Presidential Rhetoric

Why Smart Talkers Lose Debates and How Obama Can Beat McCain Anyway

Joseph Romm | Posted 09.23.2008 | Politics

Read More: Political Rhetoric, Presidential Debates, Barack Obama, Obama Rhetoric, Presidential Rhetoric, Debates, 2008 Election, Politics News
Joseph Romm

Debates are won by the candidate who presents the most compelling and persuasive character. If I can convince you I'm an honest, straight talker, you'll believe what else I say. If I can't, you won't.

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Confident Optimism in Foreign Policy

Robert Schlesinger | Posted 06.10.2008 | Politics

Read More: U.S. News & World Report, Iran, John Kennedy, Israel, Jfk, White House Ghosts, Presidential Rhetoric, Foreign Policy, John F. Kennedy, Politics News
Robert Schlesinger

There are two fundamental schools of thought on foreign policy: suppose the Israelis launch a preemptive attack against Iran -- what does the United States do?

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Both Made History, But One of Them Had to Win

Anne-Marie Slaughter | Posted 06.06.2008 | Politics

Read More: Hillary Clinton, Democratic Unity, Hillary Women Voters, Presidential Rhetoric, Historic Election, China, Barack Obama, Politics News
Anne-Marie Slaughter

The nastiness of Obama's supporters' reactions to Hillary even in victory is another version of the politics he wants to end.

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Memo to Tom Hanks: Barack Obama Is No Harry Truman

Robert Schlesinger | Posted 05.05.2008 | Politics

Read More: Reagan, Barack Obama, Kennedy, Tom Hanks, John F. Kennedy, Spechwriting, Ronald Reagan, Presidential Rhetoric, White House Ghosts, Roosevelt, Jfk, Fdr, Franklin Roosevelt, Politics News
Robert Schlesinger

If elected, Obama, could become a magic speaker in the vein of the Big Three; the extent to which he can go off-the-cuff in a Trumanesque manner remains unclear.

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Ask not why words matter, ask when they mattered most

Robert Schlesinger | Posted 05.02.2008 | Politics

Read More: John F. Kennedy, Cuban Missile Crisis, American History, John Kennedy, Speechwriting, Kennedy, Schlesinger, Presidential Rhetoric, White House Ghosts, Jfk, Robert Schlesinger, Ted Sorensen, Presidents, Presidential Speechwriting, Politics News
Robert Schlesinger

Words do matter and few presidents knew this better than JFK (who of course also understood that rhetorical power has its limits). How JFK came up wi...

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Ooh, ooh, look at me!

Robert Schlesinger | Posted 05.02.2008 | Entertainment

Read More: White House Ghosts, Presidential Rhetoric, Robert Schlesinger, Daily Show, Speechwriting, Jon Stewart, Entertainment News
Robert Schlesinger

What a week. There were book parties. Then there was the Daily Show on Wednesday night discussing White House Ghostsx-- quite the charge. I blogged...

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RIP Bob Hartmann, "SOB"

Robert Schlesinger | Posted 04.22.2008 | Politics

Read More: President Ford, Gerald Ford, White House Staff, Presidential Speeches, Speechwriting, Richard Cheney, Dick Cheney, National Nightmare, Don Rumsfeld, Presidential Rhetoric, Bully Pulpit, Donald Rumsfeld, Politics News
Robert Schlesinger

I regret never having met Robert Hartmann, the close aide to Gerald Ford who died last week -- he was one of the classic, colorful characters in White...

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Bush's Secret Speechwriter

Robert Schlesinger | Posted 04.12.2008 | Politics

Read More: Presidential Rhetoric, White House Ghosts, Presidential Speechwriting, Politics News
Robert Schlesinger

A president owns his words, but he does not always know where he got them. A president owns his words, but he does not always know where he got them.

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Being Judged

Robert Schlesinger | Posted 04.12.2008 | Media

Read More: Book Reviews, Political Rhetoric, White House Ghosts, Presidential Rhetoric, Presidential Speechwriting, Media News
Robert Schlesinger

It's a strange thing, reading your first book review. You want to rush through it, find the judgment. You force yourself to read it in full. And of course you look for the pull quote.

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