If you do not feel passion for what you are talking about, you can be sure that your audience will not feel it either. One of your responsibilities is to ensure that, throughout your speech, the audience feels the same emotions that you do for your subject matter. Many Americans, regardless of their political affiliation, felt an intimate connection to President Obama when he addressed the media in the immediate aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in December 2012. While remaining authoritative and in control, he also expressed his grief in a way that rang true to everyone watching or listening. He wasn’t just speaking as a president that day but as a parent. When an audience feels that a speaker is simply acting, they may question the sincerity of the message.