political speech writing examples

Political Speech Writing: How Candidates Can Craft Compelling Messages

Understanding the Power of Political Speeches

Political speeches play a pivotal role in shaping the course of nations and can shape the trajectory of societies. Effective speech writing for elections allows leaders to communicate their vision, values, and policy objectives to the public. These speeches serve as a means of persuasion, providing a platform for leaders to connect with their constituents emotionally. Through carefully tailoring speeches, a political oratory has the potential to inspire, mobilize, and unite people around common goals and ideals.

One key aspect of political speeches is their ability to inform and educate the public. In a democratic society, an informed citizenry is essential for making sound election decisions and understanding government policy implications. A well-done political oratory allows leaders to clarify their positions and present evidence and data. Speechwriting for elections often requires addressing complex issues and helping citizens make informed choices about how they want the country to move. Moreover, political speeches serve as a channel for transparency and accountability.

Beyond their informational role, a well-crafted political oratory fosters unity and social cohesion by containing messages of hope, unity and inclusivity. They can transcend political divides and unite people, transcending differences of opinion and background. In times of crisis or uncertainty, campaign speeches provide reassurance and a sense of purpose. Furthermore, campaign speeches help a nation navigate challenges and emerge stronger.

Well-crafted campaign speeches can be transformative in elections by serving as a dynamic tool for candidates to connect with voters, sway public opinion and ultimately change the outcome of an election. When a candidate speaks passionately about issues that resonate with your audience, it creates a sense of trust and authenticity by tapping into the electorate's hopes, fears, and aspirations.

Speechwriting for elections helps to clarify a candidate's policy positions and goals, providing voters with a clearer understanding of what they stand for, allowing them to set themselves apart from their opponents and creating a sense of confidence in their leadership. A well-crafted political speech can sway undecided voters to the candidate's side.

Rousing persuasive communication can galvanize volunteers and grassroots activists , encouraging them to work harder for the candidate, leading to a higher voter turnout among the candidate's base.

Steps to Effective Political Speechwriting

Here are five tips for crafting an effective political speech:

#1: Make time for research.

Digging deep to find relevant information is crucial when writing a political speech because it adds depth and credibility to the discourse. Great research also ensures that the political speech addresses the complexities of voters' concerns. A speechwriter can write informative and persuasive communication by seeking out comprehensive data.

#2: Consider your audience.

Analyzing a target audience is essential for understanding their demographics, values, beliefs, and concerns. It allows speechwriters to tailor their message to resonate with their intended listeners' specific needs and interests. This analysis enables speechwriters to speak directly to the heart of the issues that matter most to the target audience. It also helps avoid potential pitfalls, such as using language or framing that might alienate or offend specific target audience segments.

#3: Draw on the elements of storytelling.

Storytelling in politics is essential for political speechwriters because it helps engage and persuade the audience effectively. Furthermore, storytelling in politics captures the audience's attention by connecting them emotionally with the message. The right message provides a relatable and human dimension to the content. Furthermore, storytelling in politics helps create a cohesive speech that flows seamlessly, ensuring listeners understand and retain key points. Whether it is rallying support for a candidate, advocating for a policy change, or fostering a sense of unity, a well-crafted narrative can convey a compelling vision for the future and ignite a sense of purpose among the audience.

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#4: Set the right tone.

A campaign speech must set the right mood because the emotional tone and atmosphere it creates can significantly impact how the audience receives and responds to the message. By establishing a positive and receptive attitude, the audience is more likely to be engaged and attentive to the speaker's message, which can inspire hope, rally support, and forge meaningful connections. Crafting a political speech that is positive and relatable makes the audience more receptive to the speaker's arguments, so it is a vital political communication strategy. A speech promoting a mood of unity helps to bridge divides, bringing people together.

#5: Edit and practice ahead of time.

Editing and rehearsing a political speech is essential because it ensures the message is clear, concise and free from ambiguity. A well-edited speech enhances the speaker's credibility by demonstrating that the candidate has thoroughly researched and prepared their remarks. Therefore, giving speeches can be a key political communication strategy.

Practicing a speech allows the speaker to fine-tune their delivery and tone to maintain the audience's engagement. Furthermore, practice enables the speaker to reinforce the critical points of the speech, ensuring that they communicate central ideas in an easily memorable way.

Examples of Memorable Political Speeches

Let's turn our attention to some political speechwriting examples. These political speechwriting examples can serve as a powerful guide for candidates.

#1: Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address

Consider Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, as it is one of American history's most impactful political speeches. Presented during the Civil War at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the speech was concise, lasting just over two minutes, but its impact was profound. Lincoln eloquently emphasized the principles of equality and liberty and redefined the purpose of the American government as a "government of the people, by the people, for the people." This speech solidified the United States' commitment to democracy and freedom. It also marked a turning point in the Civil War, as it galvanized public sentiment and reinvigorated the Union's resolve to preserve the nation.

#2: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” Speech

Another of the most impactful political speeches was Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. This political speechwriting example was pivotal in the American civil rights movement. King's eloquent articulation of his dream for a racially integrated and just society resonated deeply with millions. The speech helped mobilize support for civil rights legislation and highlighted the urgent need for racial equality. King's call for nonviolent protest and his vision for a future where individuals would be judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin inspired generations of activists. It was crucial in advancing civil rights legislation, culminating in the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

#3: Ronald Reagan’s “Tear Down This Wall” Speech

One of the most impactful political speeches ever given was the one delivered at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin, during which President Ronald Reagan issued a powerful challenge to the Soviet Union by demanding, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" The Berlin Wall, which had divided East and West Berlin for decades, symbolized the Cold War's division. This political speechwriting example indicated the West's commitment to freedom and democracy. While the immediate impact of the speech was limited, it contributed to the eventual fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. Reagan's words resonated with people on both sides of the Iron Curtain, serving as a rallying cry for change.

Studying these speeches and tailoring speeches after them and other iconic speeches is a great way to learn public speaking strategies. These American political speeches share the theme of advocating for equality, justice and freedom. They transcended their immediate contexts to become lasting symbols of American ideals and continue inspiring generations of Americans and people worldwide. 

Here are some public speaking strategies to employ based on these inspirational speeches:

Ensure that the central theme of your political campaign communication resonates with the target audience and keep it at the forefront of the speech.

Using metaphors, similes, and emotionally resonant phrases to evoke powerful imagery and emotions in the audience is a critical speech delivery technique that can help your political campaign communications.

Understanding the audience's needs, aspirations, and concerns so that the message connects deeply is a speechwriting best practice you will want to remember.

Incorporating a clear and compelling call to action into the speech is an essential political communication strategy.

Be aware of historical contexts when crafting political persuasions for political campaign communications.

Align messages with the speaker's personality and values.

Employ strategic repetition to emphasize critical political persuasions because it will make them more memorable.

Use speech writing techniques to capture the speaker's authentic voice and beliefs.

Tips for Effective Speech Delivery

Candidates often ask speechwriters to give them speech delivery techniques. They may recommend several public speaking strategies that will help you with effective speech delivery. These include:

Using body gestures and body language to enhance the message's impact is a critical speech delivery technique as it helps convey confidence and credibility so that the audience connects to you better.

Connecting with the audience is paramount because it establishes rapport, fosters voter engagement and ensures the message resonates with the listeners personally. Therefore, it is crucial to remember this idea while focusing on speech delivery techniques as you build your political communication strategy.

Breathing deeply right before giving a speech is a vital speech delivery technique that can help you overcome stage fright as it calms nerves and boosts confidence.

Adapting Your Speech for Different Audiences

Among speech writing best practices is to adapt a speech to different audiences and your audience's demographics. This is essential for ensuring political persuasion as the message is relevant, relatable, and inclusive. Practicing this as you concentrate on other speech writing best practices ensures audience engagement occurs and that they will understand your messaging better.

Another key among speech writing best practices is remembering to be specific during a speech. This is vital as it adds credibility and clarity to the candidate messaging, helping to ensure audience engagement. Therefore, ensure that you use speech writing techniques for persuasive communication that address specific issues and concerns experienced by the audience.

Navigating Ethical Considerations in Political Speechwriting

Honesty is a fundamental pillar of trust and accountability in a democratic society, so when politicians are truthful in their political campaign messaging, they build integrity and foster the public's faith in their leadership. Citizens can make informed decisions when a politician uses truthful political campaign messaging. Therefore, make sure to always practice ethical speech writing.

Ethical speech writing also means avoiding divisive rhetoric because it often deepens existing divisions, polarizes communities, and makes finding common ground on important issues more difficult. Divisive rhetoric hinders constructive dialogue between political opponents. Using speech writing techniques that are inclusive, respectful, and constructive fosters unity, promotes understanding and achieves positive outcomes, which is essential for driving audience engagement in your political campaign messaging.

Leveraging Technology for Speechwriting

Many speech writing resources can help you. Let these speechwriting resources serve as a guide, but do not rely totally on speech writing resources, or you will block out the candidate's personality. Among the most effective speech writing tips is to let speechwriting tools enhance the speech writing process by using them to improve speech writing techniques. Among these speech writing tools, speech writing software is a vital resource that plays a pivotal role in organizing thoughts, structuring arguments, and drafting coherent content while creating political discourse and crafting political messages. Utilizing these effective speech writing tips gives you access to templates, outlines, and organization features that help transform ideas into well-structured political discourses. Even if you usually shy away from technology, try speech writing software.

An easy place to start is Good Party’s AI Campaign Manager , which can help candidates draft launch speeches with ease, saving time and energy. 

Additionally, another favorite among effective speech writing tips is to use research databases. These are invaluable tools for the speech writing process as they allow you to access vast amounts of information, including historical data, statistics, and policy details. Therefore, they are an invaluable speech writing resource, enabling speechwriters to conduct thorough research, fact-check statements, and bolster arguments with credible sources.

Furthermore, grammar and style-checking software is another indispensable software component critical to the speech writing process. This speech writing resource helps to refine language and ensure that the political rhetoric is clear, is grammatically correct, and resonates with the intended audience. These tools help avoid common language pitfalls and enhance the overall quality of the writing.

Another effective speech writing tip is to incorporate digital elements into political discourse, as using them engages a more diverse audience. Integrating visuals, such as infographics and charts, can make complex data more accessible by providing a visual context that aids comprehension. These graphic elements enhance understanding, make the speech more memorable, and help to ensure that crucial candidate messaging resonates with broader demographics.

Speech writing and public relations are intrinsically linked, playing a pivotal role in shaping the perception of individuals. Effective speechmaking in public relations allows for the dissemination of critical messages to target audiences. Through speechwriting and public relations strategies, public figures can build and maintain trust, manage their reputation and foster meaningful connections with voters, underscoring the indispensable synergy between speech writing and public relations in elections.

The Role of Speechwriters in Political Campaigns

Speechwriters often collaborate closely with candidates to help them build political communication skills. These political communication skills include articulating their vision, values and policy positions. Ethical speech writing requires you to lay aside your ideas and write from the candidate's point of view. This effective speech writing tip often begins with in-depth interviews to understand the candidate's personality, goals and key messages. Speechwriters then craft political rhetoric aligning with the candidate's voice and resonating with their intended audience. Regular communication and feedback loops are vital for crafting political messages, allowing for revisions and fine-tuning political communication skills to ensure that inspirational speeches are authentic and compelling. The partnership between speechwriters and candidates when crafting political messages is a dynamic process that must convey the candidate's vision effectively and connect with voters.

However, not all candidates need to hire speechwriters. With Good Party’s AI Campaign Manager , candidates can generate drafts of political speeches, completely for free. Our tools are especially helpful for crafting launch speeches, which candidates can give at campaign launch events and to kick off their campaigns.

Inspirational speeches, meticulously tailored to resonate with diverse audiences and delivered with authenticity, possess the potential to inspire, inform and mobilize voters, encapsulating a candidate's vision and values. Often, the words spoken reverberate in the electorate's hearts and minds. Tailoring speeches in this way gives them the power to shape the outcome of campaigns and the nation's course. Political rhetoric bridges the divide between candidates and voters, uniting diverse communities under a shared vision. Overall, remember that the qualities of a great speech rely on elements of style, elements of substance, and elements of impact.

How To Write A Political Speech

Crafting a compelling political speech holds immense importance for any aspiring politician and successful political campaign. It is a powerful tool for connecting with the audience, influencing opinions, and igniting action. To make speeches truly impactful, harnessing the power of voter engagement and direct sourcing is key. Politicians can gather valuable insights directly from the people they aim to represent by actively engaging with voters and listening to their concerns.

