February 18th, 2008
Comments:No Comment Category: Rants & Raves
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Topic:Rants & Raves
David Murray’s Commentary on Presidential Hopefuls’ Speeches
The Elephant In The Room
First Ran In 2004
As I listened to the eloquent and elegant words of world leaders in France commemorating the 60th anniversary of D-Day, and to the heart felt eulogies at the passing of President Reagan, I was once again struck by the twilight world that speechwriters live in.
The television pundits waxed poetic on the majesty of the words spoken in tribute – to fallen soldiers and a fallen President. But as is usual, they couldn’t help but make political commentary on how these speeches defined the men or women making them. That’s ok too. But they sometimes talked as if the speakers actually wrote the words themselves. As if they sat down and for hours crafted each turn of phrase, each rhythmic pattern of speech, each uplifting metaphor, and every reference to some time of history past.
Of course that is all stuff and nonsense. Read more…
February 5th, 2008
Comments:No Comment Category: Rants & Raves, The Business of...
In Praise of Bloated, Boring and Badly Written (BBBW) Speeches
Well not in praise of exactly….
I wish I could tell you that every speech I have written was incisive, insightful, funny, memorable, quotable and all-in-all had the audience crying out to my client “don’t stop now….please do go on for another 10 minutes”. Well every once and a while I get to tuck one of those under my belt and say to myself “well done, mate.”
But the truth is I write a lot of BBBW speeches. Not on purpose mind. It is sort of a requirement. Read more…
February 4th, 2008
Comments:No Comment Category: Dealing with Clients, Rants & Raves