John Kerry Speechwriting Tournament (Unofficial but ...)

http://www.bigleftoutside.com/archives/000376.php

---------snip----------


Twenty years ago (full disclosure) I wrote some speeches for John Kerry, and it was a huge pleasure to see someone deliver them as few are capable of doing... when he's "on," he's really on... We've seen some of those moments already in this campaign.

But, alas, a Narco News publisher's work is never done, and I don't have time for that right now. (Ever sit down to write a J-School application? That can make your head hurt, even though it's great fun.) And it occurs to me that so many very articulate BigLeftOutside readers and commenters could do a splendid job writing speech material for Kerry.

So, therefore, I am:

...Announcing the John Kerry Speechwriting Tournament!

Serious entries only, please (parodies or insincere entries will be screened out)... What do you think John Kerry should be saying on the stump, on TV, in his ads, to the people?

You can attempt an entire speech or just a few paragraphs.

I am not offering any material prize; only this: If I think your submission should be part of Kerry's stump speech (or the whole thing) I will personally see to it that Kerry himself gets a copy of it... So your ultimate prize could be that one day you turn on the TV and hear your words spoken by the presumptive Democratic nominee.


-------snip----

I've always wanted to do that. Thing is, I've never written a speech.

just did a bunch of talking points for a policy speech on a 'real' War on Terrorism...

bookmarked. hell, I do need a job!

I think you could do it.

And why send just 1?

but, also, probably right. I *could* do it.

thanks for the encouragement. I need to see if there's a deadline. (I LOVE deadlines!)

I can see doing one on the real 'class war' too. and I can certainly see one that defends, point by point by point by point, Kerry's 'crooked lying' comment....

Deficit. (My rough estimation of appropriate equivalent math.)

?

a week ago any thread with KERRY in the subj line would have been locked down in 10 minutes!

p.s. now you've ruined my whole weekend! already have a full page of talking points and sound bytes for a speech on the 'real' bush TRIFECTA...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x457756

I would NEVER have seen it!

and my speech on the 'real' War on Terror is shaping up nicely!

so, I'll check over there later

http://www.bigleftoutside.com/comments/20/

What I mean by a "serious" entry
Posted By Al Giordano (América) - 03/12/04 19:10 (Link)

I am also screening out rhetorical entries to this tournament that put positions in the candidate's mouth that do not reflect his stated positions.

(In two cases, so far, readers who are clearly to the left of Kerry - as I am - made rhetorical points about what positions they think he should be taking that are different than his stated positions. I don't consider those to be serious entries for the speechwriting tournament and they're not getting past the goalie here. What kind of goalie do you think I am anyway?!)

There are other threads here where you can and do disagree with Kerry's positions (and in both cases, the commenters have commented on this blog along those lines very freely already, so don't cry "censorship" - y'all have plenty of room on the other threads here to make those kinds of political points).

There are 19 other threads here that invite your opinions on various topics, quite a number of them on the presidential contest. If I ask you for serious speechwriting submissions on this, don't pretend I'm a substitute teacher, please. Try that juvie stuff on others, not me. Thank you very much!

As for those of you, below, and those who will come, above, who made serious entries, thank you even more! That is all.

since Kerry sewed it up.

I feel like I'm 'getting away with" something