Speech making is a dying art in Jamaica. Few and far between are those whose rhetoric keeps the audience riveted during delivery and at the end leaves listeners convinced and wanting more.

Nowhere is this truer than with political speech making. Sectoral debates in Parliament are a prime example. Designed, as it were, to induce sleep among listeners and to incite reflexive thumping of the desk by those on the speaker’s side of the House, the over-extended monologues are dismally boring, lacking in structure and delivery.

Out on the stump, such as in political campaigning, it gets worse. Audiences are fed on a diet of proverbial political red meat doused with misinformation, promises that can never be kept, and subjected to condescending mimicry as if listeners were children. They are heavy on entertainment, light on substance.

Google search engine provides this overview: “A compelling political speech blends strong arguments, engaging delivery, and a connection with the audience, to persuade and inspire action. It should be clear, well organised, and tailored to the specific audience, using vivid language and relevant information to create a memorable impression.”

At the risk of being accused of political favouritism, I have observed an admirable attempt by Prime Minister Andrew Holness to raise the level of political rhetoric. Although not as charismatic or oratorically gifted as late Prime Minister Michael “Joshua” Manley, Dr Holness, nevertheless, is displaying an eloquence and a spontaneity that sets him apart from other politicians.

Most noticeable, since undertaking advanced studies, is his mastery of conceptual knowledge, which has positively impacted his construction and delivery. Whereas for others the tendency is to speak transactionally, Holness is comfortable going from the big or macro picture to the micro and daily issues that affect people’s lives. He has adopted the persona and style of the good professor, lecturing his audiences without talking down to them, in an attempt to impart greater understanding of the complexities and intricacies of governance, and to manage expectations by the public generally, and the electorate in particular, of how quickly all their needs can be met.

These skills were on full display at the recent ground-breaking and contract-signing ceremony for the Raintree Commercial Complex at Ferry Pen, St Catherine, and again at the ribbon-cutting exercise to officially open the Morant Bay Urban Centre in St Thomas. While this is a welcome departure from the norm, the prime minister must be careful not to violate two of the essential criteria in political speech making — time and place.

A social media post attributed to Dr Damien King raised the following concern: “This morning I found myself at a JLP rally. I didn’t go to a JLP rally. I accepted an invitation to attend a nationally significant event — the opening of the Morant Bay Urban Centre. But the first two speakers started with what a great achievement this was for the JLP. So, I left.”

Had King remained for the entirety of the event, or tuned in to the radio broadcast, he would have been further disappointed. In his turn at the speaker’s lectern, Holness, like the speakers before, displayed a lack of political decorum.

Not every speech given by a politician is a political party speech. At nationally significant events, when people from all political stripes are present, great speakers allow the politician to recede and the statesman to emerge.

One understands that in the political high season rules that place constraints on political rhetoric will be conveniently suspended. Nevertheless, in political speech making it is important to remember that some of the most effective and memorable speeches are those that cleverly mask political motive and elevate the national interest above narrow partisan political interest.

Dr Henley Morgan is founder and executive chairman of the Trench Town-based social enterprise Agency for Inner-city Renewal, and author of My Trench Town Journey – Lessons in Social Entrepreneurship and Community Transformation for Policy Makers, Development Leaders, and Practitioners. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or hmorgan@cwjamaica.com.