This approach adds significant value to speeches and establishes an authentic connection with voters. This blog post will explore the significance of delivering compelling political speeches and highlight the benefits of incorporating voter engagement and direct sourcing techniques. By the end, you'll gain practical insights into creating lessons that resonate with your audience and make a lasting impact. Revise your political speechwriting skills with valuable tips and actionable strategies!

Writing a compelling political speech that resonates with your audience is vital for any politician. Two key factors are crucial to achieving this: defining your objectives and knowing your target audience.

• Defining the objectives: Your speech should have a clear purpose, whether it is to persuade, inspire, or educate your listeners. You can shape your address by defining your goals to achieve those desired outcomes effectively. ‍
• Knowing your target audience: Understanding your audience's demographics, concerns, and aspirations is fundamental. This knowledge allows you to tailor your message in a way that connects with them on a personal level. You can create a speech that resonates deeply and captures their attention by addressing their needs and desires.

Research and Preparation

Research and preparation are vital steps in writing an impactful political speech. By gathering comprehensive data from various sources, conducting surveys, and analyzing voter demographics, you can enhance the effectiveness of your address. Here are key actions to take:

• Collecting data from various sources: Traditional media such as newspapers, TV, and radio provide insights into current political events and public sentiment. Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube offer information on trending topics and public discourse. Online forums and communities like Reddit, Quora, and specialized political forums allow you to tap into discussions and understand different perspectives. ‍
• Conducting surveys and opinion polls: ‍ Engaging in surveys and opinion polls helps you gauge your target audience's opinions, preferences, and concerns. This data provides valuable insights to shape your speech accordingly. ‍
• Analyzing voter demographics and specific concerns: ‍ Understanding your audience's demographics, including age, gender, and location, enables you to tailor your speech to resonate with their unique backgrounds and experiences. Additionally, identifying specific concerns and issues that matter to voters allows you to address them directly in your speech, making it more relevant and impactful.

By undertaking thorough research and preparation, you will have a solid foundation for crafting a compelling political speech that speaks directly to your audience's needs and aspirations. In the upcoming sections, we will explore these topics in more detail, providing you with practical strategies to integrate the collected data effectively into your speechwriting process. Get ready to take your political speechwriting skills to the next level!

Crafting a Compelling Political Speech

Crafting a powerful political speech requires careful consideration of the message you want to convey. Here are key steps to help you create a compelling address:

• Identifying key issues and topics: Start by identifying crucial issues such as the economy and jobs, healthcare and social welfare, education and student debt, climate change and environmental policies, and national security and foreign affairs. These topics are often at the forefront of public discourse and resonate with voters. ‍
• Prioritizing topics based on voter feedback and relevance: ‍ Listen to the feedback and concerns of voters through surveys, town hall meetings, and direct engagement. Prioritize the topics that resonate most with your audience, ensuring your speech addresses their pressing issues. ‍
• Developing a compelling narrative: ‍ Structure your speech with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion to provide a cohesive flow. Utilize storytelling techniques to make your message engaging and relatable, capturing your audience's attention. Connect your experiences to policy proposals, humanizing your speech and showing your understanding of real-life impacts. Emphasize empathy and relatability to establish a genuine connection with your audience, showcasing that you understand and share their concerns.

Following these steps, you can craft a persuasive political speech highlighting key issues, resonating with voters, and inspiring action. In the following sections, we will delve deeper into each aspect, providing you with practical tips and techniques to enhance the impact of your speech. Prepare to deliver a memorable and influential address that leaves a lasting impression!

Rehearsing your political speech is a critical step that significantly aids your confidence and overall delivery. Here are some valuable tips to consider when it comes to rehearsing:

• Practice makes perfect: Dedicate ample time to rehearsing your speech before presenting it to an audience. Aim to rehearse your address at least five times to familiarize yourself with the content, structure, and flow. ‍
• Seek feedback from your team: Once you've practiced independently, deliver your speech to your team and invite their constructive criticism. Their feedback can provide valuable insights and help you refine your points, delivery, and overall performance. ‍
• Conduct a full dress rehearsal: Organize a complete dress rehearsal with your team, where they play the roles of a moderator and your competition. This simulation allows you to identify potential weaknesses in your arguments, anticipate challenging questions, and fine-tune your delivery. ‍
• Capture and review your performance: Consider filming yourself giving the speech during rehearsal. Watching the recording afterwards lets you objectively evaluate your performance, body language, and speaking style. Take note of areas where improvements can be made and make adjustments accordingly. ‍
• Ensure accessibility through simplicity: While rehearsing, approach your speech from the perspective of someone unfamiliar with the topics you're addressing. Use simple language and many analogies to make your political speech accessible to many listeners. This approach enhances understanding and enables your message to resonate with the entire electorate.

By incorporating rehearsal into your speechwriting process, you can boost your confidence, identify areas for improvement, and deliver a polished and impactful speech. Remember, rehearsing allows you to refine your points, connect with your audience effectively, and ensure your message is conveyed clearly, concisely, and relatable. ‍

Use Common Language

Using common language in political speech writing is essential to effectively connect with your audience and ensure your message resonates with a wide range of listeners. Here are key considerations when it comes to using common language:

• ‍ Speak in an accessible manner:   Communicate in a way that is easily understandable to all. Avoid excessive jargon, complex terminology, or convoluted sentences that may confuse or alienate your audience. Use clear and concise language that allows anyone to grasp your message. ‍ ‍
• Avoid offensive terms:   Maintaining a respectful and inclusive tone during your speech is important. Steer clear of profane or derogatory language that could offend or marginalize certain groups. Treat your audience with respect, emphasizing unity and understanding. ‍ ‍
• Harness the power of stories and personal accounts:   Stories and first-person narratives profoundly impact your audience. Utilize relatable anecdotes and real-life experiences to illustrate your points, making your arguments more engaging, relatable, and emotionally compelling. ‍ ‍
• Balance simplicity with depth:   While most of your content should be easily understandable by anyone, it is acceptable to incorporate academic research, quotations, or statistics that may require additional explanation. Find a balance between simplicity and depth, ensuring that even complex ideas can be grasped by your listeners with the appropriate context and explanation.

Using common language can effectively bridge the gap between complex ideas and the understanding of your audience. Remember, the goal is to connect with as many people as possible, making your message accessible, relatable, and impactful. So, craft your speech with clarity and simplicity while utilizing stories and personal accounts to create an emotional connection that resonates with your listeners.

How to Construct An Argument

Constructing a compelling argument is crucial to writing a persuasive political speech. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you build a strong and impactful argument:

• Clearly state your thesis: Begin by articulating your main point or thesis statement. This sets the foundation for your argument and provides a clear focus for your speech. ‍
• Gather supporting evidence: Collect relevant facts, statistics, expert opinions, and real-life examples that support your thesis. Strong evidence adds credibility and strengthens your argument. ‍
• Organize your points logically: Structure your argument logically and coherently. Present your facts in a sequence that builds upon each other, leading your audience towards your main thesis. ‍
• Anticipate counterarguments: Consider potential counterarguments to your position and address them proactively. This demonstrates thoroughness and strengthens your overall argument. ‍
• Use persuasive language: Choose words and phrases that are persuasive and compelling. Craft your message to resonate with your audience emotionally and intellectually. ‍
• Appeal to logic and emotions: Blend logical reasoning with emotional appeals to make your argument more persuasive. Use rational evidence to support your claims and evoke emotions to connect with your audience more deeply. ‍
• Use rhetorical devices: Employ rhetorical devices such as repetition, analogy, and rhetorical questions to enhance the impact of your argument and make it more memorable. ‍
• Summarize and restate your main points: Conclude your argument by summarizing your main points and restating your thesis. Leave your audience clearly understanding your position and a compelling call to action.

These steps can construct a strong and persuasive argument in your political speech. Remember to support your claims with evidence, organize your points effectively, and appeal to logic and emotions. With a well-constructed argument, your address will be poised to influence opinions and inspire action.

Voter Engagement for your Speech

Engaging with voters through various tactics is essential to crafting a compelling political speech. Here's why it matters and how you can make the most of it:

importance of voter contact tactics:

• Door-to-door canvassing allows you to connect with voters on a personal level, fostering trust and building rapport.
• Town hall meetings provide a platform for open dialogue, enabling you to directly understand local issues and concerns of the community.
• Phone calls and text messages offer an opportunity to engage voters individually, creating a sense of importance and personal connection.

Benefits of engaging voters directly:

• Building trust and rapport strengthens your relationship with voters, making your message more impactful and memorable.
• Understanding local issues and concerns firsthand helps you address them effectively in your speech, showing your commitment to representing the community's needs.
• Obtaining firsthand stories and anecdotes allows you to humanize your speech, adding authenticity and relatability to your message.

Techniques for effective voter engagement:

• Active listening and showing empathy demonstrate your genuine interest in understanding voters' perspectives and concerns.
• Asking open-ended questions encourages voters to share their thoughts and experiences, providing valuable insights for shaping your speech.
• Encouraging voter participation in the speechwriting process empowers them. It ensures their voices are heard, enhancing the authenticity of your speech.
• Utilizing social media platforms to solicit input and feedback broadens your reach. It allows you to engage with a wider audience, gathering diverse perspectives and ideas.

By actively engaging voters through canvassing and other community outreach , you gain invaluable insights, stories, and anecdotes that can greatly enrich your political speech. In the upcoming sections, we will delve deeper into these techniques, providing you with practical strategies to maximize voter engagement and create lessons that truly resonate with your audience. Get ready to harness the power of direct sourcing and make a meaningful impact with your speech!

Incorporating voter input into your speechwriting process is a powerful way to create speeches that truly resonate with your audience. Here's how you can leverage voter input, with a special emphasis on the significance of canvassing:

• ‍ Analyzing and categorizing voter stories and concerns: By carefully listening to voters' stories and concerns gathered through canvassing, town hall meetings, and other engagement tactics, you can analyze and categorize them to identify common threads and key issues. ‍ ‍
• Identifying common themes and patterns: By recognizing recurring themes and patterns in voter input, you gain insights into your constituency's collective concerns and aspirations. This knowledge allows you to address them effectively in your speech. ‍ ‍
• Integrating voter anecdotes into the speech: Personalizing the message by incorporating specific anecdotes and stories voters share, you personalize your speech, making it relatable and impactful. Highlighting real-life impacts: Sharing how specific policies or decisions affect real people helps create a deeper understanding and empathy among your audience. ‍ ‍
• Acknowledging and addressing dissenting viewpoints: While incorporating voter input, it's important to acknowledge and address dissenting views. By respectfully engaging with opposing perspectives, you demonstrate inclusivity and a willingness to consider all voices.

By actively involving voters in the speechwriting process, you ensure their concerns and experiences are reflected in your message. This adds authenticity and relatability and strengthens your connection with your audience. In the subsequent sections, we will delve deeper into these strategies, providing you with practical tips to seamlessly integrate voter input into your political speeches. Get ready to create addresses that truly resonate and engage your audience profoundly!

The Ten Minutes Beforehand

The ten minutes beforehand hold significant value in maximizing the impact of your political speech. Here's how you can make the most of this crucial time, offering practical strategies to enhance your performance and connect with your audience:

Center yourself through mindfulness techniques:

• Take deep breaths to calm your nerves and center your mind.
• Practice mindfulness or meditation to focus your thoughts and promote a sense of presence.

Review your key talking points:

• Take a moment to mentally review the main points and messages you want to convey.
• Ensure that your speech aligns with your objectives and resonates with your audience.

Visualize success:

• Visualize yourself delivering a powerful and impactful speech with confidence and clarity.
• Envision a positive response from your audience, creating a sense of belief and determination.

Positive self-talk:

• Engage in positive self-talk to boost your confidence and banish self-doubt.
• Remind yourself of your strengths, expertise, and message value.

Establish a connection with your audience:

• Scan the room and make eye contact with individuals in the audience.
• This brief interaction establishes an initial connection and helps you establish rapport.

Review technical aspects:

• Double-check any specialized equipment or visual aids to ensure they are functioning properly.
• Familiarize yourself with the stage setup and microphone placement for seamless delivery.

Warm up your voice and body:

• Perform vocal warm-up exercises to ensure clarity and projection in your speech.
• Engage in gentle stretches or movements to release tension and promote a relaxed body language.

By utilizing these strategies ten minutes beforehand, you can optimize your mindset, refine your delivery, and establish an immediate connection with your audience. Remember that these moments set the stage for a memorable speech, allowing you to effectively convey your message, inspire your audience, and leave a lasting impact.

