The Chicago Tribune ran a story on Sunday about President Obama’s chief speechwriter, 27-year-old Jon Favreau. Nothing all that new in this profile, since Favreau refused to sit for an interview with the Tribune.
The story notes that Favreau is the second youngest chief presidential speechwriter. James Fallows, the lead scribe for Carter, was two months younger than Favreau.
I interviewed Fallows via e-mail about one year ago for a Ragan.com story about the age difference between presidential speechwriters (young) and corporate speechwriters (not young). Fallows is now an Atlantic magazine editor based in China.
Here’s part of what he had to say:
Political speechwriters generally are young … for many people on a campaign, speechwriting is not a JOB; it’s a risk/dare/gamble. That is, for each person who ends up as the campaign speechwriter for Obama or McCain, there were ten others who signed on with Romney, Dodd, Edwards, Biden, Giuliani, and so on.
Political speechwriters are generally younger because the hours are unbelievable; the pay is very low; and the probability is that you won’t still have a job when the campaign is over (because most candidates lose).
Fallows also explained why he left the Carter White House.
I was 26 when I started work for the Carter campaign and 27 when he was elected; Patrick Anderson was a couple of years older; most of us were around the same age. I had worked briefly as a magazine writer before joining Carter and realized that what I enjoyed more in the long run was writing books and magazine articles in my own voice, as I have done since then.
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Comments (4)
Coach Purses Outlet
Posted by Coach Purses Outlet | March 23, 2012 10:28 PM
Posted on March 23, 2012 22:28
Awesome Brett! If you read my post, you'd see that my generalization not only applied to today's 20-somethings but those that came before them. When I was in my 20s, you could say I was just as "engaged" by certain leaders, so to clear up one of many myths youth hold dear, they are not the first to ever experience what they are now experiencing. It's just a first for them. Witness the fact, we are all more self-absorbed in our 20s. It's normal, but in the White House, it's dangerous because the American populice of all ages count on those in Washington to have more perspective than a 27-year old can have. Not enough life experience. Sorry but this generation is no more special than those who came before it. If you pick up a history book, you'll see, Jimmy Carter was not on to something with his youth movement. It made him the worst president in memory, at least back to Hoover. I don't base this on politics, just on all the measure history uses to judge the success of presidents. Now we have Obama, whose answer to getting us out of debt is to triple our debt. Cool!
Posted by Anonymous | March 9, 2009 9:52 PM
Posted on March 9, 2009 21:52
As someone who was recently under the age of 30, I am also apparently one of those whom Anonymous (way to own it, coward) presumes to be without professional principles and "maliable" (you're not winning any spelling bees). To offer such a sweeping generalization of young professionals is both reckless and ignorant. I really wish that those who feel compelled to comment in a communications forum were capable of understanding that said forums do not exist for sniveling political bickering, but rather a substantive discussion of communications. Taking a pot shot at Favreau (and by extension, every young person who worked or voted for Obama) helps underscore the extent to which people like you are terrified of progress. Perhaps it's time for you to understand, Anonymous, that the world is now moving at a different speed, and young professionals (under or over 30) are critical players on the national stage. Whatever their politics, young people now have a president far more willing to engage them than any in recent memory. That engagement manifests itself, or will in the future (as they firm up their worldviews, I suppose) as innovation, dedication and a better America. I suggest you look elsewhere for a forum in which your narrow-mindedness is appreciated. I hear CNBC is looking for help.
Posted by Brett | March 9, 2009 6:47 PM
Posted on March 9, 2009 18:47
No doubt this will offend everyone under the age of 30 here, but here goes. Obama only trusts those who have limited memory of the world and willilng to accept his worldview on face value as he spoon feeds it to them. This is not to say they are not talented and articulate. They are. But because of their age they have not yet firmed up their professional principles and are still maliable. This is true of everyone at that age.
Bottom line, the kids are in the White House and the adults, quite literally, are paying for their mistake in voting for the Children of the Corn.
Posted by Anonymous | March 9, 2009 2:14 PM
Posted on March 9, 2009 14:14