At age 92, time to confess one of my sins.—anonymous writing of political speeches.
Not only have I written speeches for candidates to deliver at a political rally, but I have coached university students how to write words for others to speak as their own.
My first 1968 class filled quickly with political animals majoring in journalism, advertising, public relations, speech and ‘government.’ In Austin they admit it’s more about politics than science.
Joe Ethos and Tom Resolute were my biographical creations. Gave them no party affiliation. My assignment asked students to write a campaign speech for either Joe or Tom. I stipulated, “don’t write words you don’t believe, be true to yourself.” Later in 2015, one member enrolled in the course class bragged she copied, verbatim, one of Senator Ralph Yarborough’s speeches and I gave her a high grade. I must have rewarded professional speech-making, but I regretted hearing about her un-repented plagiarism.
I’m still writing speeches for politicians who are characters in my 1945 alternative historical fiction.
But let’s applaud those politicians who speak their own thoughts, not the ones written by hired hands.
For example, speech by three-time Georgia Governor Eugene Talmadge, 1930s, had an unforgettable opening. The Governor spoke at a country schoolhouse filled with farmers. Talmadge arrived. He wore his speech-making baggy pants and red suspenders that he stretched out often with his hands. He thanked his presenter and began:
“You people in Georgia got three things for which to be thankful, the Lord Almighty, Jesus Christ, and Gene Talmadge!”
The farmers applauded. Then a voice from back of the schoolroom rang out.
“Make it rain, Gene. Make it rain!”
Photo by zieusen at Shutterfly