Engaging voters through direct sourcing, especially through canvassing, holds immense power in creating impactful political speeches. By incorporating voter input, speeches can exude authenticity and relatability, connecting with the concerns and aspirations of the electorate. This approach inspires trust and establishes a strong connection between politicians and the people they aim to represent. Crafting well-articulated speeches that resonate with voters is a transformative way to influence opinions and ignite action. As you refine your speech writing skills, remember the significance of actively engaging voters, listening to their stories, and addressing their concerns. By doing so, you will deliver speeches that make a lasting impact, inspire change, and foster a deeper connection with your audience.

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How To Write A Presidential Speech

Katie Clower

The Importance of a Presidential Speech

Presidential speeches have been a prevalent and important part of our country’s society and culture since Washington’s inauguration in April of 1789 in which the first inaugural address, and presidential speech in general, was delivered. Since then, we as a country have beared witness to countless presidential and political speeches. Some have been moving, some inspirational and motivating, some heartbreaking and tear-jerking. Others have made us cringe out of anger, fear, or disappointment. Some have simply fallen flat, having been described as boring or awkward or unsettling.

Many presidential speeches are remembered and regarded to this day, despite how many decades or centuries ago they were delivered. Often, we remember and reflect on those which were the most special and important. But, in some cases the horribly written or delivered ones stick out in our minds, too. This writing guide is designed, in part, for those presidential or politician candidates and hopefuls to use as a tool to ensure their own speeches will be remembered and reflected on for years to come, for their positive messages and audience responses, not the opposite.

If you are not or do not plan to be a politician or president, do not stop reading! This guide is also written with the average person, even one with little to no political ties or aspirations, in mind. Public speech is a large aspect and topic of discussion in our society, one that has become critical to the presidential process. As such, many of us may be fascinated by and curious about the process of constructing and delivering a successful presidential speech. This guide will convey all of this information via data and analyses of previous both renowned and failed presidential speeches, deductions of what it was that made them so great or so catastrophic, syntheses of expert research and findings on the topic, and more. It does so in a casual, easy-to-follow tone, further making it a read for all.

Another reason this guide is applicable to everyone is because the speech-making tips and techniques shared throughout the text are true for not just political speech, but any form. Everyone has to deliver pitches, speeches, or presentations at some point in their lives or careers. The conclusion section emphasizes how the information and advice shared in this guide can apply to and help with all other forms of speech writing and delivering. With all of this in mind, this guide is meant for truly anyone who wants to take the time to read and be informed.

Goals of the Speech

Presidential speeches have become increasingly important over time as a means to connect with and appeal to the people in order to articulate and drive forward presidential goals, deliver or reflect on tragic or positive news, and more. As Teten put it in his study, “speeches are the core of the modern presidency” (334). He finds that while “in the past, speechmaking, as well as public appeal in the content of speeches, was not only infrequent but discouraged due to precedent and technology,” today it is one of the most important and most frequently utilized presidential tools (Teten, 334). Allison Mcnearney states that “even in an age of Twitter, the formal, spoken word from the White House carries great weight and can move, anger or inspire at home and around the world.” These findings make perfecting this method of communication with the people even more crucial to master. One part of doing so requires keeping in mind what the main, general goals of these speeches are.

Connection to Audience

While presidents and politicians deliver many different types of speeches which often have contrasting tones and messages depending on the occasion, there is always an exigence for politicians to make efforts to connect with their audience. This in turn results in a more positive audience perception and reaction to both the president and his speech. Later in the guide, specific rhetorical and linguistic strategies and moves will be discussed which have proven effective in fostering a connection with audience members through speech.

This overall notion of establishing connection works to break down barriers and make the audience feel more comfortable with and trusting of the speech giver. McNearney points to FDR as a president who successfully connected with the people, largely, she claims, through his fireside chats. The fireside chats exemplified a president making use of the media for the first time “to present a very carefully crafted message that was unfiltered and unchallenged by the press” (McNearney). Today, we often see our presidents use Twitter as a media avenue to connect and present their “unfiltered” version of a policy or goal.

Lasting Message

Another central and overarching goal presidents and politicians should keep in mind when writing and delivering a speech is to make it lasting and memorable. It is challenging to predict what exactly will resonate with people in a way that makes a speech long remembered. Many of the various rhetorical and linguistic techniques outlined in section III have helped former presidents deliver speeches that have become known as some of “the greats.”

Sometimes it is a matter of taking risks with a speech. Martin Luther King and Barack Obama are among some of the most powerful speech-givers our country has seen. Both men took risks in many of their speeches. Mcnearney points to Obama’s “A More Perfect Union” speech as being “risky” in its focus and discussion on racial tensions in the country, an often avoided or untouched conversation. But, the speech was well-received and well-remembered, proving this risk was worth it.

What to Do: Rhetorical and Linguistic Moves

A conjunction of previous findings from various scholars and my own research make up this section to portray the effective rhetorical and linguistic strategies that have been employed in successful presidential speech.

Emotive Language

In section II one of the central goals discussed in a presidential speech is to appeal to one’s audience . An effective way to do so is through emotive language and general emotional appeal. In their study, Erisen et al. note the value of “strik[ing] an emotional chord with the public” as a means to gain public support, increase public awareness, and overall aid presidents in pursuing their political agendas (469). They work to prove the effectiveness of this strategy through an analysis of an Obama speech, delivered during a time of growing economic crisis in the country.

Erisen et al. identify Obama’s implementation of both emotional and optimistic tones as rhetorical moves to connect with and appeal to his audience of constituents. The success of his use of emotionally-related rhetorical strategies are evident findings that came out of a survey that “reported that 68% of speech-watchers had a ‘positive reaction’ and that 85% felt ‘more optimistic’ about the direction the country was heading” (Erisen et al., 470). Stewart et al. also find that “more emotionally evocative messages… lead to higher levels of affective response by viewers” (125). This clear data indicates the power connecting with an audience through emotion can have on their response and future outlook.

Optimistic Tone

Along with Obama’s “optimistic tone” described above, others have employed what has been described as both hopeful and reassuring tones as rhetorical moves to appeal to an audience. Two of the ten “most important modern presidential speeches,” as selected by the nonpartisan affiliated scholars of the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, are JFK’s address on the space effort and FDR’s first inaugural address (McNearney). JFK’s address was successful and well-received because of the hopeful tone he employs when discussing the goal to land a man on the moon. He gave the people an optimistic perspective on this lofty goal, making “Americans feel like there was nothing we couldn’t do” (McNearney). In his inaugural address, Roosevelt too pairs bold claims with optimism and reassurance to his audience.

Inclusive Language

Another found strategy utilized by presidents to appeal to their audience through speech is the use of inclusive language. In Teten’s study, he looks at the use of the words “we” and “our”, specifically, in presidential State of the Union Addressesses over time. His findings revealed a steady increase in these words within the speeches over time. The usage of these “public address and inclusion words” create an appeal with presidents’ audiences because they help presidents in creating “an imagined community in which the president and his listeners coexist on a level plane (Teten, 339-342). These findings illustrate the importance of not presenting oneself as an omnipotent power and leader, but rather a normal citizen of the country like all of those watching. Identifying oneself with the audience this way breaks down any barriers present.

Persuasive Language

Persuasion is another often-used rhetorical strategy, especially during presidential campaigns. In their study about “language intensity,” Clementson et al. look at the use of “persuasive language” as a strategy presidential candidates employ during their campaigns. They assert that “candidates seem to vary their language as they try to persuade audiences to perceive them favorably” (Clementson et al., 592). In referring to this persuasive rhetorical strategy, they utilize the term “problem-solution structure” as one which is often well-received by an audience. People appreciate hearing exactly how a president or presidential candidate plans to fix a problem at hand.

What Not to Do

  As stated earlier, while there are many speeches that are excellently written and delivered, there, too, are many speeches that flop. Alexander Meddings wrote an article which spotlights a number of political speeches which he deems some of the “worst” in modern history. In comparing what makes a good versus a bad speech he asserts that “a bad speech must, by definition, be flat, garbled and publicly damaging either for the speaker or for the cause they’re seeking to promote” (Meddings). In looking at some of the characteristics that make up some of the “worst” speeches, this section will highlight what not to do in the process of working to compose and deliver a successful speech.

The research demonstrates that length of speech actually proves very important. In Teten’s study, in addition to looking at inclusive language over time in presidential State of the Union Addresses, he also graphically measured the length, specifically number of words, of the addresses across time. His results proved interesting. There was a rise in length of these speeches from the first one delivered to those delivered in the early 1900s and then there was a sudden and far drop. There was a movement around the time of the drop to make speeches more concise, and it is clear, since they have remained much shorter as time has gone on, this choice was well-received.

Meddings alludes to this in his piece, describing both William Henry Harrison’s presidential inaugural address and Andrew Johnson’s vice-presidential inaugural address as some of the worst speeches, largely because of how dragged out they were. A very important aspect of speech-giving is capturing the audience’s attention, and this cannot be accomplished through a lengthy, uninteresting oration.

Lying And/or Contradiction

Though it should be fairly obvious that one should not lie in a speech, for the consequences will be great, there have been a number of presidents and politicians who have done so. Regan, Clinton, and Trump are all among the presidents and politicians who have made false statements or promises within speeches. Though it is understandable that a politician would want to speak towards what he or she knows will resonate and appeal to the audience, doing so in a false or manipulative way is not commendable and will lead to much greater backlash than just being honest.

Word Choice

Some politicians have been caught lying in speeches when trying to cover up a controversy or scandal. Though one should try to avoid any sort of controversy, a president or person in power has to expect to have to talk on some difficult or delicate topics. This is where careful word choice becomes vital. Often the way to ensure a speech is written eloquently, carefully, and inoffensively is through various rounds of editing from a number of different eyes.

Applications to All Forms of Speech-Giving

This guide should prove helpful for not only those looking to run for office, but for everyone. The various strategies and techniques given within this guide are, for the most part, broad enough that they can be applied to any form of speech-giving or presenting. We will all have to give a speech, a toast, a presentation, and countless other forms of written or oral works in our lives. Refer to this guide when doing so.

In terms of political or presidential speech specifically, though, in a sense there is not a clear formula for how to write and deliver them. In studies looking at various different successful presidential speeches, orators, and speechwriters, it is clear they all have their own unique style and form that works for them. But, the tips provided in this guide will certainly work to help to create a proficient and successful political speech writer and orator.

Works Cited

Clementson, David E., Paola Pascual-Ferr, and Michael J. Beatty. “When does a Presidential Candidate seem Presidential and Trustworthy? Campaign Messages through the Lens of Language Expectancy Theory.” Presidential Studies Quarterly 46.3 (2016): 592-617.  ProQuest. Web. 10 Dec. 2019.

Erisen, Cengiz, and José D. Villalotbos. “Exploring the Invocation of Emotion in Presidential Speeches.” Contemporary Politics , vol. 20, no. 4, 2014, pp. 469–488., doi:10.1080/13569775.2014.968472.

McNearney, Allison. “10 Modern Presidential Speeches Every American Should Know.”

History.com , A&E Television Networks, 16 Feb. 2018, www.history.com/news/10-modern-presidential-speeches-every-american-should-know.

Meddings, Alexander. “The 8 Worst Speeches in Modern Political History.”

HistoryCollection.co , 9 Nov. 2018, historycollection.co/8-worst-speeches-modern-political-history/7/.

Stewart, Patrick A., Bridget M. Waller, and James N. Schubert. “Presidential Speechmaking

Style: Emotional Response to Micro-Expressions of Facial Affect.” Motivation and Emotion 33.2 (2009): 125-35. ProQuest. Web. 1 Oct. 2019.

Teten, Ryan. “Evolution of the Modern Rhetorical Presidency: Presidential Presentation and

Development of the State of the Union Address.” Presidential Studies Quarterly 33.2 (2003): 333-46. ProQuest. Web. 30 Sep. 2019.

Writing Guides for (Almost) Every Occasion Copyright © 2020 by Katie Clower is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Lend me your ears! The art of political speechwriting

The politicians deliver the words but who writes them? We talk to the experts whose job is to come up with the memorable phrases

E ven her fiercest supporters would acknowledge that one aspect of the new prime minister Liz Truss’s political skillset that requires urgent improvement is that of communication. She wasn’t called upon to put it to the test in winning the Conservative leadership contest, where she only had to demonstrate that she was not Rishi Sunak and avoid any challenging media interviews. But from now on she has to speak for, and most importantly to, the nation at large.

