Rescue and recovery
The new guy has begun his job. Biden’s two speeches late last week had no frills, no flourishes, no surprises (as in departures from his published campaign plans), and, most …
Not a great speech—but a good one
Victory Speech by President-Elect Joseph Biden, November 7, 2020, Wilmington DE Joe Biden could not rely on custom to smooth his way through a victory speech. It was not safe …
Biden Gives the Violence Trump’s Name
Speech by Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden, August 31, 2020, Pittsburgh PA One reason it is never wise to label a speech the biggest of someone’s life is that bigness …
Exaggeration Wrapped in Grandiosity
Acceptance Speech by President Donald Trump, August 27, 2020. Republican National Convention, Fourth Night. Last night in a speech that ran well over an hour President Trump made his argument …
Distorted reality, distractingly delivered
Speech by Vice President Mike Pence, August 26, 2020. Ft. McHenry, Baltimore MD. Republican National Convention, Third Night. Last night Vice-President Pence spread the word about Trump, Biden, and recent …
The best speech of the night
Speeches by Nikki Haley, Donald Trump Jr., and Tim Scott August 24, 2020. Republican National Convention, First Night. Imagine a convention where two of the most prominent first night speakers …
Joe Is Very Much Awake
Joe Biden Acceptance Speech, August 20, 2020. Democratic National Convention, Fourth Night. After thirty-two years of trying Joe Biden accepted at last his party’s nomination for president. He did so …
The Revered Constitution and the Beloved Community
And so it came to pass in a procession of speeches steeped in historical consciousness that, one hundred years and one day after the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, which …
Head of the Class
Speech by Jill Biden, August 18, 2020. Democratic National Convention, Second Night. As a format, the convention speech for a would-be First Lady generally confines the speechwriter and speaker to …
Obama to Bentsen to Fierce
After a long montage of video remarks, roundtables, songs, and super cuts that felt like the ton of previews and ads one sees at movie theaters, the first virtual political …