Interesting Newsweek article on Obama's speechwriter

[maximusveritas]

It gives some nice insight into how Obama's speeches are written. And no, Obama's speechwriter is not the guy from Swingers, even though they have the same name.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/84756/page/3

Favreau and Obama rapidly found a relatively direct way to work with one another. "What I do is to sit with him for half an hour," Favreau explains. "He talks and I type everything he says. I reshape it, I write. He writes, he reshapes it. That's how we get a
finished product.

"It's a great way to write speeches. A lot of times, you write something, you hand it in, it gets hacked by advisors, it gets to the candidate and then it gets sent back to you. This is a much more intimate way to work."

Some speeches are much more the product of the candidate himself. Obama emailed Favreau his draft of his announcement speech in Springfield, Illinois, at 4 a.m. on the morning of the campaign launch last February.

[K Gardner]

1. This is VERY interesting ! Excellent article, thanks. Nice to know that

the SUBSTANCE of the speeches are coming from the candidate ! :yourock:

[maximusveritas]

2. Yes

In fact, I know Jeralyn at TalkLeft had tried to downplay the importance of Obama's speeches by saying they were written by his speechwriters and not him.

[itsrobert]

3. I know how they are written

He has a book of Great American Quotes, randomly selects quotes by Jefferson, Lincoln, MLK,RFK, and JFK and pretends he's on the Trinity Broadcast Network as he strings the quotes together in a 7th grade fashion.

[K Gardner]

4. Not cool. Not true. And doesn't help Edwards. OK?

Your candidate has been fairly gracious to Obama.. you should be too. I say that to you as a fellow Edward supporter.

[Alexander]

8. Aww, poor baby! Your candidate blew his two chances at being president.

So because you are bitter, you have to piss on any thread that isn't bashing Obama.

[Adelante]

5. Nice article

Nice this was a Kerry kid, too, just starting out, and now advanced in his career. Good story.

[DeepModem Mom]

6. K&R

[origin1286]

7. Good read

[aaronbees]

9. Interesting that Obama rekindled....

Favreau's idealism and enthusiasm for politics. Also, I think it's quite telling that Favreau did some social justice work in Worcester; I imagine that connects nicely with some of the community organizing Obama did in his younger days in Chicago. Cool read, for sure.