Gina Raimond(i) Said “I” 38 Times in Her State of the State Speech, 10x More Than Trump

Gina Raimond(i) Said “I” 38 Times in Her State of the State Speech, 10x More Than Trump

Governor Gina Raimondo’s State of the State address on Tuesday was rich in promises and even richer in the first person reference of “I”.

Raimondo said “I” thirty eight times in her speech -- more than ten times more than President Donald Trump used the first person reference in his inaugural speech on Friday.

Trump is often criticized for being a megalomaniac. In Vanity Fair, Howard Gardner, a psychologist at Harvard, called Trump “remarkably narcissistic.”

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

Raimondo, or maybe better referred to as Raimondi, claimed sole responsibility for economic initiatives in one reference in her speech, “I love the work I do convincing companies to come here.” She did not mention the work of other business leaders, legislators or staff.

In her press announcements about failures about the dismal tourism campaign or the disastrous UHIP program, however, others take the blame.

Tourism director Betsy Wall was forced to out. In the case of UHIP, Raimondo claims she took decisive actions four months after the project hit major technology collapse and left tens of thousands of Rhode Island most vulnerable without their benefits. "Rhode Islanders deserve a system that they can be confident in. I've been patient; but I am as frustrated with the rollout as anybody, and I've reached the end of my rope," Raimondo said in a press release -- that announced the forced resignations of Human Services (DHS) Director Melba Depeña Affigne and Chief Digital Officer Thom Guertin.  

What does using I mean?

Raimondo’s use of “I”s in this year’s State of the State was nearly twice as many as her previous State of the State addresses. In her 2016 State of the State, Raimondo had 20 “I” references — 2017 was an 85 percent increase in using the first person. 

A Harvard Business Review article "Your Use of Pronouns Reveals Your Personality," by James W. Pennebaker gives insights into the usage of the pronoun "I".

He writes:

“Pronouns tell us where people focus their attention. If someone uses the pronoun “I,” it’s a sign of self-focus. Say someone asks “What’s the weather outside?” You could answer “It’s hot” or “I think it’s hot.” 

The “I think” may seem insignificant, but it’s quite meaningful. It shows you’re more focused on yourself. Depressed people use the word “I” much more often than emotionally stable people. 

Governor Lincoln Chafee used the word “I” just eleven times in his inaugural address in January of 2011.