Kennedy doesn't speak that fast compared to people in manic-caffeine-squirrel mode. He downright ambles through his talks compared to many I've heard, and he s

Kennedy doesn't speak that fast compared to people in manic-caffeine-squirrel mode. He downright ambles through his talks compared to many I've heard, and he slows down for the important bits too! Also, comprehension doesn't always result in retention, which is what you really want your audience to come out of your talk with, unless you're a politician and you just want to leave an emotional impression like "Wow, this guy is really great and I'm so happy I'll probably even vote for him again!". In fact, I bet the very last thing most politicians want is for you to remember everything they said four years ago! For most of us, public speaking is about sharing ideas, and if you can say something with fewer words your audience has a better chance of remembering it.