The American Spectator

Print Email

Text Size

The Spectacle Blog

I'm a Ron Paul fan, but I nevertheless have to admit I found this Christoper Buckley quote from a New York Times profile of Barack Obama's 26 year-old speechwriting wunderkind Jon Favreau--no, not that Jon Favreau--pretty funny:

"The trick of speechwriting, if you will, is making the client say your brilliant words while somehow managing to make it sound as though they issued straight from their own soul," said the writer Christopher Buckley, who was a speechwriter for the first President Bush. "Imagine putting the words 'Ask not what your country can do for you' into the mouth of Ron Paul, and you can see the problem."

I also loved this personal ad-ish ending to the story:

The campaign staff has started teasing Mr. Favreau about his newfound celebrity. Not that it's any great pickup line. Mr. Favreau, who said he doesn't have a girlfriend, observed somewhat dryly that "the rigors of this campaign have prevented any sort of serious relationship."

"There's been a few times when people have said, 'I don't believe you, that you're Barack Obama's speechwriter,' " he went on. "To which I reply, 'If I really wanted to hit on you, don't you think I'd make up something more outlandish?' "

Actually, it's difficult to imagine a better, more effective line to pick up some fetching young liberal lady these days than "Hey girl, I wrote Barack Obama's Iowa victory speech! Would you like to help me unite the country?" This kid's learned to channel Obama's rhetoric, but I think it's fairly clear he hasn't fully grasped the audacity of hope. Get out there and strike while the iron is (and ladies are) hot, buddy!

topics:
Barack Obama