Robert Schlesinger

Expert Reaction to the Obama Inaugural

January 20, 2009 RSS Feed Print

By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

I've been eagerly devouring reactions to Obama's inaugural, with a particular eye toward a group of people with a special perspective on the address—former presidential speechwriters.

We'll have a couple of cogitations on the speech in our op-ed space tomorrow, but in the meantime, former scribes have weighed in with their thoughts elsewhere on the Internets.

Republicans and Democrats alike seemed to find good things in the address. "It struck my ears that Obama specifically referenced 'wavering,' 'rising tides of prosperity,' and the 'prudent' use of power—words associated with the last three Republican presidents," former Bush (43) speechwriter Ed Walsh writes at Podium Pundits, a new blog written by speechwriters.

Mary Kate Cary, a Bush 41 speechwriter who will soon become more familiar to Thomas Jefferson Street readers, added at the New York Times's Room for Debate:

Overall, it was a good speech that got better as it went. It hit a low point when he was talking about the gross domestic product but soared highest when he spoke of the timeless values and truths like hard work and honesty and courage, to which we must all return. He capped it off with a great ending in the snows of Valley Forge—a peroration, in speechwriters' lingo—that brought the house down. President Obama left us all wanting more.

Of course, it's always good to leave the crowd wanting more.

And added Jeff Shesol, a Clinton speechwriter who has written one history book and is working on another (on FDR and the courts):

It may not be the most inspirational speech he has ever given, but it's surely the most purposeful. It was a display of strength (his) and a summoning of strength (ours).

The extent of the strength may have surprised some of Obama's critics.

What did you think? Click over to Public Opinion, and weigh in with your thoughts.

Tags:
speeches,
Inauguration,
Barack Obama

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Obama wasn't referring to Valley Forge, and he didn't mention Valley Forge. It's only commenters (including esteemed ones such as William Safire) with an incomplete knowledge of history who assumed he was talking about Valley Forge.

The reference was clearly from December 1776, when Washington ordered words from Tom Paine read prior to the famous crossing of the Delaware for the Battle of Trenton.

It was an apt reference from a deeply informed and educated Obama. (Unfortunately, there are plenty of Cliff Notes commenters out there who didn't grasp it.)

Harold of CA 10:03AM January 22, 2009

Ineresting times... Polly-rage blog spot? of course you are in the line of truth. But at the end of the day all must unfold. I and mine are glad that he previous regime IS DONE. .. Nothing to be proud of .. and not possible to repay for the losses to our Country.

Never trust politicians... but let us hope for better with his one. IT seems he is maybe a bit more than we think. Not a bad thought.. may it please God and be benefit to the country

Daniel of IN 3:19PM January 21, 2009

Obama's inaugural speech was eloquent, articulate, measured, a bit somber, but refreshingly real, and a reminder to us all that it will take the efforts of many -- not just one. I disagree with his critics who tried to diminish his address by stating that there was no carved-in-granite-phrase similar to "ask not what your country can do for you...." The entire ceremony was a moment that will be engraved in history. For him to capitalize on this with soaring rhetoric at this moment in our troubled times would have been foolish and anti-climactic. Obama is neither.

Genna of MA 2:18PM January 21, 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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