'Tis the season for political rhetoric, and with it comes a fresh look at the importance of the words our leaders use as they try to convince us to their cause.

Today, the Hawai'i Legislature opens its 2009 session and we will hear inspiring and cautionary words from House Speaker Calvin Say, Senate President Colleen Hanabusa and their counterparts in the Republican minority.

Next week, Gov. Linda Lingle will add her voice through her State of the State speech to what undoubtedly will be a somber chorus as leaders seek a path through a period of deep economic uncertainty.

And, of course, Hawai'i joined the nation yesterday in listening to the words of native son Barack Obama, following his swearing in as the nation's 44th president.

Most observers agreed that Obama's remarks yesterday will stand among the better inaugural addresses. It was clear that he chose to stay away from too many flights of lofty rhetoric. The times are too serious for that.

Rather, he struck a muscular, workmanlike tone, which focused on the problems ahead, and the importance of all Americans working together to solve them.

This is tricky business. We want to hear realistic talk from our leaders, but we don't want to be left with nothing but the sour taste of bad news. People still remember former President Jimmy Carter's 1979 remarks about the nation's "crisis of confidence." While Carter did talk about solutions to America's energy crisis, his remarks ended up being known as the "national malaise" speech, although he never used that word.

The conclusion reached, perhaps unfairly, is that Carter did a good job of outlining our national dilemma without offering a coherent way out.

Obama edged in this direction in his inaugural address, when he spoke of a "sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that American's decline is inevitable ..."

This was a bit of a straw man, since Obama went on to predict that, together, Americans can reverse the decline and produce an even brighter future. For every somber note of pessimism, there was a counter note of optimism and hope.

Still, it was a tough talk for tough times. There was no magic bullet offered; rather, Obama issued a call for the American people to roll up their sleeves for the hard work of recovery.

A high standard has been set. It will be interesting to see whether our local leaders can rise to that level today and throughout this critical legislative session.

Jerry Burris' column appears Wednesdays in this space. See his blog at blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com/akamaipolitics. Reach him at jrryburris@yahoo.com.