The New Yorker pretty much nails it:
Although his opponents have tried to attack him as a man of âmereâ words, Obama has returned eloquence to its essential place in American politics. The choice between experience and eloquence is a false oneââsomething that Lincoln, out of office after a single term in Congress, proved in his own campaign of political and national renewal. Obamaâs âmereâ speeches on everything from the economy and foreign affairs to race have been at the center of his campaign and its success; if he wins, his eloquence will be central to his ability to govern.