Young Leaders Network

The Art of Speechwriting: A Conversation with Presidential Speechwriters  

Campaign speeches and presidential communications have distinct goals. While stump speeches are in front of a more friendly crowd, allowing the candidate to promote his or her policy goals, presidential speeches have a wider, more diverse audience that may limit what goals the president can promote. Former presidential speechwriters on how they tackled this issue and what strategies they used to write memorable and historic speeches for former Presidents.

The John Brademas Center at New York University, as part of the 2018 Young Leaders Network series, hosted a dialogue with John P. McConnell, former speechwriter to President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, and June Shih, former speechwriter to President Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton. The pair discussed their own experiences of writing historic presidential and campaign speeches. The event was moderated by Vaughn Hillyard, Political Reporter at NBC News.

This free event was open to all Congressional interns and members of the public.

YOUTUBE MEDIA
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John P. McConnell

John P. McConnell

June Shih

June Shih

Vaughn Hillyard

Vaughn Hillyard