One way that politicians attempt to look as if they know what they’re talking about is by delivering a set-piece speech. If her speeches on the leadership hustings are anything to go by, Truss, who came across as if she was running for the sixth-form prefect’s office, is no Winston Churchill. She’s not even her idol, Margaret Thatcher , or indeed David Cameron, who famously won the Conservative party leadership on the strength of a speech.

As the party conference season heaves into view, it’s worth remembering that most speeches tend to be concerned with the announcement of a new tax rebate system or the like, and all but a tiny fraction are forgotten as soon they have been delivered, if not before. But if only a handful of speeches achieve a kind of immortality, countless numbers are written with the hope that they’ll capture the public’s imagination, even if the public constitutes only those gathered at the opening of a provincial bypass. To this end, a semi-hidden profession has mushroomed to produce these aspiring works of political glory – that of the speechwriter. Unlike most other forms of writing, it doesn’t offer a credit or a byline. In this country it’s a behind-the-scenes sort of occupation, unsung and uncelebrated.

Jess Cunniffe was a local newspaper reporter working in Luton and Leighton Buzzard when she covered a 2010 election event at which then Tory leader Cameron gave a speech. “It was a really good speech,” recalls Cunniffe, who describes herself as a “ Cameroon Conservative ”. “And I thought: ‘Rather than reporting on speeches, I’d quite like to be writing them.’” But it seemed a fanciful idea to her, akin to joining the MCC or MI5, until she read a profile of Clare Foges , who was working as a Conservative speechwriter. “And I thought: ‘She’s not Oxbridge, she didn’t go to private school, she’s not male and old. She’s a bit like me and maybe this is a career option.’”

So she quit journalism and started working for Tory MP Mark Lancaster, got some experience writing speeches and applied for a job at Conservative central office. Cunniffe became Sayeeda Warsi’s special adviser, or spad – a political appointee with the status of a temporary civil servant – before landing a job as a speechwriter at No 10 with the man who originally inspired her. She says that Cameron, who had a background as a speechwriter himself, was unusual among senior politicians in being quick to acknowledge their input: “He would introduce me as his speechwriter and want people to meet me and know that I’d help write his speeches.”

As Tony Blair’s former speechwriter Philip Collins notes in his book on the subject, When They Go Low, We Go High , in the 19th century, politicians such as William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli would only make three polished speeches a year. Nowadays their equivalents can get through that number in a week. It’s not feasible, or at least not sensible, to be in high office and spend half your time honing fine rhetorical phrases.

Yet perhaps as a hangover from the 19th- and early 20th-century idea of politicians as orators, they can risk being seen as inauthentic – a mere actor reading a script – if it’s known that the words they speak are someone else’s. So with one or two exceptions, speechwriters tend to maintain a low profile and keep shtum about their efforts. “Some of the biggest things I’ve worked on I can’t talk about,” says Daniel Finkelstein, Times columnist, Conservative peer and one-time speechwriter for William Hague, among others. “Some of my best lines I can’t boast about. That’s just the way it is in this country.”

Philip Collins, who has broken cover, now runs a speechwriting website called the Draft and has arguably done more than anyone else to shed light on the shadowy business of writing for politicians. “Speechwriting is a bit like comedy writing,” he says. “The British do it alone while the Americans employ a whole battalion. So, as a writer, you are the only one, but that is not to say that plenty of people are not involved.” If it’s a big set-piece speech, such as the leader’s speech at a party conference, preparations can start months beforehand and the number of people who want an input can grow to an unruly amount. But it usually starts off in a room with several people shooting ideas around.

“You will be the one holding the pen,” says Michael Lea, a former speechwriter for Gordon Brown. And the first task, he says, is to get down all the information and chatter that’s going on in the room and then try to establish a general overarching theme. But once that’s established, the other voices don’t suddenly fade away. During the drafting process, various ministers and interested parties will want to share their thoughts and try to get their particular concerns included in the final document.

“It is a curiosity of the job,” Collins has written, “that people seem to believe that if they send in a few lines with no context then the speech can be assembled from all these bits, like flat-pack furniture comprised of the parts from different chairs.” There will, at least, be plenty of opportunities for revision. “You’re talking 20-plus drafts, possibly,” says Lea. “Obviously some are major rewrites and some are minor tweaks. It depends on how your principal likes to work.”

Some of the principals are talented speechwriters themselves. Finkelstein says that George Osborne used to call writing speeches for Hague “taking free kicks for Beckham”. But using that analogy, not all free kicks are 30-yard scorchers into the top corner of the goal. It’s no good seeking an epic register if your audience are wanting something more down to earth. As Collins has noted, Churchill spent most of his political career making speeches that were far too grand for their context. It took a world war to transform his sumptuously turned sentences into spirit-rousing classics guaranteed a place in collections of great speeches.

For students of speechwriting such as Finkelstein, there is an ever-present danger, he acknowledges, of going too large. “William Hague once expressed the problem to me. He said: ‘Your speech will often read as if it’s meant to be delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, when I’m actually giving it at the Durham Conservative party Christmas dinner.’” Hague had two golden rules of speechmaking, says Finkelstein. “First of all, every half-sentence has got to be useful. And second, never use a joke unless you’re absolutely certain that it’s funny.”

Finkelstein has a reputation for being something of a joke-meister. Sometimes politicians have come to him just to insert a little humour into their rather dry proclamations. But the only test for whether a joke is funny, he says, is if someone laughs. So he says it’s vital to tell it to someone beforehand and see what the response is. “If they don’t laugh,” he notes, “there’s no point arguing that it’s funny.” Jokes are valued because they help break the tension in the audience, but also show politicians as more “human” – a quality they all want to be seen to possess but most often struggle to convey. It should go without saying that laughter is dependent not just on the funniness of the joke but also the manner in which it is delivered. Former prime minister Theresa May, for example, was never going to enjoy a second career as a standup. Finkelstein has written jokes for her but says they work best if they are kept simple with an immediate punchline, whereas with Hague he could allow for a more nuanced build-up.

Brown is another politician who no one has ever looked to for belly laughs. Much more at home with the “post neo-classical endogenous growth theory” of economics than comic banter, he tended to come across on the podium as an austerely serious man. So Lea is rightly proud of once persuading him, against the then prime minister’s better judgment, to tell a joke playing on some snowstorms that had hindered travel, but whose subtext referred to the rumours circulating of a plot to overthrow him as Labour leader. What it amounted to was Brown opening a speech by saying that he had thought he wasn’t going to be there that day. But it brought the house down and was positively referred to in the news coverage. “It’s small victories,” Lea says. “Perhaps no one else remembers it but there is no greater feeling than seeing something you’ve written read out by someone really important on TV, and even more so if you’re there.”

At this current anxious juncture of history, any speechwriter who could come up with a joke that the perennially stiff Truss was able to deliver and was actually funny would certainly command the respect, not to say amazement, of his or her fellow professionals.

W hat every speechwriter dreams of, though, is writing something that enters the history books and becomes part of common language. Such an outcome, as Collins has argued, depends largely on external factors and how much the speech matters. “We shall fight on the beaches … We shall never surrender” was a momentous peroration by any reckoning, but that’s in no small part because Britain was under threat of a Nazi invasion in June 1940 when Churchill uttered those deathless words.

In When They Go Low, We Go High, Collins picks out Neil Kinnock’s 1987 Welsh Labour party conference speech as an example of a great speech made in peacetime. “Why,” Kinnock famously asked, “am I the first Kinnock in a thousand generations to be able to get to university?” The answer could be that the oldest British university is only a little over a thousand years old, so it’s only about 30 generations of Kinnocks who were shortchanged on their education. But he was using a rhetorical device that proved successfully emotive. So much so, indeed, that later in 1987, during his first run for the US presidency, Joe Biden borrowed heavily from Kinnock’s speech and was forced to withdraw from the race having been accused of plagiarism. What made Biden’s mistake particularly hard to understand is that he would have been surrounded by a small army of speechwriters, who either sourced the original material or failed to stop him from using it without attribution.

Ever since Ted Sorensen became known for helping to craft John F Kennedy’s inaugural address – “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country” – the role of speechwriter in US politics has grown steadily more important. The White House has its own director of speechwriting and a team of about seven or eight writers. Barack Obama’s first director of speechwriting, Jon Favreau , has gone on to become a media star with his own podcast, Pod Save America .

Clare Foges was in No 10 when Obama’s entourage, including several speechwriters, were part of a state visit in 2011. “They were very nice,” she recalls. “But they took what they did so incredibly seriously, to the point where one of them stood in our offices and started declaiming one of his speeches, you know, ‘From the plains of Ohio to the canyons of New Mexico’ sort of thing. And we were all looking at each other trying not to laugh. Obviously, Britain doesn’t have the same canvas on which to paint words. You can’t really say: ‘From the Peak District to Salisbury Plain.’ So you can be a bit grander as an American speechwriter, and they are grander.”

Foges started out working for Boris Johnson when he was mayor of London, before graduating to No 10 and Cameron. What were the differences in writing speeches for them? “Boris would be full of praise: ‘This is appallingly good!’ And then never use a word of what I’d written. Whereas Cameron was not so effusive, more exacting, but he would actually use it and, I felt, consider my opinion, which was better for the professional self-esteem, ultimately.”

If speechwriters are to an extent off-stage ventriloquists, they have to adapt their voice to that of the speechmaker. “You have to vary your tone and pace,” says Finkelstein and failure to do so can lead to formulaic or confused speeches. But what about your politics – can they be adapted to suit the speaker? Cunniffe says she couldn’t write for a Labour politician such as Keir Starmer, although she noted that he had been looking for a speechwriter.

“You can’t stretch it too far,” agrees Collins. “You need to be comfortable making the case. There were occasions I wrote speeches I disagreed with – the case for ID cards, for example – but that turned out to be one of the best things I ever wrote, probably because I was so acutely aware of the arguments against.”

Collins has brilliantly dissected many political speeches for the Times , a task, one speechwriter told me, that “breaks the speechwriters’ code of honour”. Collins dismisses that accusation, saying that he has merely made “the art of speechwriting in Britain a tiny bit more prominent, and I would stress the word ‘tiny’”. In any case, he has some advice for speechwriters, which they may care to take note of as the conference season nears. “I found the attention of the press office helpful in the sense that they imposed the discipline of the headline: ‘What do you want to say, in a nutshell?’ is a good question to ask of a writer, and the press office is condemned to ask it.”

Which raises the question: if a speech can be condensed into a nutshell, why does it require half an hour? Perhaps because, in spite of our supposed soundbite culture, the limited characters of Twitter and our allegedly ever-shrinking span of attention, there remains something quite impressive about a politician holding and rousing an audience over an extended period of time. There is the belief that if they can take a room with them, perhaps they can inspire the country too. It’s a belief that unfortunately is repeatedly punctured by experience, but that shouldn’t deter the ranks of unheralded speechwriters when they sit down in front of an empty screen and prepare to make rhetorical history.

• The Observer
• David Cameron
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• Neil Kinnock

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How to Write Election Campaign Speech in 10 Steps

This guide provides essential tips on how to write election campaign speech that will resonate with your audience. Writing an election campaign speech is a critical and complex process that requires careful planning, research, and effective communication skills. A campaign speech can make or break a candidate’s chances of success in an election, and thus it must be crafted with the utmost attention to detail and relevance.

A well-crafted speech can help a candidate to connect with voters, build trust, and win support for their candidacy. However, writing a compelling speech that resonates with the audience can be a daunting task. To write an effective election campaign speech, one needs to understand their audience, have a clear campaign message, and convey that message with passion and conviction.

In this process, it is important to keep in mind the tone and style of the speech, the audience’s values and beliefs, and the specific goals of the campaign. Here are useful tips and strategies to help candidates write a successful election campaign speech. Contact us now to help you conduct a thorough research and create an effective political campaign speech that will convey your values and policies of the political party or candidate and resonate with the audience and stakeholders.

Step 1: Define your audience

Before you start writing your campaign speech, you must first define your audience. Who are you speaking to? What are their concerns, hopes, and aspirations? What are the issues that matter to them? By understanding your audience, you can tailor your speech to their needs and concerns and connect with them on a more personal level.

Step 2: Craft a powerful opening

The opening of your speech is crucial, as it sets the tone and captures the attention of your audience. Start with a strong and compelling statement that immediately grabs their attention. You could use a statistic, a quote, or a personal story to draw them in and make them want to listen to what you have to say.

