Behind The Scenes: Writing the 2012 State of the Union Address

[MarkCharles]

Uploaded by whitehouse on Jan 24, 2012
Take a look inside the West Wing as the 2012 State of The Union Address is written

The President has been brainstorming with the speechwriters and huddling with the policy team. He's come up with new ideas, rewritten language, and reordered pages. For President Obama, this isn't simply an editing exercise. He's invested in creating the State of the Union because he sees it as his opportunity to take his vision for the country to the American people directly.

[monmouth]

1. What an extraordinary and awesome experience it must be to be a part of this

team. I also cannot help but think back to the day when the typewriter was "it", first drafts were double-spaced, edits inserted here and there, take it back and re-type, again, double-spaced and so on. No copy machines or printers of the sort we enjoy today existed..white out was it. I'm so envious..

[MarkCharles]

2. I have to admit that I remember buying IBM Selectrics ...

for my office.

[monmouth]

3. Best typewriter ever..n/t

[progressoid]

4. Jon Favreau?

Hope he writes better speeches than his last movie.

[MarkCharles]

5. THIS Jon Favreau has been with Obama since before the election

way back to the 2008 campaign. He's dynamite, and Obama knows it. I think he's also about 30..was very young starting out in the W.H.

He was born in 1981. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Favreau_(speechwriter)

"When President Obama assumed office in 2009, Favreau was appointed Assistant to the President and Director of Speechwriting He became the second youngest chief White House speechwriter on record after James Fallows.] His current salary is $172,200 a year.

Favreau has been named one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World" by Time magazine. He ranked 33rd in the GQ "50 Most Powerful in D.C." and featured in the Vanity Fair "Next Establishment" list. Favreau was also one of several Obama administration members in the 2009 "World's Most Beautiful People" issue of People magazine."

[progressoid]

6. Ya, I know.

Just trying to make funny. Apparently it didn't work. Just like the other Favreau's "Couples Retreat" movie.

[Tx4obama]

7. K & R n/t

[MrSlayer]

8. Very cool.

I'd enjoy working on that with the President.