Just Words?

Hillary Clinton has been accusing Barack Obama of being more proficient in making good speeches than making, or executing, good plans and policies. I think words do matter, and are important to educate, inform and build support for change.

Obama does have a talent for words. But recently I've been recalling some wise words from my first political "hero", Adlai Stevenson. While Stevenson twice lost Presidential elections to Dwight Eisenhower, Stevenson's words have stood the test of time and are relevant to our times.

Here are a few of my favorite Stevenson quotes (and my reflections):

Making peace is harder than making war. Might have been useful advice for Bush and his advisors and still relevant today.

The hardest thing about any political campaign is how to win without proving that you are unworthy of winning. Hillary Clinton, take note.

Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime. Fittingly, Adlai Stevenson ended his public service career as U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. and served ably in that role during the Cuban missile crisis.

To act cooly, intelligently and prudently, in perilous circumstances is the test of a man - and also a nation. Seems to me Barack stands up pretty well to Hillary Clinton and John McCain on this point.

Nature is indifferent to the survival of the human species, including Americans. For expressing such sentiments, Richard Nixon termed Stevenson an "egghead".

In quiet places reason abounds. Listening to the political rhetoric of today's candidates and the the "hardball" analysis of political pundits should make the merits of this advice self-evident.