At 12:38 a.m. CST this morning, the 44th president of the United States took the stage at his campaign headquarters in Chicago to accept his election for a second term.

Barack Obama’s speech started off softly, thanking his supporters, his family, the troops overseas and Joe Biden. He then built to a rhetorical crescendo when he exclaimed, “We are an American family; we rise and fall together as one nation and as one people…For the United States of America, the best is yet to come.” Obama took on a truly presidential aura. But perhaps the best aspect was his audience—he was not speaking to Congress, his staff or his party but to the people of the United States of America.

The scene was similar to that in Grant Park in Chicago four years ago, when Obama took the stage to announce his 2008 victory. His speech then was a textbook example of beautiful political rhetoric. He evoked Martin Luther King Jr. when he declared that Americans “young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white…disabled and not disabled” had joined together to reclaim an America “where all things [were] possible.” He evoked John F. Kennedy’s legendary inauguration speech in his use of anaphora as a call to action when he declared, “Let us summit the new spirit of patriotism…let us remember…let’s resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.”

Each time Obama paused toward the end of the speech to repeat his campaign’s timeless refrain, “Yes We Can,” the crowd erupted, exclaiming “Yes We Can!” with him. In this singular moment, Obama held the nation captivated in the palm of his hand.

His 2008 victory speech was a triumph of political rhetoric; he reminded us of what makes us Americans and painted an inspiring picture of the nation he wanted to create. However, once Obama took office, the cruel reality of partisan politics settled in. He struggled to pass major policies like his healthcare bill because of congressional gridlock, pushback from groups like the tea party and conflict within the White House staff. As Obama’s struggles within the political system evolved so did his rhetoric. He struggled to recapture the hope of that night in Grant Park because he was unable to communicate with Congress in the same way that he had with the American people.

Although their political views could not be more different, Obama has often been compared to Ronald Reagan—both took office during economic recessions, both sought to redefine their party’s missions, both had to deal with tense foreign policy issues and both were excellent communicators during their respective campaigns. Reagan’s first inaugural address was very similar to Obama’s two victory speeches. Reagan also painted a sweeping picture of where the country had been and where it needed to go. More importantly, Reagan told a story of a nation that was hurting and his mission to revive it.

However, Reagan was able to carry this momentum into his first term much more effectively than was Obama. Reagan’s first 100 days were a political masterpiece; his staff was efficient, and he passed the bills that he needed to in order to set the country down a path toward fulfilling his vision. One of the biggest reasons that Reagan was so successful in imposing his agenda on Congress was his ability to speak directly to the American people. Reagan’s speech rhetoric got the public on his side and, as a result, enabled him to be much more effective in his congressional negotiations.

Perhaps Obama could learn a few lessons from Reagan, the “Great Communicator.” It’s obvious that the president is more at home speaking to ordinary people on the campaign trail than he is speaking to Congress. If Obama can build off his re-election momentum and make better use of his broad appeal, he can use public pressure to help impose his agenda on a gridlocked Congress. President Obama has proven that he is a master of campaign rhetoric; now it’s time for him to use this rhetoric to turn his words into policy.