“Well, today, we lost a truly remarkable man. To paraphrase Shakespeare, I don’t think we shall ever see his like again. I think the legacy he left was not just with the landmark legislation he passed but in how he helped people look at themselves and look at one another.” –Joe Biden, yesterday, reflecting on Ted Kennedy’s life

When people talk about the political skills of Barack Obama, they often say, “he’s a great speaker, probably the best I’ve ever seen.” Even the President’s biggest critics will readily admit the man gives a speech like no one in the modern era.

Yet he had nothing on Ted Kennedy.

Kennedy could channel anger and emotion into prose like it was his second nature, while losing none of the complexity and eloquence of Obama. So much so that after watching him at his best, it really is hard to imagine we will ever see it again.

Listen to him at his best in these two clips. The first is Kennedy chastising Republicans on the Senate floor for not supporting an increase in the minimum wage. The second is his beautiful eulogy to his brother Bobby.

Trevor Timm is a Blast Magazine staff writer