Robert Schlesinger

Speechwriters Look Ahead to the Barack Obama Inaugural Address

January 14, 2009 RSS Feed Print

By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Six days to go until Barack Obama's inauguration. So, what can we expect? He's going to have to hit the rhetorical sweet spot between highflying, speaking-to-history rhetoric and specific policy notions designed to address the day's crises.

I moderated a panel at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia looking at what Obama might say. George H.W. Bush speechwriter Mary Kate Cary and Clinton chief speechwriter Terry Edmonds gave their views, which I thought were fairly interesting and informed. You can hear the entire session here. 

Tags:
speeches,
Inauguration,
Barack Obama

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Leadership as President should also be viewed as leadership of leaders For aren't we all leaders of our communities, businesses, our homes, and our lives. We are not all mere followers. Leadership requires commitment and passion and skills for success. We are all leaders and followers at any given time. May our new President inspire us to follow and respect our ability to lead.

Susan J Carmichael of CA 11:58AM January 18, 2009

Robert Schlesinger

Robert Schlesinger

Robert Schlesinger is managing editor for opinion at U.S. News and World Report, overseeing all opinion editorial content. He is the author of White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters. E-mail him at rschlesinger@usnews.com. Follow him on Twitter: @rschles.

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