Friday was my wife’s birthday. This is not another blog about some thoughtless guy forgetting his wife’s birthday or their anniversary. In fact I think I have done well the last few years. This is more an explanation about why I should not run for public office.
I have always thought it interesting that presidents and other stately figures have speech writers. People that plan out the words they say even down to the correct place to pause and take a deep breath. Me, I usually say the first thing that pops into my head.
Ted Sorensen speech writer for President Kennedy said of Kennedy’s “ask not” inaugural lines “I helped”. He has also been pegged as the author of Kennedy’s “I am a Berliner” line. Peter Robinson wrote the line “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” for President Reagan. Peggy Noonan, who also worked with Ronald Reagan and George Bush is credited with Bush’s “A kinder gentler nation”, “A thousand points of light” and “Read my lips…” Ben Stein, Pat Buchanan, Chris Matthews, and Tony Snow all are former presidential speech writers.
Sometimes Presidents divert from the script or give an impromptu line, forget where they are and the situation at hand, and uttered lines that I am sure thoughtful writers did not pen. For example Richard Nixon while attending Charles De Gaulle’s funeral, “this is a great day for France”.
There are days I wish I could vote for the speech writers and not the person seeking the office. I think the speech writers get it. I like the inspiration and the clarity with which they can give a situation. The spirit of our leaders, that part that we most admire, sometimes is actually living within these writers.
There have been some exceptions. Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysberg address and the Emancimation Proclamation. His words inspire us today.
Without writers I wonder if current leadership could show a clear passion for something other than getting elected. In this day of teleprompters and 3rd party speech writing a Noonan – Stein ticket would get my attention. I bet the words and passion would be genuine and we could be assured the words would be their own.
Then there are other days like Friday when I just need the services of a speech writer. Wife celebrating her birthday “Just calculated my age…” Me with my almost interrupting, instant, impromptu reply; “That’s pretty advance math for a 5th grade teacher isn’t it?”
Peggy Noonan help!
David
