CNN: "Clinton's 'me' versus Sanders' 'us'"

(CNN)Two speeches, two candidates and a markedly different focus when it comes to pronouns.... Clinton may be one of the most experienced presidential candidates in recent history, and yet a pitch based on that might be a drawback on a campaign. She used the pronouns "I" or "me" in that speech 44 times. She used the words "we" or "us" less than half that amount -- 21 times.

For Sanders, it was the exact opposite. Sanders used the words "I" or "me" 26 times. "We" or "us" was used more than twice as much -- 54 times.... Clinton's pitch to voters is all about her, they said. ... Sanders' experience is about them. What they all can do together.

"It's a big problem," says former Obama adviser David Axelrod. "When you make experience your message, by definition, you're going to be talking about yourself more than you're going to be talking about others. It's a great contrast with Bernie, who rarely talks about himself. So his message is about something larger.... winning campaigns and they have messages of empowerment -- they're inclusive," said Axelrod, a CNN contributor. "'Yes, we can' was a great example of that."... On Monday, New Hampshire voter Donna Manion told National Public Radio, "I can, in my mind, think I'm pro-Hillary all the way, and then Bernie Sanders' ideas that he exposes me to really cause me to think in ways I hadn't thought before. I think in terms of 'us' a lot when I listen to Bernie talk. Whereas, when I listen to Hillary, even though I respect so much of what she has done and the person that she is, I hear the word 'I,' 'I,' 'I' a lot."

Analyses of other speeches showed that Sanders did use "we" or "us" more than the first-person pronouns, while Clinton said "I" or "me" more than she used the more inclusive pronouns, though the ratio was less stark. The pattern did not repeat itself in debates or town halls, where the candidates had less control of their messages. We will be taking a more comprehensive look at these speeches in the future.