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Step 3: focus on your message.

Your campaign speech must have a clear and concise message that reflects your values, beliefs, and vision for the future. Focus on the issues that matter to your audience and demonstrate how your policies and plan of actions will address their concerns. Be specific and provide examples of how you will make a difference if elected as a president, house of representative, senator, governor or even state assembly member.

Step 4: Use persuasive language

The language you use in your speech is essential in persuading your audience to vote for you. Use persuasive language that appeals to their emotions, values, and aspirations. Use simple and easy-to-understand language that everyone can relate to. Avoid using jargon, technical terms, or complex sentences that may confuse or alienate your audience.

Step 5: Be authentic and genuine

Authenticity and genuineness are crucial when delivering a campaign speech. You must be honest and sincere in your message and connect with your audience on a personal level. Share your personal experiences, past records, values, and beliefs that demonstrate your authenticity and inspire trust and confidence in your leadership.

Step 6: Use humor and storytelling

Humor and storytelling are excellent tools for engaging your audience and keeping their attention. Use anecdotes, personal stories, or jokes to add some lightness and humor to your speech. However, be careful not to offend or belittle anyone, as this could harm your credibility and reputation.

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Step 7: use rhetorical devices.

Rhetorical devices, such as repetition, alliteration, and metaphors, can make your speech more memorable and impactful. Use these devices strategically to emphasize your message and create a lasting impression on your audience.

Step 8: Address your opponent’s weaknesses

When writing a campaign speech, it’s essential to address your opponent’s weaknesses without attacking or insulting them. Highlight your opponent’s weaknesses, and demonstrate how your policies and plans are superior to theirs. However, be respectful and avoid personal attacks or mudslinging, as this could harm your reputation and credibility.

Step 9: End with a call to action

The conclusion of your campaign speech should inspire your audience to take action and vote for you. End your political campaign speech with a powerful call to action that encourages people to support your campaign, volunteer, or donate to your cause. Provide specific instructions on how they can get involved in your movement and make a difference.

Read:  The Roles of the Media in Nigerian Elections

Step 10: practice and rehearse.

Finally, practice your speech as much as possible before delivering it to your audience. Rehearse in front of a mirror, record yourself, or practice in front of a friend or family member. This will help you identify areas that need improvement, work on your delivery skills, and build your confidence.

Wrapping up: How to Write Election Campaign Speech

In conclusion, writing an election campaign speech can be a challenging task, but with the right approach and preparation, anyone can deliver a compelling and impactful speech. The first step is to understand the audience and their needs and concerns. This helps to craft a message that resonates with them and addresses their issues.

It is also important to have a clear and concise structure for the speech, with a powerful opening that captures the audience’s attention, a strong middle that reinforces the main points, and a memorable closing that leaves a lasting impression.

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To make the speech more persuasive, using rhetorical devices such as repetition, analogy, and emotional appeal can be effective. However, it is important to ensure that the speech is based on accurate and verifiable facts and not just rhetoric. Rehearsing the speech several times before the actual delivery can help to boost confidence and ensure a smooth delivery.

It is also important to get feedback from others and make necessary adjustments to the speech based on their feedback. By following these tips and putting in the necessary effort and practice, you can write and deliver a winning campaign speech.

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January 20, 2012

How to write a (good) political speech.

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Often It's A Good Political Speech That Gets The Vote Out

Political speeches, for the most part, are forgettable . Except when they aren’t. If you’ve spent any time listening to the types of speeches that politicians are giving these days, they are basically junk ( the Phil Davison, GOP Candidate, Delivers Stark County Treasurer Speech on YouTube is a classic bad political speech ). The question is whose fault is this: the speech writers or the speech givers? I’m willing to bet that the art of writing a good political speech has been forgotten by far too many speechwriters. I’m going to solve that problem right now…

What Is Rhetoric?

Political speeches are a specialized form of speech. According to Wikipedia, rhetoric is the art of using language to communicate effectively and persuasively . What this means for us is that when we use rhetoric to create a political speech, we want the speech to accomplish a goal – convince an audience to vote our way.

If you want to dive in deeper to rhetoric , you can explore the three audience appeals: logos (reason), pathos (emotions), and ethos (knowledge). For our purposes here we’ll stick with the understanding that a good political speech needs to win over an audience no matter how you go about doing it.

What’s Wrong With Political Speeches Today?

Most speeches given by politicians today suffer from the same fatal flaw: they are completely forgettable . Exactly who’s fault this is has not been resolved: is it the speechwriter’s fault or the speech givers? No matter, both are probably partially to blame.

Where did things go wrong? Jeff Shesol who is a political speech writer believes that one of the reasons that political speeches have lost their punch is because of how speech writers are writing them.

He points out that it’s all too easy for political speech writers to focus on the sound bites that they hope will be captured out of a speech. In order to make this happen, they over use such tools as alliteration (repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of a series of words and/or phrases: “economy, employment, empowerment”) and cliches (an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect: “there’s no place like home”).

Even worse, too many speech writers / speakers believe that if they keep saying the same thing over and over again it will eventually become true . The reality is that the audience tunes out the speaker and the speech ends up being quickly forgotten.

What Does It Take To Write A Good Political Speech?

All of this negativity talking about political speeches might make you feel as though there is no hope – maybe it’s not possible to create a political speech that has an impact . The good news is that history shows us that this is not true. Churchill, Kennedy, Reagan, Clinton, etc. have shown us that political speeches can still change the world. They just have to be created the right way.

The first thing that you need to realize when you are sitting down to write a political speech is that the speech needs to have a point . What is the main goal: do you want the audience to take some action, vote a particular way, etc.? A political speech without a point is just a waste of everyone’s time.

Next, you had better take the time to organize your speech in a way that your audience will be able to follow what you are saying. Sure, you might believe that what you are asking them to do is the right thing, but if you don’t lay out your reasoning in a way that they can follow then they won’t come along for the ride.

Finally, and this may be the most important point of all, every single word in your speech must matter . This means that there can’t be any phrases that are in there just for filler or just to transition from one thought to another. Instead, ruthless editing is involved and every word that is not contributing to reaching the final goal needs to be chopped out and removed. Shesol points out that an excellent example of this is the speech that Bill Gates gave at the Davos meeting of the World Economic Forum in which he introduced “Creative Capitalism”.

What All Of This Means For You

At some time we are all called on to write a political speech. We may not be running for president, but perhaps we’re trying to get elected to the local school board. No matter, there are too many bad political speeches out there – we don’t want to contribute to this mess .

Instead, we want to write a good political speech . To do this we need to make sure that our speech has a very clear point to it. The speech will need to be well organized and every word in it will need to have a purpose for being there.

If we can craft a political speech that has these characteristics, then we will have created a very powerful communication tool . With tools like this, elections can be won and from there, the world can be changed.

Contact Blue Elephant Consulting

If you are interested in finding out more about how you and your team can improve how you give presentations using the Clear Blue Presentation System(tm) , get in contact with Blue Elephant Consulting in order to find out how a customized presentation, consulting or training program could be created to meet your unique needs.

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Political Writing: The Power of Words in Politics

Jun 16, 2020

Words are powerful. They can inspire, motivate, and unite people. Political writing can be a tool for rallying support for a cause or rallying opposition against a policy. And it can be used to build relationships with other countries or strengthen alliances with allies. Whatever your political goal may be, strong writing skills are essential to achieving it. So if you’re interested in entering the world of politics, learn how to write well. It will make all the difference.

Politics is all about words. The right words can inspire people to change the world, ruining a career. In this blog post, we’ll look at some of the most powerful political speeches throughout history and explore the power of words in politics. Stay tuned – it’s going to be a fascinating ride!

What is Political Writing?

Political writing is writing that is related to politics. This includes pieces written by or on political groups, candidates, parties, and government agencies.

Political writing is the art of writing in support of a political cause.

Political writing is a form of nonfiction. It’s one of the most common uses for language today because we often use it to express our opinions about political matters.

Political writing is nonfiction that presents an opinion or interpretation of political issues. It can be in speeches, position papers, or editorials.

Political writing is written communication that deals with government, politics, and political science.

Political writing is the act of sharing or discussing events and situations of a political nature.

Political writing is a genre of the essay, article, or other work that deals with political matters.

What is political writing, and why is it important?

Political writing is a type of writing that makes people think about their opinions, actions, and the world. It’s essential to keep reading it because it helps us get involved in our communities.

Political writing is the use of language to convince others to create change. It’s important because it allows people to express their opinions and ideas, affecting how politicians make decisions that affect everyone.

Political writing uses written language to present a view, promote a plan, or persuade readers.

Political writing is a genre of writing that analyzes and responds to politics. This type of writing is essential because it allows people to voice their opinions about politics and government, which helps create better policies for our country.

Political writing is the art of convincing people to support your point of view through rhetoric and logic.

One type of political writing his speeches. They’re essential because they can influence and educate many people on controversial topics.

Political writing is a way to express one’s opinion on issues that impact the world. It can be in different forms, such as novels, poetry, or news articles.

The history of political writing

In the 17th century, many political pamphlets were written. Many of these pamphlets contained strong opinions and biased information, but most importantly, they helped shape policy in England during this period.

Although the first political writings appeared in ancient times, it wasn’t until much later that people started writing about politics.

Politics have influenced society for thousands of years. Throughout history, politicians have defined the direction of countries and shaped people’s lives.

Types of political writing

• Political essays are generally written formally to persuade readers to adopt an author’s point of view.
• A political speech aims to persuade people and rally support for a person or party.
• A manifesto is an extended essay that lays out one’s beliefs and goals in great detail.
• Opinion writing is a form of political writing that expresses an opinion about a topic.
• Essays are usually based on personal experiences and may be autobiographical, but they can also be analytical essays about issues or topics.
• News reports differ from op-eds because they focus more on factual information than opinions.
• Editorial: The author’s opinion on a topic, often supported with facts and statistics
• Letter to the editor: A letter from an individual reader responding to something in the newspaper
• Magazine article: A long-form article that is usually published in a magazine
• Opinion Pieces: these are pieces that come from the writer’s personal opinion and can be either positive or negative
• Analysis: This type of writing analyzes a topic in-depth, usually with statistics and data to back up its points
• News Stories: news stories tell readers about current events happening around the world; they may include interviews with experts on the issue or people who have been affected by it
• Op-Eds: op-eds are articles written by someone outside of an organization, such as a politician, activist, union leader, etc., meant for publication in a newspaper or magazine
• Argumentation
• Campaigning/Polemicizing
• Persuasive writing
• Informative writing
• Narrative writing

How to write a persuasive political speech

A persuasive political speech is a type of writing that aims to convince the audience that your view on an issue is more valid than others. To do this, you must start by acknowledging different opinions and pointing out why they are wrong.

The initial step in writing a persuasive speech is to establish your credibility. For example, please talk about your accomplishments for the party or how many years you’ve been involved.

A persuasive political speech should be well-prepared, clear, and straightforward, logically structured. It should focus on the main points without unnecessary details.

A persuasive speech is a type of speech designed to convince the audience. This can be done through logical reasoning, testimonies, facts, figures, or stories.

It would help to tell the audience what you stand for and why and how you will fulfill your promises. It will help if you convince them they want to change their lives or won’t vote for you.

A good speech should be like a story with a beginning, middle, and end. It should present the main idea in the opening sentence or paragraph and develop it throughout the speech. A persuasive political speech will use facts and statistics to support its views.

A political speech is a great way to persuade your audience and win votes. If you’d like to learn some things you can do before writing your address, that will help with the process.

How to write an op-ed piece

Op-ed pieces help express your opinion on a topic.

An op-ed piece is an opinionated article in which the author expresses their views on a topic recently discussed in the news.

An op-ed piece is a short article published in newspapers or other media. It does not necessarily reflect the newspaper’s opinion but rather that of an individual writer.

An op-ed piece is an article that expresses a writer’s opinion on current affairs. This writing style is frequently used in newspapers, magazines, and blogs.

