First Fireside Chat: "Outlining the New Deal Program" (May 7th, 1933, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt)

    First Fireside Chat: "Outlining the New Deal Program" (May 7th, 1933, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt)

      Two months after FDR first talked to the nation over the radio in "First Fireside Chat," he returned to the airwaves for round two. Continuing with the trend of extremely boring speech names ("First Fireside Chat" is actually called "On The Bank Crisis"—yawn), "Outling the New Deal Program" was a longer radio speech by the president, given in the same manner and style as "First Fireside Chat."

      Roosevelt references his first radio address at the beginning of this one, and then barrels ahead into his gigantic plan to save the country, which came to be called the "New Deal."

      …which is definitely the catchiest-sounding economic recovery program ever.

      How do these radio speeches compare? To start with, they both address the country's woes in the Great Depression, although they do focus on different aspects. They are also written and spoken in a relatively similar manner, with an emphasis on a straightforward, clear, calming message. Roosevelt takes complex issues and transparently breaks them down for the public, explaining what the government is doing and how it's going to help.

      But that's just about where the similarities end.

      "First Fireside Chat" was almost exclusively focused on the banking system and getting cash back into people's hands, whereas the second chat cast a far wider net. FDR outlined major changes to employment opportunities, prohibition laws, government subsidies programs, and more. In fact, banks and the banking system are hardly mentioned at all in the second chat, as the focus is on getting people back to work.

      Roosevelt's second speech is almost twice as long as the first, and although he sticks with the straightforward approach, the topics get a bit more complex and, well, government-y. He gets into more specifics about the new programs that might lose a few listeners…but probably not the ones that we eager to get back out and start bring home that sweet, sweet bacon.