Download or read book Presidential Speechwriting written by Kurt Ritter and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2004-03-15 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The rise of the media presidency through radio and television broadcasts has heightened the visibility and importance of presidential speeches in determining the effectiveness and popularity of the President of the United States. Not surprisingly, this development has also witnessed the rise of professional speechwriters to craft the words the chief executive would address to the nation. Yet, as this volume of expert analyses graphically demonstrates, the reliance of individual presidents on their speechwriters has varied with the rhetorical skill of the officeholder himself, his managerial style, and his personal attitude toward public speaking. The individual chapters here (two by former White House speechwriters) give fascinating insight into the process and development of presidential speechwriting from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration to Ronald Reagan’s. Some contributors, such as Charles Griffin writing on Eisenhower and Moya Ball on Johnson, offer case studies of specific speeches to gain insight into those presidents. Other chapters focus on institutional arrangements and personal relationships, rhetorical themes characterizing an administration, or the relationship between words and policies to shed light on presidential speechwriting. The range of presidents covered affords opportunities to examine various factors that make rhetoric successful or not, to study alternative organizational arrangements for speechwriters, and even to consider the evolution of the rhetorical presidency itself. Yet, the volume’s single focus on speechwriting and the analytic overviews provided by Martin J. Medhurst not only bring coherence to the work, but also make this book an exemplar of how unity can be achieved from a diversity of approaches. Medhurst’s introduction of ten “myths” in the scholarship on presidential speeches and his summary of the enduring issues in the practice of speechwriting pull together the work of individual contributors. At the same time, his introduction and conclusion transcend particular presidents by providing generalizations on the role of speechwriting in the modern White House.

Download or read book The President s Words written by Michael Nelson and published by University Press of Kansas. This book was released on 2010-10-25 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Ronald Reagan invoked "a shining city on a hill" or George H. W. Bush "a thousand points of light," their words were engraved on the public's consciousness as signatures to their personal beliefs and a catalysts for political action. Such iconic phrases in presidential speeches are often the creation of presidential speechwriters, who are entrusted with framing a message consistent with each administration's broad goals and reflecting each president's personality and rhetorical skills. This book takes a closer look at presidential speeches over the course of six administrations. Editors Michael Nelson and Russell Riley have brought together an outstanding team of academics and professional writers-including nine former speechwriters who worked for every president from Nixon to Clinton-to examine how the politics and crafting of presidential rhetoric serve the various roles of the presidency. They consider four types of speeches: convention acceptance speeches, inaugural addresses, state of the union addresses, and crisis and other landmark speeches that often rise out of unpredictable circumstances. Together, these scholars and writers enable readers to sort out the idiosyncratic from the institutional while gaining insider perspectives on the operating style and rhetorical manner of each of the six presidents. The book is rich in character sketches-such as Jimmy Carter's attempt to tie his understanding of original sin to the practice of American politics-and brimming with insights into the internal dynamics of the White House, including tales of internecine bloodletting under Ronald Reagan. Most significant, these discussions help us better understand the contemporary presidency by revealing the enduring and evolving features of the institution, underscoring how the operating style and rhetorical manner of each president shapes the speechwriting process in the service of his broader policymaking goals. These essays show not only how speechmaking has become a major presidential activity but also how speechwriters have become important political actors in their own right. They offer students and observers of the political scene a rare opportunity to consider the crafting of those utterances before weighing their effects.

Download or read book Speechwriting in the Institutionalized Presidency written by Kenneth Collier and published by Lexington Books. This book was released on 2018-04-18 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book traces the evolution of the speechwriting process for presidents in the White House from the administration of Franklin Roosevelt to the present. While institutionalization of the speechwriting process has often been blamed for bland presidential rhetoric, this book draws out the many varied consequences of institutionalization on the speechwriting process. Ultimately, it concludes that the institutionalization of the process has actually served the presidency well by helping presidents avoid the adverse effects of poorly chosen words.

