When did politicians start hiring speech writers?

Rabrrrrrr

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Sat Jan-19-08 11:27 AM
Original message

When did politicians start hiring speech writers?

I can't imagine any of the founding fathers doing this. Nor Lincoln, nor Teddy Roosevelt, nor FDR. Nor Churchill.

If you know, please enlighten me.

Speaking personally, I think politicians should write their own fucking speeches.

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DarkTirade

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Sat Jan-19-08 11:29 AM
Response to Original message

1. Yes, and they should do their own makeup too.

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Rabrrrrrr

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Sat Jan-19-08 11:30 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. It's too bad they even have to worry about makeup.

Presidentin' and politickin' should be about ideas and vision.

Not what they fucking look like.

Fucking TV ruined everything.

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DarkTirade

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Sat Jan-19-08 11:31 AM
Response to Reply #2

3. Exactly my point.

Edited on Sat Jan-19-08 11:33 AM by DarkTirade

Y'know, I've heard that Abe Lincoln actually had a rather high and squeaky voice, not the deep rumble they usually use to dub him with in movies and on TV.

You think a guy that funny looking with a high squeaky voice would ever get the nom these days?

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Rabrrrrrr

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Sat Jan-19-08 11:36 AM
Response to Reply #3

6. He wouldn't stand a chance. None of our overweight ones would, either.

And Jefferson would be right out because he's too smart. He'd be punished heavily in the debates by the media for being "too detailed" and "focused attention on the question without bringing up his family or God in every answer"

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Akoto

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Sat Jan-19-08 11:34 AM
Response to Original message

4. They've been around for quite a while.

The 30th president, Calvin Coolidge, was thought to have the first official presidential speechwriter. It's also believed that Alexander Hamilton wrote speeches for George Washington.

The wonders of Wikipedia. :)

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CGowen

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Sat Jan-19-08 11:34 AM
Response to Original message

5. FDR had some, probably after the fall of the Roman Empire I would guess

Samuel I. Rosenman, FDR’s council, suggested gathering a group of unofficial advisors who were intellectuals in the fields of economics and political science and would be knowledgeable in current affairs and offer some useful insight. Upon Roosevelt’s agreement, Rosenman selected Raymond Moley, a professor of government and public law at Columbia University (and also a noteworthy speech writer, who would assist FDR in a good deal of his campaign speeches

http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/tmirhsee.html

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Rabrrrrrr

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Sat Jan-19-08 11:39 AM
Response to Reply #5

7. I would say that FDR's time definitely qualifies as "after the fall of the Roman Empire"

:P

I'm curious if Moley actually did the writing, or if FDR still did the initial write and let Moley and others edit or fact check and so forth.

Today it seems that the president (certainly the current one) and other politicians have the speechwriters write the whole damn thing; maybe with a bit of direction: "I need a speech about how the war is going great - should be about 2,500 words. Need it tomorra."

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CGowen

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Sat Jan-19-08 11:54 AM
Response to Reply #7

8. I think someone is making the decision for the president and just says to him

"read this", but he can't do that properly.

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Boojatta

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Sat Jan-19-08 01:12 PM
Response to Original message

9. You'll know things are bad when a US President gives a bad speech

and the next day makes the following excuse: "I didn't write it. In fact, I don't know who wrote it. I found it on the internet."

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CGowen

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Sat Jan-19-08 02:42 PM
Response to Reply #9

10. internets n/t

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