Why?

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In the span of days, I have heard in person, 2 world leaders spoke at two separate functions.

They had both kept the audience waiting. One was stuck in a terrible KL traffic, while one was stuck somewhere I refuse to find out.

But when the first one arrived at the venue of his talk, he was received with a very warm standing ovation. He gave a smile, raised his hands and he immediately brought smile to his eagerly awaiting audience. When the second arrived, the audience was relieved and wished the function would go double speed so that it would end in time.

For the sake of easy reference, let me call the first one as A and the second one as B.

When A started his speech, he sounded very knowledgeable of his topic. He was able to capture his audience, who had waited for over 2 hours to hear him in person. His voice filled the hall. He mesmerized his audience with his intonation; his eye contact was superb. His confidence filled the air making his listeners glued to their seats. I for one was admiring his voice over the PA system. It sounded so charismatic that I bet if I had been in his campaign, I would be one who gave my all to see that he made it to office. Even if he wasn't too knowledgeable about his topic, he sure made it believeable that he is a specialist of it. When A ended his talk, the audience once again gave a standing ovation. He deserved it - the ovation, the 8 year term, the respect. I wished I was able to meet him in person to tell him how much at awe I am with him.

B, on the other hand, started his speech in a monotonous tone. By his second sentence, I was counting his run-ons. Then I started believing that had my Public Speaking lecturer be in the room, he's walk over and tell B to stop and go back to revise his speech and presentation skills. Then I thought, B must have flunked his Public Speaking class. Poor guy. I could hardly make out what he was talking in reference to the function. Maybe he was blabbering! Maybe he was sleep-talking! I dunno... but I couldn't grasp a thing he said. He must have been speaking in an alien's language such that I didn't understand a word he said other than 'thank you'. When B ended his speech, there was no ovation. Even the clapping of hands were like obligated claps. I wasn't at all at awe. In fact, I was nauseated. Nauseated at the fact that B is a national leader talking in front of international dignitaries. Nauseated at the fact that B sounded less charismatic, less convincing and not even close to being knowledgeable in his topic. And when I got to see B in person passing by, I wasn't at all excited. Why?

Why, when I should be proud of my national leaders. I should be one who is patriotic, when I am actually when I talk of issues I am passionate with. But why am I not proud? Why am I not excited? Why am I not honored to see B in person when I would push and shove to be able to see A up close?

Why?

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Who? A was the Honorable William J Clinton. I was honored to be able to watch him speak of his economic ideologies on his first ever visit to Kuala Lumpur on the 5th of December 2008. B was the Honorable Dato' Seri Abdullah Badawi who launched the LIMA 09 exhibition on 9th December 2008.