "the most charismatic, influential speaker," then I suppose Jesus Christ would fit in that category by virtue of influence alone. However, I tend to shy away from that, because Christ's mission wasn't to be the most charismatic speaker on the block who wows the audiences, which is what I tend to think of when I imagine influential speakers.

As for non-religious figures, Cicero comes to mind as one of the best (father of rhetoric), possibly Pericles, Winston Churchill, Patrick Henry, and sadly, Hitler. Lincoln is probably the greatest speaker of the American presidents.

 

[ParkCungHee]

No one said Huey Long?

 

[LightSpectra]

I don't think I would include Jesus in this argument. His followers thought he was God, so either their testimony was biased, or he had an unfair advantage by having divine charisma.

 

[shortguy]

I'll cast in a vote for Cato the Elder. Gotta love a guy with the cachones to end every speech with "Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam."

Cato himself was not reputed to put a whole lot of stock in oratory. He is quoted as saying, "An orator is a good man who is skilled in speaking." Traditionally, oratory was not a particularly prized Roman virtue.

 

[TrailblazingScot]

When Tony Blair turned it on, he could be one hell of an orator, just a pity he later went onto having so many pauses. Certaintly I'd rate him as one of the greatest living orators, at least of the English language.

 

[Cannae]

Would Robespierre be concidered a great orator?

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I hear a girl named Lewinsky back in the nineties was skilled in oratory.

 

[philippe]

I hear a girl named Lewinsky back in the nineties was skilled in oratory.

She did had a lot to swallow for being such a speaker


I vote for pericles

 

[ParkCungHee]

I'm surprised Demosthenes wasn't mentioned more, I'll put my vote in for him. Lenin at least seemed like a powerful speark, and Hitler and MLK are of course great. FDR and Churchill come to mind as well.

Lenin certainly not. He looks great in silent films, but if you actually hear his voice, its actually quite frail and nasaly. On top of that he had a speech impediment.

 

[West 36]

A good speaker on silent film well, good to know, poor old lenin...

 

[e350tb]

Winston Churchill, with FDR a close second.

 

[TrailblazingScot]

Winston Churchill, with FDR a close second.

Winston Churchill had his speeches read by an actor for radio and his actual speeches to the House of Commons were really dreadful tbh. You've maybe not actually heard Winston's delivery. What can't be doubted is that the content of his key speeches was awesome, but his oratory, piss-poor.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

She did had a lot to swallow for being such a speaker

I think we got the thrust of her arguments.

 

[aaglo]

I think this is the best speaker in the history:

 

[Photi]

I think we got the thrust of her arguments.

oh, come come now! she was a little tight-lipped, never gave more than a mouthful.