The Old is New Again: Cicero, Barack Obama, and the Campaign Rhetoric of the 'New Man'

The following comparison of Cicero's Verrines with Barack Obama's 2008 campaign rhetoric reveals the parallelism between these candidates' stylistic responses to the challenges of novitas, as they turn obstacle into advantage and transform change into tradition. Through similar stylistic means, these candidates demonstrate their unique ability to preserve their respective political communities thanks to their positions as both outsiders and insiders who possess "double vision." Cicero's distinctive rhetoric of novitas, which is an enduring contribution to republican politics, is a model for the campaigns of outsider candidates like Obama who seek to sustain, not break with, the classical republican tradition.