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View Full Version : McCain apparently can't write his own speeches

Lorini
08-11-2008, 05:06 PM
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/politicalinsider/2008/08/did-mccain-plagarize-his-speec.html

Or maybe his speech writer is strictly a volunteer??
idrisz
08-11-2008, 05:10 PM
it takes effort to raise his hands in order to write stuff!!
BlueJackalope
08-11-2008, 05:11 PM
And what's he gonna do? Not use Wikipedia?
Gabe Lewis
08-11-2008, 05:18 PM
As much as I pray McCain get hit with a truck made of pillows, maybe this was a subtle rebuke to those saying he is unfamiliar with technology (I am one of them.)
Mordrak
08-11-2008, 05:31 PM
As much as I pray McCain gets hit by a bus maybe this was a subtle rebuke to those saying he was unfamiliar with technology (I was one of them.)

He may still be unfamiliar with technology. He does have campaign staff. I figure most politicians don't write their own speeches, but have significant input.
CSL
08-11-2008, 05:33 PM
When was the last time a President actually wrote, or at least largely wrote, his own speeches though? Reagan?

I think I read an Atlantic essay awhile back that stated the last President to really write his own speeches on a regular basis was Roosevelt.
Gabe Lewis
08-11-2008, 05:34 PM
Fixed that.
Talisker
08-11-2008, 05:37 PM
As much as I pray McCain truck made of pillows maybe this was . . .
I think you some words out :)
Gabe Lewis
08-11-2008, 05:55 PM
My typing abilities suck more than this thread!
Lorini
08-11-2008, 06:03 PM
(um, it should be gets hit by a truck)

I seriously doubt that McCain writes any of his speeches. Just like I'm nearly certain Obama does not. Naturally they are still responsible for them. McCain's speech writer will hopefully be fired shortly however. I mean, come 'on, plagiarizing from Wikipedia and hoping no one notices??
Angie Gallant
08-11-2008, 06:16 PM
I doubt the speechwriter will be fired, because no one is going to run this story.
Lorini
08-11-2008, 06:20 PM
I doubt the speechwriter will be fired, because no one is going to run this story.

Oh, that is so too bad, but you are probably right :)
JeffL
08-11-2008, 06:24 PM
When was the last time a President actually wrote, or at least largely wrote, his own speeches though? Reagan?


Wasn't Peggy Noonan one of Reagan's speechwriters?

Good presidents have the ability to give a speech and make it sound like every word is straight from their heart and mind. A good speechwriter knows his/her speaker well enough to make it sound as if the candidate wrote it him/herself.
Lum
08-11-2008, 06:50 PM
Obama is more than capable of writing his own speeches and often does so, which makes life interesting for his designated speechwriters. (http://www.newsweek.com/id/84756)
JeffL
08-11-2008, 07:26 PM
Obama is more than capable of writing his own speeches and often does so, which makes life interesting for his designated speechwriters. (http://www.newsweek.com/id/84756)

Yeah, I do believe he is unique in that.

A friend way back when I was working in Carter's first campaign was an assistant speech-writer for Carter. Lots of cool stories and an interesting job. Basically, they would meet kind of like you'd see Saturday Night Live writers sitting around the table, toss out key themes for the event at which the speech would be given, sift through jokes, anecdotes, moving letters that had been received, etc. Carter would get the first draft and then would make his suggestions and direction, then the top writer or two would fluff and buff it for the final.
Marged
08-12-2008, 11:59 AM
I feel like I keep coming across Carter alums all the time, ever since I started following politics more closely. Chris Matthews, Hendrik Hertzberg, James Fallows (I think?). It sounds like such a fun job.

It would be interesting to have a president who is such a skilled writer. I think that is how Obama processes thoughts and information, and I do think that gives some insight into how his mind works.

McCain relies almost completely on Salter - the shift in tone between the essay McCain wrote on returning from Vietnam and his subsequent books with Salter is kinda staggering. Not that he pretends they aren't "co-authored," - Salter's name is up there on the front of the books. But he is NOT a good writer in any sense whatsoever.
Cosmic Hippo
08-12-2008, 01:51 PM
When was the last time a President actually wrote, or at least largely wrote, his own speeches though? Reagan?
Actually, Reagan was known as one of the presidents with the least amount of input on his speachwriting, nearly on the same level as Bush (though Bush still wins). At least I remember reading so in an article by Peggy Noonan, who as mentioned above was one of his writers.

The last President to do a lot of his own writing was actually Clinton, who was infamous for furiously editing them minutes before the speech. Obama is known to do a lot of his own stuff, though not all, and yeah, McCain does hardly any.
bloo
08-12-2008, 07:25 PM
When was the last time a President actually wrote, or at least largely wrote, his own speeches though? Reagan?

I think I read an Atlantic essay awhile back that stated the last President to really write his own speeches on a regular basis was Roosevelt.

But even he had help:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Irving_Rosenman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_E._Sherwood