Insights & Commentaries

In the NewsInsights & Commentaries

VIDEO: Terry Szuplat Discusses the Presidential Debate

Interview with CNN,

Terry Szuplat, one of President Barack Obama's longest-serving speechwriters and the author of "Say It Well," discusses what to look for in tomorrow's debate between President Biden and former President Trump.

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In the NewsInsights & Commentaries

Op-Ed: The Presidential Debate our Democracy Deserves

Essay for CNN.com,

"Our great American experiment will only endure if we summon 'the better angels of our nature.' That includes relearning how to speak to one another with the civility, empathy and honesty that our democracy deserves — and upon which its survival depends."

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In the NewsInsights & Commentaries

Can Katie Britt — Or Anyone — Recover From a Bad State of the Union Rebuttal?

Comment for NOTUS,

“No response is ever transformative, but if one of the goals is to not destroy the career of a politician, then being forgotten is OK,” said Terry Szuplat, a former speechwriter for President Barack Obama.

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In the NewsInsights & Commentaries

Terry Szuplat Joins BBC’s Live Coverage of the State of the Union Address

It was a pleasure to join a panel of experts, hosted by Caitriona Perry, during the BBC's live coverage of the State of the Union Address.

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In the NewsInsights & Commentaries

VIDEO: Former Obama Speechwriter on the Makings of a State of the Union Address

Interview with ABC News Live Prime

ABC News’ Linsey Davis sat down with former presidential speechwriter Terry Szuplat ahead of Pres. Biden’s State of the Union address to discuss how writers and presidents collaborate.

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In the NewsInsights & Commentaries

The 7 Worst Instances of Bad Behavior at the State of the Union

Comment for POLITICO,

“At times, the United States Congress is starting to resemble the British House of Commons with members heckling,” said Terry Szuplat, a former Barack Obama speechwriter who worked on many State of the Union addresses. “More than ever, presidents have to be able to respond in the moment, they have to be nimble. They have to expect that the kind of decorum that we saw in decades past is gone.”

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In the NewsInsights & Commentaries

US President’s Annual Address an Exhausting “Super Bowl,” Speechwriters Say

Comment for Agence France-Presse,

The State of the Union is "arguably one of the highest profile speeches that a president gives all year," says Terry Szuplat, a former speechwriter for Barack Obama. "So it would seem to be a tremendous opportunity, and yet at the very same time, it rarely, if ever changes the fundamental dynamics of a presidency."

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In the NewsInsights & Commentaries

A Sister’s Love

Medium,

Today, I’m thinking about Deah, Yusor, and Razan — three American college students who should still be with us.

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In the NewsInsights & Commentaries

How President Obama Wrote His “Love Letter to Boston”

The Boston Globe Magazine,

As one of his speechwriters, I had a sense that this tragedy struck close to home for the president. Obama knew Boston. As a law student at Harvard, he lived in Somerville. He gave his breakout political speech, at the 2004 Democratic convention, at what’s now the TD Garden. Boston had always welcomed him, as well as the first lady when she was at Harvard Law School.

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In the NewsInsights & Commentaries

Obama speechwriter reveals tricks of the trade

Axios,

Terry Szuplat, one of Obama’s longest-serving wordsmiths, has signed a deal with HarperCollins to publish a book that he’s been noodling on for more than a year: "Well Said: Find Your Voice, Speak Your Mind, Inspire Any Audience."

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