An Independent Man: My Memories of the King of Political Rhetoric, Alex Salmond

“Bring me my whisky!” shouted the large man in front of me following my request that he make a toast using an empty glass. This command to his young equerries was just one of many future lessons I would learn from the master of political rhetoric, the late and oh so human as well as great, Alex Salmond.

I had come to his office in the Scottish Parliament to film him for an on line wikipedia style repository of all of the materials produced for the 250th anniversary of Scotland’s most famous bard Robert Burns. Having just arrived at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2007, I had somehow managed to convince the new SNP led Scottish Government to provide me with a grant of £80,000 and also to have Microsoft endorse support our project of accessing and making available to the public the papers and objects of celebration included in this year long milestone event in Scottish history.

Part of the on line resource would be a series of short videos of famous figures talking about Burns and then ending with the same wee toast for continuity purposes. FoIlowing our interview, which Salmond effortlessly achieved in one take, I handed Scotland’s First Minister a semi – pear shaped Glencairn style whisky glass and asked him to make his toast directly to camera. He first studied the empty glass and asked why it was empty? I naively answered with the dumbest reply I may have ever spoken. “Well, First Minister, I did not think you wanted to be seen on camera drinking in your office.”

He then shook his head from side to side, furrowed his mighty brow, leaned forward to me and sputtered loudly “I am the First Minister of Scotland! Whisky is one of our most important products. I must be seen drinking one of our most famous exports whilst toasting our bard!”

Then immediately several young people scattered to return with the water of life and the First Minister of Scotland with a twinkle in his eye, raised his chin, smiled broadly, lifted his glass, and announced “Slainte Robert Burns”, whilst sipping the golden liquid, and then intimately winked at the camera. As I announced “cut”, I also learned that intelligence, conviction, passion, logic, persuasion, and influence are the precious gifts and sacred responsibilities of every successful political leader.

After Salmond left office following the 2014 Scottish independence referendum loss, I was invited by the producer of his television programme to be interviewed on his controversial RT series entitled The Alex Salmond Show. I soon ascended in an elevator to the roof top of the Balmoral Hotel where we would film the segment about my views on the future of tourism in Scotland. Once again he welcomed me with a warm smile, shared the questions he would be asking, and then the director announced “Rolling.”

With Arthur’s Seat and the skyline of Edinburgh in our background, Alex asked me about my views about Scotland’s potential as a tourism leader among other destinations. This was a soft ball question as he had worked tierelessly to promote tourism during his time as First Minister. He had used events, television, literature, and film to showcase our bonnie land in a manner that was head and shoulders above any other country in the world at that time. Therefore, my answer simply included many of the examples of of the tourism triumphs he and his government had achieved.

It was at that moment that I knew that I was standing in the presence of the legitimate King of Political Rhetoric who long ago, perhaps whilst a student leader at the University of St Andrews, had mastered the Aristotilian skills of ethos (character and credibility centered), pathos (positive centered), and logos (consequences centered). Through his Socratic questioning of me on that roof top I also learned that his brilliant mind often viewed the world as something to be positively influenced through his vision of the political outcomes he desired.

Therefore, when I learned of his sudden death on the holiest day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur, I was not only greatly saddened but also surprised as well as spiritually inspired. Yom Kippur is the one day of the year where Jewish people ask the almighty through repentence to forgive us for our sins during the past year. Alex Salmond, as he once said about himself, was like all humans in that he was both imperfect and sometimes inappropriate in his behaviour. However, as he coincidentally died on the Jewish high holiday of repentance, I cannot help but also believe that he, and hopefully all of us, shall be forgiven for our mistakes and granted redemption.

During the 2014 Scottish independence referendum launch party at the Cineworld cinema at Fountain Park I was invited to join other dignataries including the actors Brian Cox and Alan Cumming to celebrate the beginning of our campaign. At the end of all the speeches a large Declaration of Scottish Independence poster was displayed and I asked the Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP if I could add my signature. She smiled and replied “As an American, I suppose you know how to sign a Declaration of Independence.” I then proudly added my signature in large script just below that of the future Succession star Brian Cox.

On the evening of 18 September 2014 I was at Ingilston serving as a scrutineer to supervise the counting of the independence referendum ballots. I recall hundreds of young people all around me weeping at the outcome when we lost with a slim margin of 45 / 55. Although we had lost that battle, Alex Salmond had in many ways won the war as he had convinced the intelligent and wise Scottish people that Scottish independence could be a positive force in their future and due to his rhetoric the number of supporters for independence rose from twenty percent before the referendum to forty – five percent at the polls.

In the wee small hours of the morning, following the count, I returned home to my marital bed and my wife who had told me over and over again that she was opposed to Scottish independence leaned over an whispered in my ear “Did we win?” I was shocked. Now wide awake, I asked what had caused her to vote in favour of Scottish independence when she went to the poll? She said “I was persuaded by others that this is important for the future of our nation.” One of those others was Alex Salmond.

Along with millions of others, I shall miss the King of Political Rhetoric because whether or not you agreed with his ideas and words, you could not help but admire his intelligence, conviction and passion and his rare ability to persuade, to influence, and to convince others, even his strongest opponents and critics, with his remarkable ability as a political leader.

And now, every time I raise my Glencairn glass filled with the water of life, I shall also remember one of the most successful political leaders I have known and I shall add to my toast a wee wink in memory of the now immprtal Wee Eck. I shall always sincerely appreciate his many gifts that provided me with some of the happiest and most exciting memories of my lifetime.

Professor Joe Goldblatt is Emeritus Professor of Planned Events at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland. His views are his own. To read more about his views visit www.joegoldblatt.scot