Download or read book Presidents and Their Pens written by James C. Humes and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2016-03-18 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presidents and Their Pens: The Story of White House Speechwriters explores 23 presidencies through the detailed analysis of speeches including Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, Teddy Roosevelt’s “Big Stick” speech, Eisenhower’s farewell to the nation, and Bill Clinton’s compassionate words in the wake of tragedy. Confidant and wordsmith to five Republican presidents (Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and George H.W. Bush), professor of language and noted historian James C. Humes tells how and why presidential speeches have marked milestones in our nation’s history, from Washington through Obama. Readers will find out how FDR brought down the house with humor, how “Give ‘em hell” Harry Truman planned his Whistle-Stop Tours, and how Ronald Reagan defied his advisors to make history at the Berlin Wall. Presenting stories of greatness as well as tragically unfulfilled promise, Presidents and Their Pens also features an introduction by author and historian Julie Nixon Eisenhower.

Download or read book White House Ghosts written by Robert Schlesinger and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2008-12-30 with total page 598 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An evaluation of the relationships between modern presidents and their speechwriters also offers insight into the agendas behind some of history's most famous addresses, in an account that traces the careers of such figures as Ted Sorensen, Peggy Noonan, and William Safire. Reprint. 50,000 first printing.

Download or read book The Political Speechwriter s Companion written by Robert A. Lehrman and published by CQ Press. This book was released on 2019-07-17 with total page 537 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Political Speechwriter's Companion: A Guide for Writers and Speakers guides students through a systematic “LAWS” approach (language, anecdote, wit, and support) that politicians can use to persuade their audiences into taking action. In the highly anticipated Second Edition, esteemed speechwriter and author Robert A. Lehrman has teamed up with one of the "go-to-guys" for political humor, Eric Schnure, to offer students an entertaining yet practical introduction to political speechwriting. This how-to guide explains how speakers can deliver: language the audience will understand and remember; anecdotes that make listeners laugh and cry; wit that pokes fun at opponents but also shows their own lighter side; and support in the way of statistics, examples, and testimony. Packed with annotated speeches from the most recent elections, technology tips, and interviews from speechwriting luminaries, this edition offers the most practical advice and strategies for a career in political communication.

Download or read book Speech less written by Matthew Latimer and published by Crown. This book was released on 2009-09-22 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New York Times Bestseller • From a former White House speechwriter comes a deliciously candid memoir about official Washington—a laugh-out-loud cri de coeur that shows what can happen to idealism in a town driven by self-interest. “[An] entertaining book about what goes on—or doesn’t—in Washington.” —American Spectator Despite being raised by reliably liberal parents, Matt Latimer is lured by the upbeat themes of the Reagan Revolution and, in the tradition of Mary Tyler Moore, sets off from the Midwest for the big city. Determined to “make it after all,” Matt daydreams of eradicating do-nothing boondoggleism and leading America to new heights of greatness. But first he has to find a job. Like an inside-the-Beltway Dante, Matt descends into Washington, D.C., hell, and snares a series of increasingly lofty—but unsatisfying—jobs with powerful figures on Capitol Hill. When Fate offers Matt a job as chief speechwriter for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Matt finds he actually admires the man (causing his liberal friends to shake their heads in dismay), his youthful passion is renewed. But Rummy soon becomes a piñata for the press, and the Department of Defense is revealed as alarmingly dysfunctional. Eventually, Matt lands at the White House, his heart aflutter with the hope that, here at last, he can fulfill his dream of penning words that will become part of history—and maybe pick up some cool souvenirs. But reality intrudes once again. More like The Office than The West Wing, the nation’s most storied office building is run by staffers who are in way over their heads, and almost everything the public has been told about the major players—Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Rove—is wrong. Both a rare behind-the-scenes account that boldly names the fools and scoundrels, and a poignant lament for the principled conservatism that disappeared during the Bush presidency, Speech-less will forever change the public’s view of our nation’s capital and the people who joust daily for its power. Praise for Speech-less “Deft, surprising, darned entertaining.” —Christopher Buckley "It's a good read… quite frankly, the stories are funny!" —Pat Buchanan

