She is a particularly fine speaker, and she speaks as naturally and gracefully in ordinary, extemporaneous conversation as she does from the platform. She is like a cool glass of water, going down easy. She has certainly spent a good deal of time before audiences, even if Tuesday's was her largest. For one thing, she has been a teacher, which is to say, a professional lecturer. For another, she has accepted speaking engagements around the country pretty much her entire adult life.
Rice is no babe in the woods.
She knows when to wait for applause or laughter or whatever. Her voice has a pleasant, engaging timbre. There was only an occasional hint of awkwardness, and, in spots, she was rushed. But, on style, she could scarcely be faulted. Dizzyingly enough, she was even better on content.