Best Practices for Political Writing

• Be clear about your position on the issue
• Provide evidence to support your point of view
• Ensure you have a good thesis statement and the main idea of your essay or article.
• Use strong verbs and nouns to make sentences more powerful
• Avoid using too many adjectives or adverbs; instead, use descriptive words that show what something looks like, smells like, tastes like, feels like, etc
• Keep it short- this means no more than five paragraphs at most (and each section should be less than three sentences)
• Use clear, concise language
• Avoid jargon and acronyms that are not universally-known
• Provide evidence for your claims
• Write in a way that is easy to understand but still has a depth of knowledge
• allow readers to engage with you through comments or social media shares
• Avoid using slang or idioms
• Keep sentences short and simple
• Use active voice, not passive voice
• Be concise- get to the point quickly without rambling about irrelevant information.
• Make sure you know your audience before writing anything political
• Make sure your writing is engaging and accessible to read
• Keep it brief, but don’t be too concise- make the reader feel like they’re getting something out of reading your article
• Use a variety of sentences with varying lengths to keep readers interested in what you have to say
• Be careful not to be preachy or biased when discussing political topics.
• Use simple language- avoid jargon and acronyms.
• Avoid hyperbole, exaggeration, and generalizations.
• Create an apparent argument with evidence to support your claims
• Be concise- don’t ramble or go off on tangents
• Stick to one point at a time- present new ideas in separate paragraphs
• Use persuasive language to connect with the reader, but avoid over-the-top rhetoric or exaggerated claims.
• Provide specific evidence for your assertions
• Avoid using unnecessary jargon and acronyms
• Read the publication’s guidelines
• Write objectively, not emotionally
• Use active voice and strong verbs to convey power and action
• Keep your sentences short and simple for easy readability
• Include sources in your writing when possible
• Use short, punchy sentences
• Avoid using jargon or acronyms without explaining what they mean
• Keep your writing simple and easy to read
• Make sure you are always fair in your analysis of the issue at hand

Words are an effective tool in politics. When these words are chosen wisely, they can create the perfect storm that sweeps away opposition and makes new citizenship norms. Contact us today if you’re looking for someone with deep experience in crafting compelling political arguments or want to learn more about how language shapes our society. We have years of expertise working with politicians on both sides of the aisle and across different countries worldwide!

One way to get in touch is by filling out our online form on this site or give us a call at +91 9848321284. Let’s work together today!

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Political Campaign And Stump Speech Examples Reveal The Candidate

Candidates for political office make stump or campaign speeches to help voters learn about themselves and their positions throughout the campaign. Here are some examples of political campaign and stump speeches.

In the dynamic world of politics, one powerful tool remains a constant in winning over voters’ hearts and minds: the stump speech. This iconic oratory tradition has shaped countless political campaigns, delivering a potent blend of charisma, policy promises, and persuasive rhetoric.

From fiery appeals for change to heartfelt tales of personal struggles, stump speeches have become the backbone of political communication.

This article explores compelling examples of stump speeches throughout history, unveiling their enduring impact on electoral campaigns and their crucial role in shaping the political landscape.

Table of Contents

What Is A Stump Speech In A Political Campaign?

A stump speech is a standard, rehearsed speech a political candidate delivers during their campaign. It typically outlines the candidate’s core message, policy positions, and personal background, aiming to connect with voters, inspire support, and differentiate themselves from opponents.

A stump speech is essentially an elevator speech where the candidate makes a pitch to constituents.

How Does A Stump Speech Vary From A Campaign Speech?

While a campaign speech is a broader, more comprehensive address covering various topics and contexts, a stump speech is specifically tailored to connect with local audiences during campaign stops.

A stump speech focuses on key themes, repeated consistently across different locations, with an emphasis on connecting personally with voters, conveying authenticity, and generating enthusiasm for the candidate’s platform.

What Should A Politician Say About Themselves?

Politicians should highlight their relevant qualifications, experience, and achievements when speaking about themselves , demonstrating their ability to address the issues. They should also convey their personal values, integrity, and dedication to public service, establishing trust and credibility with the electorate.

How Do You Start Off A Campaign Speech?

“Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens, I stand before you today with a deep sense of gratitude and determination to embark on a journey together toward a brighter future for our community.

“Thank you all for gathering here today as we embark on a transformative campaign to shape a better tomorrow for our beloved community. With your support and collective efforts, we can build an inclusive, prosperous future filled with opportunities for all.”

What Should You Say In A Campaign Speech?

In a campaign speech, it is crucial to articulate your vision, share specific policy proposals, and address the concerns and aspirations of your constituents. Highlight your experience, values, and dedication to serve while emphasizing the need for unity, progress, and collaborative solutions to tackle the challenges our community faces.

Here is an excerpt:

“In this campaign, we must address the pressing issues affecting our constituents daily, such as education, healthcare, and economic stability, while fostering unity and collaboration to create a stronger, more resilient community for generations to come.

Together, we can bring about meaningful change, empower our citizens, and build a brighter future that reflects the hopes and dreams of each and every one of us.”

How Long Should A Campaign Speech Be?

A campaign speech should be concise and focused, aiming for around 5 to 10 minutes, allowing you to effectively communicate your message while maintaining the audience’s attention and engagement. Remember, it is crucial to prioritize quality content over excessive length to make a lasting impact on your listeners.

What Should You Do After Finishing A Stump Speech?

After delivering a stump speech, engaging with the audience is essential, and you must also show genuine interest in their concerns and feedback. Take the opportunity to connect with individuals, answer questions, and build relationships to establish trust and support for your campaign.

What Should Be Said In The Conclusion Of A Stump Speech?

In the conclusion of a stump speech, it is crucial to summarize your main points and reiterate your core message, leaving a lasting impression on your audience. You can also end the address by inspiring and rallying your supporters, calling them to action, and emphasizing how important their involvement is to the campaign.

Different ways to end a stump speech can include:

• Call to action: Encourage your audience to get involved, vote, volunteer, or contribute to your campaign, emphasizing the collective power of their actions.
• A personal story or anecdote: Share a heartfelt story your audience can connect with on an emotional level, reinforcing your commitment to their concerns and aspirations.
• Inspiring quote: Close your speech with a memorable and inspiring quote that encapsulates your campaign’s values or captures the essence of your message.
• Vision for the future: Paint a vivid picture of the future you envision for your community, highlighting the positive impact your campaign can make and leaving your audience hopeful and motivated.

The best way to end a campaign speech ultimately depends on your personal style, the context, and the specific objectives of your campaign. Consider what resonates most with your audience and aligns with your campaign’s tone and goals.

Stump Speech Examples That Define Candidates

These nine stump speeches are notable for their ability to connect with audiences, convey a powerful message, and leave a lasting impact on listeners:

• Barack Obama’s 2008 “Yes We Can” speech as presidential candidate became iconic, inspiring hope and calling for change. Ex-President Obama’s message of unity and progress resonated with millions of Americans.
• Martin Luther King Jr.’s history 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington advocated for racial equality and justice for African Americans. His powerful words continue to inspire generations.
• Delivered during World War II, Winston Churchill’s “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” speech rallied the British people and affirmed their determination to resist Nazi aggression, symbolizing their resolve and resilience.
• Elizabeth Warren’s speeches on income inequality and economic fairness, such as her 2012 speech at the Democratic National Convention , have gained attention for advocating for a more equitable society.
• One of Donald Trump’s most notable stump speeches was the one delivered at the Republican National Convention in July 2016, where he formally accepted the party’s nomination for running for president. This speech emphasized his platform on immigration, national security, and job creation while highlighting his outsider status and promising to “Make America Great Again.” It resonated with many of his supporters and helped solidify his message during the campaign.
• One of Joe Biden’s most memorable speeches was his address in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in August 2020. In this speech, Biden presented his economic recovery plan, emphasizing the need for unity, addressing systemic racism, and rebuilding the economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. He focused on his vision for “ Build Back Better” and stressed the importance of creating jobs, supporting working families, and tackling the climate crisis.
• A notable Hillary Clinton speech was her address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2016. In this speech, Clinton accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for president and focused on themes of unity, inclusivity, and progress. She discussed her policy proposals, highlighted her experience and qualifications, and called for the American people “to come together to address the challenges facing the nation.”
• Ronald Reagan’s “A Time for Choosing” speech is often regarded as one of the most impactful political speeches in American history and played a significant role in shaping his political career and eventually leading to his own presidency in 1981. Reagan delivered this speech supporting Barry Goldwater’s presidential campaign on October 27, 1964, just days before the U.S. presidential election.
• Abraham Lincoln’s most famous stump speech was his Cooper Union Address, delivered on February 27, 1860, in New York City. The speech primarily focused on the issue of slavery and its expansion, but Lincoln also touched upon foreign policy concerns. In the Cooper Union Address, Lincoln argued against the spread of slavery into new territories, emphasizing its moral and constitutional implications.

Adam Howarth

Adam covers the topic of Public Speaking for Digital Authority. From his first experience of oratory with his school debating society to his more recent experiences of promoting the local business scene in Wrexham, Wales, he has always been involved in public speaking.

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What Makes a Great Political Speech?

The best political speeches aren't always the ones that are well-written or well-delivered, says Michael Cohen, author of Live from the Campaign Trail: The Greatest Presidential Campaign Speeches of the Twentieth Century and How They Shaped Modern America .

MIKE PESCA, host:

When we think of great presidential rhetoric, we might think of Washington's farewell, Roosevelt's four freedoms, and John F. Kennedy in 1960. Here's JFK accepting - he gave the famous New Frontier speech. He was accepting the Democratic presidential nomination. In it, he assigned government a new role in the lives of the American people.

(Soundbite of speech)

President JOHN F. KENNEDY: The rights of man, the civil and economic rights essential to the human dignity of all men, are indeed our goal and are indeed our first principle.

PESCA: So is that really a great speech? I mean, for a leader's rhetoric to be vital, it has to surpass the usual platitudinous humdrummery (ph). Former speechwriter Michael A. Cohen has just published a book on that subject. It's called "Live from the Campaign Train: The Greatest Presidential Campaign Speeches of the 20th Century and How They Shaped Modern America." Hello, Michael. How are you?

Mr. MICHAEL COHEN (Former Speechwriter; Author, "Live from the Campaign Train: The Greatest Presidential Campaign Speeches of the 20th Century and How They Shaped Modern America"): Good morning. How are you?

PESCA: So, I asked that about Kennedy because he certainly was great on his feet, and he could turn a phrase. But when we listen to Kennedy today, it sounds even older than 40 or 50 years ago. There's the inversion of phrases like, "ask not" and "ask." You should just say "don't ask" if you want to speak plainly. So the question is, back then, did people just enjoy speechifying? Was it not seen as so foreign? Or has speech these days become so much less formal and more casual?

Mr. COHEN: You know, I listen to Barack Obama today on the campaign trail, and I hear a lot of similarities between his rhetoric and that of John F. Kennedy. I think the words may change, but I think what really makes a great speech is the ideas behind it. And like Kennedy 48 years ago, Obama is trying to cast a message that inspires and energizes voters. And I think one of the things Kennedy did so effectively was inspire Americans, inspire Americans to sacrifice, which is an unusual thing for a candidate to do and sort of a courageous thing to do, and it worked pretty effectively for him.

PESCA: Of the 31 speeches in the book, I think the first one is William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech.

Mr. COHEN: That's right.

PESCA: It's a big one. Everyone quotes it. You say it's the most influential and electrifying campaign speech in American political history. The most?

Mr. COHEN: The most. First of all, when he delivered, he was a relatively obscure Nebraska congressman and was certainly seen as a dark horse to be the Democratic nominee for president. But his oratory was so affecting, people literally jumped out of their seats screaming, throwing coats, and banging umbrellas against the floor at the convention and brought him on to become the nominee. But as far as influential, it was the first speech by a presidential candidate to really talk about expanding the role of government to help the welfare of the American people.

And at the time, that was sort of an unusual concept. You know, in 1888, Grover Cleveland had said, you know, the responsibility of government - of the people is to be loyal to the government, and government does not have a similar responsibility to the people. And he was a Democrat. And within eight years, we had a populous leader like William Jennings Bryan talking about the affirmative role of government.

PESCA: Right. And he scared the hell out of half the Democrats, actually, because he was an economic populist and a populist on issues of war. But my question is, when you read that speech on the page, does it jump out at you? Or was it very much helped by Bryan's theatrical performance?

Mr. COHEN: Absolutely. I mean, it reads very well, and there's some wonderful turns of phrase. But I think what - what makes it a great speech, in a sense, is the delivery, obviously, but also the context in which it was given. That's a hugely importance part of why a speech is great.

PESCA: Let's fast forward half a century. Here's a speech by Hubert H. Humphrey speaking about civil rights and states' rights.

Former Vice President HUBERT HUMPHREY: I feel I must rise at this time to support a report, the minority report, a report that spells out our democracy, a report that the people of this country can and will understand, and a report that they will enthusiastically acclaim on the great issue of civil rights.

