Speaker

The speech “Yes We Can” was delivered by Barack Obama, who at the time was a Democratic Party Senator. He gave the speech after a marginal defeat by Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire during the primary elections for becoming the Democrat Party's next presidential candidate. Therefore, the speech was part of the primary election process.

The Democratic Party is one of the major parties in the US. Democrats generally follow more progressive policies. They are in favor of gay rights, and they support the idea of a state that is more involved in securing citizens’ welfare – including better access to medical services and insurance.

In the speech, Obama describes himself as someone who transcended contrast and conflict but also as someone who is an outsider and can bring about change in politics. His outsider status is suggested by the following quote: “For most of this campaign, we were far behind. We always knew our climb would be steep. But in record numbers, you came out, and you spoke up for change” (ll. 11-13). The quote shows that, despite being an outsider, the speaker does h...