Download or read book The Political Speechwriter s Companion written by Robert A. Lehrman and published by CQ Press. This book was released on 2019-07-17 with total page 547 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Can you really learn to write speeches? The Political Speechwriter′s Companion guides students through a systematic "LAWS" approach (language, anecdote, wit, and support) that politicians can use to persuade their audiences into taking action. In the highly anticipated Second Edition, esteemed speechwriter and author Robert A. Lehrman has teamed up with one of the "go-to-guys" for political humor, Eric Schnure, to offer students an entertaining yet practical introduction to political speechwriting. This how-to guide explains how speakers can deliver: language the audience will understand and remember, anecdotes that make listeners laugh and cry, wit that pokes fun at opponents but also shows their own lighter side, and support in the way of statistics, examples, and testimony. Packed with annotated speeches from the most recent elections, technology tips, and interviews from speechwriting luminaries, this edition offers the most practical advice and strategies for a career in political communication.

Download or read book Confessions of a Presidential Speechwriter written by Craig R. Smith and published by MSU Press. This book was released on 2014-02-01 with total page 397 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An avid high school debater and enthusiastic student body president, Craig Smith seemed destined for a life in public service from an early age. As a sought-after speechwriter, Smith had a front-row seat at some of the most important events of the twentieth century, meeting with Robert Kennedy and Richard Nixon, advising Governor Ronald Reagan, writing for President Ford, serving as a campaign manager for a major U.S. senator’s reelection campaign, and writing speeches for a contender for the Republican nomination for president. Life in the volatile world of politics wasn’t always easy, however, and as a closeted gay man, Smith struggled to reconcile his private and professional lives. In this revealing memoir, Smith sheds light on what it takes to make it as a speechwriter in a field where the only constant is change. While bouncing in and out of the academic world, Smith transitions from consultantships with George H. W. Bush and the Republican caucus of the U.S. Senate to a position with Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca. When Smith returns to Washington, D.C., as president and founder of the Freedom of Expression Foundation, he becomes a leading player on First Amendment issues in the nation’s capital. Returning at long last to academia, Smith finds happiness coming out of the closet and reaping the benefits of a dedicated and highly successful career.

Download or read book Writing JFK written by Thomas W. Benson and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2004 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following the dramatic Bay of Pigs fiasco in 1961, President John F. Kennedy moved to repair the damage the invasion had done to his image and to his relations with the press. Thomas W. Benson examines two speeches and a press conference held by JFK in the days after the crisis, shedding light on how the structures of speech writing influence the texts of the speeches and policy formation, as well as the ways the press mediates and even helps to formulate presidential rhetoric. Writing JFK: Speechwriting and the Press in the Bay of Pigs Crisis provides the full text of both speeches and the press conference, as well as Benson's analysis of what would come to be known as "spin control." He demonstrates how the speeches display the implicit collaboration of Kennedy with his speech writers and the press to create a depiction of Kennedy as a political and moral agent. A central feature of the book is Benson's exploration of "the enormous power of the presidency to compel press restraint and to command the powers of publicity." In this brief but intensive examination, Benson holds a magnifying glass of rhetorical inquiry to the processes of contemporary government. These speeches have never before been studied in such depth, and Benson has drawn on many sources to arrive at unique historical and critical understanding of them. The resulting insight into the relationship among the press, politics, and public policy will appeal to all those interested in politics and rhetoric, the power of the American president, and the legacy of JFK.