PESCA: OK. And there he goes on to say, you know, we have to walk out of the shadow of state rights, and it's a bright sunshine of human rights, great turn of phrase.

Mr. COHEN: Absolutely.

PESCA: Hubert H. Humphrey, William Jennings Bryan, a bunch of the guys in here didn't win. Great rhetoric, does it free you up if you not don't have a chance to win, but is there - is sometimes great rhetoric the enemy of getting elected?

Mr. COHEN: That's a good question. Not often, not usually, but it turns out that sometimes that great rhetoric ends up not necessarily being effective at that exact moment, but effective a little bit later. And the best example of that, of course, is Barry Goldwater, who, in '64, was probably going to lose that race no matter what he did.

PESCA: Right.

Mr. COHEN: He chose to give the most ideologically focused speech of any candidate in pretty much American political history, destroyed any chance of being president, but really shaped the conservative movement, and I think influenced the conservative movement in a very significant way and changed the direction of the party and the country. And there's a great story I have in the book about what George Will says of that speech. You know, it says an election Goldwater won, it just took 16 years to count the votes, which is...

(Soundbite of laughter)

PESCA: Oh, that's a great line. Now, there's a famous quote about speechifying going back to the Greek Republic, and it was comparing Cicero and Pericles, the two great orators at the time. And people said, you know, when Cicero gave a speech, the reaction was what a great speech that was, what great words those were. When Pericles gave a speech, the reaction was, let us all now follow Pericles, so it wasn't reacted to as if it were a speech. To bring it forward, are there certain politicians that you think fall in the Pericles camp? Great speechifying, not that actually inspiring to get you to do something, and others that fall into the - sorry, Cicero camp would be doesn't inspire you, Pericles camp would be does.

Mr. COHEN: Well, I would say the best speechwriter is the person who combines both. And that's actually - that's what we talk about in the book, is that, you know, you look back at a speech, like the "I Have a Dream Speech," and the words are beautiful, the metaphors are gorgeous. But what makes that speech great is not so much the words, it's the ideas behind it.

It's the powerful notion that King was talking about of the sort of idea of, obviously, equality and very much grounded in very basic American values. So, I think, really, the best speechwriters figure out ways to combine the two together to make really great speeches. But in the end, I mean, I think what it comes down to is you could have bad speech givers give great speeches if they find just the right words to inspire people.

PESCA: You were a speechwriter for Bill Clinton? Is that right?

Mr. COHEN: Bill Richardson, actually.

PESCA: Bill Richardson, OK.

Mr. COHEN: A little different.

PESCA: Yeah. Yeah, but he has a nice beard now. I think that's freed him up a little bit.

Mr. COHEN: I think a little bit, yeah.

PESCA: Well, here's my question. I just want to lay that out there, because we know you're going to have ideological differences with George W. Bush and Michael Gerson. But Michael Gerson, his former speechwriter, now Washington Post columnist, has been lauded for writing great speeches for the president. My question is, can they really be considered great speeches if, when you look at them, it has George Bush promising things, like standing with people all over the world who want democracy, but not necessarily delivering on those things? I mean, we haven't intervened in Burma, last time I checked.

Mr. COHEN: Yeah. It's one of those interesting dynamics. I mean, he - Gerson's speeches are really good, and he is a great speechwriter because he writes well for his principle. I mean, he understands Bush's style. He writes in such a way that - and he doesn't write for him anymore, obviously, but when he did, he understood how to write them effectively. But of course, yes, your point's absolutely valid. His second inaugural speech is a great speech that was not followed through at all. It doesn't change it being a great speech. Maybe it affects whether or not we think he's a great president or not, and I think...

PESCA: Well, I would argue it might. I would argue it might affect a great speech, because you could write the most soaring words, but if they're just empty words, then they're not that soaring. The reason that you think it's so inspiring, it's like a president saying it who can do something about the situation.

Mr. COHEN: Sure. That's absolutely true. Some speeches, if they sort of ring hollow, are not going to be as effective. I think, for an inaugural speech like that, that kind of soaring rhetoric tends to work. Although, I think, for a lot of people, myself included, sort of looked at it with a jaundiced eye, and for good reason.

PESCA: Senator Obama is a very busy man, so if he had a sec - ten seconds - one sentence that you could give him, advice-wise, what would you tell him?

Mr. COHEN: It's funny, you know, I was just thinking about this recently. You know, he's running sort of what I kind of call the Roosevelt card, in the sense that Roosevelt, in '32, ran basically on not necessarily embracing liberalism, which Bush has a fond amount of liberalism...

PESCA: Oh, but the thing is he needs a second - a sentence, do you got one quick? I'm sorry.

Mr. COHEN: He has to remember that people are voting to reject conservatism and not embrace liberalism.

PESCA: Love it. Michael A. Cohen, author of "Live From the Campaign Trail." Thanks very much, Michael. This is the Bryant Park Project from NPR News.

Copyright © 2008 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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10 Modern Presidential Speeches Every American Should Know

By: Allison McNearney

Updated: October 18, 2023 | Original: February 16, 2018

Presidential speeches reveal the United States’ challenges, hopes, dreams and temperature of the nation, as much as they do the wisdom and perspective of the leader speaking them. Even in the age of Twitter, the formal, spoken word from the White House carries great weight and can move, anger or inspire at home and around the world.

Here are the 10 most important modern presidential speeches selected by scholars at the Miller Center —a nonpartisan affiliate of the University of Virginia that specializes in presidential scholarship—and professors from other universities, as well.

1. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s First Inaugural Address

When: 1933, during the Great Depression

What Roosevelt Said: “This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself… Our greatest primary task is to put people to work. This is no unsolvable problem if we face it wisely and courageously. It can be accomplished in part by direct recruiting by the Government itself, treating the task as we would treat the emergency of a war.”

Why It Was Important: Roosevelt is embarking on something audacious, proposing that the national government has an obligation to provide an economic safety net for its citizens to protect them from the unpredictability of the market. In making a case for bold intervention in markets, he’s also making a case for a stronger executive at the top. But for all the disruptive talk in this speech, Roosevelt delivers reassurance. I think a hallmark of the speeches that we remember the most by presidents from both parties are ones that not only address the circumstances at hand, but also give people some hope.

— Margaret O’Mara, professor of history, University of Washington

2. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s First Fireside Chat 'On Banking'

When: March 1933

What Roosevelt Said: “My friends, I want to talk for a few minutes with the people of the United States about banking…confidence and courage are the essentials of success in carrying out our plan. You people must have faith. You must not be stampeded by rumors or guesses. Let us unite in banishing fear. We have provided the machinery to restore our financial system, and it is up to you to support and make it work. It is your problem, my friends. Your problem no less than it is mine. Together, we cannot fail.”

Why It Was Important: Beginning with the simple phrase, “My friends,” the stage was set for the personalization of the presidency that continued throughout FDR’s administration. Roosevelt received an outpouring of support from the public and used the power of media to connect with his constituents. Recognizing publicity as essential to policymaking, he crafted a very intricate public relations plan for all of his New Deal legislation. The media allowed him to present a very carefully crafted message that was unfiltered and unchallenged by the press. Many newspapers were critical of his New Deal programs, so turning to radio and motion pictures allowed him to present his version of a particular policy directly to the people. Today, we see parallels in the use of Twitter to bypass opponents and critics of the administration to appeal directly to the American people. And that all started with FDR and his first fireside chat.

— Kathryn Cramer Brownell, Assistant Professor of History, Purdue University

3. Dwight Eisenhower’s 'Atoms for Peace' Speech to the United Nations

What Eisenhower Said: “I feel impelled to speak today in a language that, in a sense, is new. One which I, who have spent so much of my life in the military profession, would have preferred never to use: That new language is the language of atomic warfare…Against the dark background of the atomic bomb, the United States does not wish merely to present strength, but also the desire and the hope for peace. To the makers of these fateful decisions, the United States pledges before you, and therefore before the world, its determination to help solve the fearful atomic dilemma. To devote its entire heart and mind to find the way by which the miraculous inventiveness of man shall not be dedicated to his death, but consecrated to his life.”

Why It Was Important: Eisenhower believed in the political power of nuclear weapons, but in this speech, he talks about their dangers. He speaks about the importance of preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and proposes that the U.S. and Soviet Union cooperate to reduce their nuclear stockpiles. Keep in mind that there were just 1,300 nuclear weapons in the world in 1953 compared with more than seven times that number today. But Eisenhower is also a realist. He understands the importance of nuclear deterrence and he reminds his audience that his proposal comes from a position of American strength, not weakness.

— Todd Sechser, Professor of Politics, University of Virginia and Senior Fellow, Miller Center

4. Dwight Eisenhower’s Farewell Address

What Eisenhower Said: “Until the latest of our world conflicts, the United States had no armaments industry. But we can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense. We have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportion…In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic process.”

Why It Was Important: That speech gave a name to our modern era. Eisenhower was telling us that we now live in a time when government, the military and the corporate world all have joined together into a powerful alliance that shapes the basic democratic functioning of the country. Eisenhower understood that Americans wanted both security and liberty, and it’s a fundamental paradox of the American experiment. In order to have security, we need to have a large defense establishment. But he asks, who is going to be the guardian of our freedoms in a world where we have to have a permanent arms industry? What he was saying in the speech is that we have to learn how to live with it, and control it, rather than having it control us.

— Will Hitchcock, Randolph P. Compton Professor at the Miller Center and professor of history, University of Virginia

5. Lyndon B. Johnson’s 'Great Society' Speech at the University of Michigan

When: May 22, 1964

What Johnson Said: “For a century, we labored to settle and to subdue a continent. For half a century, we called upon unbounded invention and untiring industry to create an order of plenty for all of our people. The challenge of the next half-century is whether we have the wisdom to use that wealth to enrich and elevate our national life, and to advance the quality of our American civilization. Your imagination and your initiative and your indignation will determine whether we build a society where progress is the servant of our needs, or a society where old values and new visions are buried under unbridled growth. For, in your time, we have the opportunity to move not only toward the rich society and the powerful society, but upward to the Great Society. “

Why It Was Important: LBJ called on all Americans to move upward to a Great Society in which wealth is used for more than personal enrichment and is instead used to improve communities, protect the natural world, and allow all Americans, regardless of race or class, to fully develop their innate talents and abilities. The message of Johnson’s speech resonates today because we have lost not only that self-confidence and that idealism but also the vision to recognize that prosperity can be used for something greater than the self.

— Guian McKee, Associate Professor of Presidential Studies, the Miller Center

6. John F. Kennedy’s Address on the Space Effort

When: September 1962

What Kennedy Said: “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…Those who came before us made certain that this country rode the first waves of the Industrial Revolution, the first waves of modern invention and the first wave of nuclear power. And this generation does not intend to founder in the backwash of the coming age of space, we mean to be a part of it, we mean to lead it.”

Why It Was Important: We were in a new age of technology and space exploration. President Kennedy made Americans feel that there was nothing that we couldn’t do, no challenge we couldn’t conquer. It was before Vietnam, before Watergate, before the deaths of our heroes like Jack and Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King —when we had a sense in this country that if we all joined together we could fulfill our loftiest goals.

— Barbara Perry, Director of Presidential Studies, the Miller Center

7. Ronald Reagan’s Speech Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of D-Day

When: June 6, 1984

What Reagan Said: “The rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers at the edge of the cliffs shooting down at them with machine guns and throwing grenades, and the American rangers began to climb. They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up. When one ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a ranger would grab another and begin his climb again. They climbed, shot back, and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs they began to seize back the continent of Europe… (to veterans) You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One’s country is worth dying for, and Democracy is worth dying for because it’s the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man.

Why It’s Important: That day in June of 1984, before  Band of Brothers  and  Saving Private Ryan  ever came to be, President Reagan paid tribute to the heroism of those we now call the Greatest Generation, the men and women who liberated Europe and ensured freedom for generations to come.  But for the first time, he also tied resistance to totalitarianism in World War II to opposition to the Soviet Union during the Cold War . President Reagan’s words at the end of that speech, again in the second person, to our Allies that “we were with you then, and we are with you now,” when he called upon the West to “renew our commitment to each other, to our freedom, and to the alliance that protects it” kept the coalition in place that later defeated the Soviet Union and ended the Cold War. The “boys of Pointe du Hoc” saved the world, and, in many ways, they did so more than once.

— Mary Kate Cary, Senior Fellow, the Miller Center

8. Ronald Reagan’s Address on the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster

When: January 1986

What Reagan Said: “The future doesn’t belong to the faint-hearted but to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we’ll continue to follow them…The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye, and slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God.”

