There's little room for parody in a year with so many over-the-top "performances" from politics yet one message tops my mind at the other end of the spectrum of speeches - credibility. That message involved:
• specificity
• sparing use of apt examples
• "above the fray" yet direct response to spreading falsehoods against a candidate
• emotional weight
• intellectual, sequential structure
• underlying presumption of good will by all candidates
• congruence between the language and the "body language" in which the message was conveyed.
For those of us who want to be heard, this is a powerful lesson:
To experience the power of
• taking the time 
• to craft the right message
• in a way that leverages your persona and reputation
• to change minds
• at the time that maximizes impact
the best 2008 message to review
The medium matched the message.
I've watched it 30 times and have gained fresh insights each time.
Feel the power of understatement; the calm "no drama" delivery where you lead up your opinion with a step-by-step set of facts, stated in the fewest words possible for maximum impact.
When done well, the viewers can express the emotion you want to evoke.
Powell is on Bert Decker's annual list of best and worst communicators.