Download or read book Why Presidential Speech Locations Matter written by Shannon Bow O'Brien and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-04-10 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores speeches by American presidents. Domestic public presidential speechmaking helps us understand the pressures, priorities, and targeted audiences of different presidencies. Many administrations generally work to reinforce already existing support though some may try to reach out to new areas. Census areas help us better understand where presidents prioritize speeches in certain areas of the country. Designated Market Areas, or media markets, allow us to look at presidential speechmaking without geographical constraints and focus on areas of population concentrations. Electoral College results show that most administrations prefer to give speeches in places where they have the most electoral support to reinforce their bases. The chapter on vacation locations explores how some presidents use Camp David or their homes as places to actively speak, while some administrations just use them as retreats. Foreign speeches allow us to see that most presidents prefer to speak in openly free countries more than other places.

Download or read book Speech less written by Matthew Latimer and published by Crown. This book was released on 2010-09-07 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New York Times Bestseller • From a former White House speechwriter comes a deliciously candid memoir about official Washington—a laugh-out-loud cri de coeur that shows what can happen to idealism in a town driven by self-interest. “[An] entertaining book about what goes on—or doesn’t—in Washington.” —American Spectator Despite being raised by reliably liberal parents, Matt Latimer is lured by the upbeat themes of the Reagan Revolution and, in the tradition of Mary Tyler Moore, sets off from the Midwest for the big city. Determined to “make it after all,” Matt daydreams of eradicating do-nothing boondoggleism and leading America to new heights of greatness. But first he has to find a job. Like an inside-the-Beltway Dante, Matt descends into Washington, D.C., hell, and snares a series of increasingly lofty—but unsatisfying—jobs with powerful figures on Capitol Hill. When Fate offers Matt a job as chief speechwriter for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Matt finds he actually admires the man (causing his liberal friends to shake their heads in dismay), his youthful passion is renewed. But Rummy soon becomes a piñata for the press, and the Department of Defense is revealed as alarmingly dysfunctional. Eventually, Matt lands at the White House, his heart aflutter with the hope that, here at last, he can fulfill his dream of penning words that will become part of history—and maybe pick up some cool souvenirs. But reality intrudes once again. More like The Office than The West Wing, the nation’s most storied office building is run by staffers who are in way over their heads, and almost everything the public has been told about the major players—Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Rove—is wrong. Both a rare behind-the-scenes account that boldly names the fools and scoundrels, and a poignant lament for the principled conservatism that disappeared during the Bush presidency, Speech-less will forever change the public’s view of our nation’s capital and the people who joust daily for its power. Praise for Speech-less “Deft, surprising, darned entertaining.” —Christopher Buckley "It's a good read… quite frankly, the stories are funny!" —Pat Buchanan

Download or read book Live from the Campaign Trail written by Michael A. Cohen and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2011-02-01 with total page 574 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the country wades into the hotly contested 2008 presidential election season, we look to the candidates' public pronouncements to gain an understanding of their platforms and to get a sense of the political direction our country might take over the course of the next four years. Presidential campaign oratory has always inspired and incited voters. In this collection of 27 pivotal campaign speeches, Michael Cohen helps bring to life the speeches that defined and dramatized American politics over the last century. From FDR's pledge for a "New Deal" to Nixon's legendary "Checkers" speech, from Dan Quayle's attack on Murphy Brown to select speeches from this year's presidential race, the "stump" speech has been the primary vehicle for candidates to share their political ambitions and ideals with the American people. With supporting essays that set the scene and provide the appropriate context for understanding what was said, how it was said, and why, Live from the Campaign Trail illustrates how campaign speeches have fundamentally shaped the way we think about American politics.

