Politics | Barack Obama Obama's New Catchphrase: 'Change Is' President emphasizes his achievements with new rhetorical device By Kevin Spak Posted Dec 2, 2011 12:18 PM CST Copied President Barack Obama speaks at Scranton High School, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011 in Scranton, Pa. (AP Photo/Scranton Times & Tribune , Butch Comegys) Barack Obama has a new pet rhetorical device designed to highlight his accomplishments and kindle memories of his 2008 campaign. The magic words: “Change is…” Obama trotted out the phrase a dozen times in a speech in New York Wednesday, the Huffington Post reports, with lines like, "Change is the first bill I signed into law—a law that says … somebody who put in an equal day’s work should get an equal day’s pay," or "Change is health care reform that we passed after a century of trying." Obama actually debuted the device weeks ago, using it 10 times in a Nov. 14 speech in Hawaii. But using it again indicates that he’s trying it out as a recurring theme. "It’s an effort to take back the mantel of change," a Democratic strategist says, "to circle back to the fundamental point of the '08 campaign and to illustrate how that change has been accomplished." Read These Next Iran's supreme leader makes first public comments since ceasefire. New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. Her blood isn't compatible with anyone else's. Man accused of killing his daughters might be dead. Report an error