Download or read book Team of Vipers written by Cliff Sims and published by Thomas Dunne Books. This book was released on 2019-01-29 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Sims’s vivid portrait of Trump shrewdly balances admiration with misgivings, and his intricate, engrossing accounts of White House vendettas and power plays have a good mix of immersion and perspective. The result is one of the best of the recent flood of Trump tell-alls." —Publishers Weekly The first honest insider’s account of the Trump administration. If you hate Trump you need the truth; if you love Trump you need the truth. After standing at Donald Trump’s side on Election Night, Cliff Sims joined him in the West Wing as Special Assistant to the President and Director of White House Message Strategy. He soon found himself pulled into the President’s inner circle as a confidante, an errand boy, an advisor, a punching bag, and a friend. Sometimes all in the same conversation. As a result, Sims gained unprecedented access to the President, sitting in on private meetings with key Congressional officials, world leaders, and top White House advisors. He saw how Trump handled the challenges of the office, and he learned from Trump himself how he saw the world. For five hundred days, Sims also witnessed first-hand the infighting and leaking, the anger, joy, and recriminations. He had a role in some of the President’s biggest successes, and he shared the blame for some of his administration’s worst disasters. He gained key, often surprising insights into the players of the Trump West Wing, from Jared Kushner and John Kelly to Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Conway. He even helped Trump craft his enemies list, knowing who was loyal and who was not. And he took notes. Hundreds of pages of notes. In real-time. Sims stood with the President in the eye of the storm raging around him, and now he tells the story that no one else has written—because no one else could. The story of what it was really like in the West Wing as a member of the President’s team. The story of power and palace intrigue, backstabbing and bold victories, as well as painful moral compromises, occasionally with yourself. Team of Vipers tells the full story, as only a true insider could.

Download or read book President s Speech written by C. Edwin Vilade and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2012-10-16 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A readable analysis of 25 momentous presidential speeches that provides context and understanding of events and history, illustrated with facsimiles of supporting documents, notes, and drafts that together formed the final speech. The book examines the pivotal, often familiar, and potent speeches and addresses of dozens of U.S. presidents to reveal the varied and often conflicting points of view that shaped the final famous words. We see in many examples, the actual edited final speech, showing how remarkable and forceful language was crafted, sometimes last minute, into the enduring words made famous by their timing.

Download or read book My Fellow Americans written by and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2010 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE STORIES BEHIND the WORDS THAT MAKE HISTORY "Four Score and Seven Years Ago" The Gettysburg Address as told by an eyewitness of the event "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" Franklin Delano Roosevelt's stirring call to courage "Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You" John F. Kennedy's unforgettable inaugural address "Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall" Ronald Reagan's demand for freedom for the people behind the Iron Curtain Plus Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton on the speeches that influenced them most Also hear... The voices of every U.S. president since Benjamin Harrison in 1889 A reading of the first presidential speech ever, George Washington's "American Experiment" address A reenactment of Abraham Lincoln's incendiary "House Divided" speech Campaign recordings of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson FDR's assertion that Americans have a "Rendezvous with Destiny" Dwight D. Eisenhower's warning against the "Military-Industrial Complex" JFK proclaiming "Ich Bin Ein Berliner" Lyndon Johnson adopting the civil rights hymn "We Shall Overcome" Gerald Ford promising that "Our Long National Nightmare Is Over" Ronald Reagan consoling the nation after the space shuttle Challenger explosion George H. W. Bush's call for a "Kinder and Gentler Nation" Bill Clinton speaking from the pulpit where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his final sermon George W. Bush's ultimatum to Iraq and his promise to its people that "The Day of Your Liberation Is Near"

Download or read book Speechwright written by William F. Gavin and published by MSU Press. This book was released on 2011-11-01 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For almost thirty years, William F. Gavin wrote speeches at the highest levels of government. Speechwright is his insider’s view of politics, a shrewd critique of presidential and congressional rhetoric, and a personal look at the political leaders for whom he wrote speeches. While serving President Richard Nixon and candidate Ronald Reagan, Gavin advocated for “working rhetoric”—well-crafted, clear, hard-hitting arguments that did not off er visions of the unattainable, but instead limited political discourse to achievable ends reached through practical means. Filled with hard-earned wisdom about politics and its discontents, Speechwright describes Gavin’s successes, his failures, and his call for political rhetoric built on strong argument rather than the mere search for eloquence.