Why It Was Important: In our current era of political divisiveness, we tend to think of presidents as partisan leaders. But the president’s role as “comforter in chief” is one of the most important functions. The great presidents are distinguished by their ability to set aside partisanship in times of tragedy to speak words that comfort a nation and remind us that, despite our differences, we are all, in the end, Americans.

— Chris Lu, Senior Fellow, the Miller Center

9. George W. Bush’s 'Get On Board' Speech

When: After the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks

What Bush Said: “When they struck they wanted to create an atmosphere of fear, and one of the great goals of this war is…to tell the traveling public: Get on board. Do your business around the country. Fly and enjoy America’s great destination spots. Get down to Disney World in Florida. Take your families and enjoy life the way we want it to be enjoyed.”

Why It Was Important: In short, Bush was saying don’t let the terrorists deter you from spending—the economy needs you. More specifically, Bush’s remarks demonstrated the importance that consumption had come to play in the economy by the twenty-first century. He was carrying out what had become an essential responsibility of the 21st-century president. Even as Bush modeled what it meant to be a strong commander in chief, he juggled another role that had become almost as important: “consumer in chief.”

— Brian Balogh, Dorothy Compton Professor of History, the Miller Center

10. Barack Obama’s 'A More Perfect Union' Speech

What Obama Said: “Contrary to the claim of some of my critics, black and white, I have never been so naïve to think as to believe we can get beyond our racial divisions on a single election cycle or with a single candidate, particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own. But I have asserted a firm conviction, a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people, that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact we have no choice. We have no choice if we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union…What we know, what we have seen, is that America can change. That is the true genius of this nation. What we have already achieved gives us hope, the audacity to hope, for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.”

Why It Was Important: Conventional wisdom wouldn’t recommend a speech on race. But Obama ran to the challenge, not away from it. Uniquely positioned to do so, he welcomed listeners to places many have never experienced—a predominantly black church, a cringe-worthy conversation with a beloved relative of a different race, the kitchen tables of white Americans who feel resentful and left behind—and he recounted Americans often divergent perspectives. He asked us to be honest about our past while connecting it to the structural barriers faced by African Americans and other people of color today…Direct, honest, but nuanced, Obama believed that most Americans were ready to hear the truth and make a choice, to move beyond racial stalemate, face our challenges, and act accordingly.

 — Melody Barnes, a Senior Fellow, the Miller Center

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The Helpful Information on How to Write a Political Speech.

If you want to become a class president, inform a city council about the inappropriate behavior of your neighbors, or present your theories in a scientist gathering, chances are you will be facing a political speech writing. It is quite a difficult task to determine the definition of political speech. We see it as a concern decision of political manner about some courses of action that people can argue about. When presenting a political speech, a writer tries to persuade somebody concerning some issues that the community, party, council, government, or country can influence. 

When writing a political speech, you should care about the following things.

• Don’t try only to explain things. Make sure to prove them with the stable facts or reasons that will fulfill your proposition; • When creating a draft version of your speech, think about the significant arguments you have provided. Will they also be interesting for other people? • When providing this type of speech do your best to be as precise as possible. The great thing will be to use data, quotations, examples from safe resources, and facts. • Do not forget that you will be given a set of questions from the audience concerning your speech. Think about possible questions and create the answers in advance. Make your answers constructive. It will definitely be appreciated by the listener. • When it comes to political speech, you can use logos, pathos, and symbols. This is a way to create a great impact. The symbolics will make it easy to trace the persuasiveness of your speech. The symbols are made to create emotional connections with the audience, show the credibility of the speaker, and support a logical argument visually. Moreover, when using symbols, you activate the visual memory. • Analyze the character of the language that you have used. Determine if the speech makes good use of words, check if the vocabulary is appropriate and if the speaker delivers the information memorably and vividly. Ask yourself a couple of questions: " Did I use figurative language correctly?", " Is the structure solid and correct?", " Does the topic stand the same ideas that the body of the speech?". • Think through the perfect note to end on. The conclusion is as important as the beginning. When making it right, you will be able to leave a great aftertaste and powerful impact. You can end your speech on a joyous note or with a quotation from a famous person.

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NOV 3, 2016 AT 2:15 PM

The Perfect Presidential Stump Speech

We asked former republican speechwriter barton swaim and democratic speechwriter jeffrey nussbaum to write a ​totally pandering bipartisan stump speech for an imaginary presidential candidate — one who ​espouses only positions that a majority of voters agree with. ​here’s the speech they wrote, including notes to explain their phrasing, behind-the-scenes tips on appealing to voters and the data they used to decide which positions to take..

By Barton Swaim and Jeff Nussbaum

Research by Harry Enten , Christianna Silva and David Nield , graphics by Ella Koeze , production by Gus Wezerek

Illustration by Bewilder.tv

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Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

61 Politics Speech Topic Examples [Persuasive, Informative]

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

Persuasive and Informative speech topics about politics.

In this article:

Informative

• Only democracy stimulates to life real in liberty and to pursue happiness.
• Some democratic republics pretend they are democracies.
• Middle East peace efforts are worthless and media silence is the only way out.
• Political correctness kills freedom of speech and wheedles to oppression and no respect for human rights.
• A President should be able to serve for more than two terms if the people want her or him.
• Political funding committees should be more regulated.
• Quebec should become independent, but at what cost?
• Australia is not doing enough to help their indigenous population.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger was a good governor in California.
• Ban hate politicians from political campaigns.
• Celebrities: stay out of politics!
• Citizens who don’t participate in democratic processes should be forbidden to vote.
• Global leadership is not possible.
• Honesty and integrity are the most important qualities of an elected official.
• Only democratic nations should have a vote in the U.N. General Assembly.
• Parliamentary terms need to be limited.
• Political organizations should be forbidden at campuses.
• Politics was invented by people who wanted to be in charge.
• Power to the people is not reality in our democracy.
• Private campaign contributions for elections should be banned.
• Spin doctors are the rulers of political campaigns.
• Syria and Libya should be banned from the United Nations.
• The immunity of politicians in office must be abolished.
• There is a liberal bias in the media by highly educated journalists with a left-wing agenda.
• There is a new kind of colonialism between foreign politics.
• Trading with politically unstable nations is a gamble.
• Why -fill name here- is or was the best head of state.
• A wall on the USA/Mexico border could combat illegal immigration.
• Continue the war on drugs by attacking the ingredients needed for production.
• Governments must prioritize poverty.
• How influencing governmental decisions by lobbying really works.
• Tax havens like Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
• How to calculate a solid retirement plan when you are still a student.
• The strategy of the UN to eliminate poverty.
• The education system (K-12 up to university) in Asia explained.
• The effect of the abortion laws on the number of illegal abortions performed.
• Congressional speaking times and limits.
• Elections for the House of Representatives.
• Elections for the Senate.
• Famous parliamentary debates.
• Forms of parliamentary democracies.
• Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “New Clothes of the King”, is still actual in today’s politics.
• How congress is structured.
• How to become an MP or Senator.
• How to cope with unparliamentarily language.
• International Diplomacy.
• Political corruption worldwide.
• Political distinguishments between the terms FTO and liberation movement.
• Privileges of members of congress.
• Procedures and rules of the House of Chamber.
• Scandals and fighting in the house.
• The changing role of the African National Congress in modern South Africa.
• The classical Trias Political model.
• The division of executive power in the senatorial system.
• The function of the Speaker of the House.
• The life, career and works of former UN Chief Annan.
• The procedures for legislatorial debates.
• The role of congressional committees.
• The silent power of back benchers.
• Violence and terror during the Russian revolution.
• Ways to increase participation in the democratic process.

Law, Legal, Legislation Speech Topics [Persuasive, Informative]

292 Education Speech Topics [Persuasive, Informative, Argumentative]

1 thought on “61 Politics Speech Topic Examples [Persuasive, Informative]”

terrorism would that be a good one to explore…?

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Cambridge Festival of Ideas debate to examine the changing nature of political speeches.

Martin Luther King could get away with elevated language because his cause was a noble one. You can’t really do that when you are talking about the reform of local government. It just isn’t as big an affront to justice. Phil Collins

All eyes will be on Ed Miliband today and much has been written about the importance of his party conference speech.

But what makes a good political speech? Inevitably, Ed Miliband will be compared with Labour leaders of the past, particularly Tony Blair who was known for his persuasive powers. Phil Collins, who wrote many of Blair's speeches, says that great political speeches need a big event or a rallying cause and there are just less of them than there were in the past.

He will be speaking in a debate on political rhetoric at this year's Cambridge Festival of Ideas next month. Other speakers include David Runciman, reader in political thought at the University of Cambridge, author Piers Brendon, former Keeper of the Churchill Archives Centre and Michael White, the Guardian's political editor. The event will be held at Churchill College, Cambridge on October 20th.

For Collins, great political speeches need three key ingredients: a serious argument which leaves the audience thinking something new or resolved to act; great delivery that stirs the emotions as well as appealing to reason; and a sense of occasion.

He says: “Martin Luther King could get away with elevated language because his cause was a noble one. You can’t really do that when you are talking about the reform of local government. It just isn’t as big an affront to justice. So, there is a very good reason we have fewer remarkable speeches which is that we don’t need them as much as we did.”

Collins also justifies the use of sound bites, although he says he always worked by building a solid argument first and then trying to distil the best possible phrase out of the argument rather than the other way around. He says that not only are soundbites vital in a world where a 24/7 media edits chunks of speeches down to one phrase, but all the great writers are full of them. “We should guard against the derogatory association of the word soundbite,” he says. “All we mean, really, is a pithy way of capturing the essence of the point. To be or not to be – that really was the question. It was a soundbite too.”

He adds that the emphasis on soundbites is likely to increase. “The endless fragmentation that results from the coverage of modern media is the main reason that the soundbite has become such a ubiquitous part of political discourse. Your words are going to be chopped into pieces in any case so you might as well offer up the encapsulation you think is the best one.”

Collins says that one of the potential pitfalls of modern party conference speech is the number of people who vet it. “The big conference speeches have many authors, or at least many contributors,” he says.  “It is inevitable, when there are lots of hands at work, that the integrity of the argument goes missing. The task for a conference speech is always to recuperate the argument. The more a single person can be in overall control, as a sort of editor-in-chief, the better. Writing by committee is rarely a good way to work.”

Nevertheless, a good political speech can make all the difference. David Cameron owes his leadership of the Conservatives to two speeches, he says – one he gave which was well received and one given by his rival David Davis which “bombed”. He adds that it is hard to imagine Barack Obama would have become President without his oratory powers.

The audience is clearly vital for any speech writer and Collins says people's attention spans have declined, as has the breadth of their vocabulary and range of reference. Mass democracy means that references to  high culture divide an audience where they would once have united it, he says. There are also more political speeches than there used to be.

“Gladstone and Disraeli used to speak rarely every year. Each speech was an epic, months in the preparation, but they would not be doing speeches three times a week, as many politicians are now,” he says. “In the process, we have devalued the currency a little. The effective political speech, though, remains what it has always been – a mixture of reasoned argument and emotional passion.”

Other speakers at the Festival of Ideas debate will focus on the historical or wider issues associated with political speech-making. Piers Brendon, for instance, will talk about Churchill's use of political rhetoric, which he likens to the style of a music-hall performer, and contrast it with today's more colloquial, television-orientated and soundbiteish delivery.

• The event, to be held at Wolfson Theatre, Churchill College from 6-7.15pm on Thursday, 20 October, will be chaired by Allen Packwood, Keeper of the Churchill Archives Centre. Arrive at 5.30pm to see an exhibition of documents from the Centre.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence . If you use this content on your site please link back to this page.

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6 Key Components of a Winning Stump Speech

As a candidate for elected office you’re going to be giving plenty of speeches, so you’ll need to have your stump speech down pat.

Strong public speaking conveys confidence and leadership to voters.  

It assures donors and supporters that you’re the right person for office.

Unfortunately, too many candidates are not good public speakers.

They don’t have a key message or theme.

Their words wander all over the place.

They don’t make sense and wind up confusing their audience.

I witnessed this the one night by a candidate who is running his own campaign.

He had good ideas. He had a solid resume.

His speech however did not effectively convey that he’s up for the job.

With a little fine-tuning he would be much better.

A good stump speech makes a huge difference in a candidate’s race, their fundraising, and in gathering endorsements.

That’s why I always work with my candidates on their stump speeches.

I’ve even turned the things I teach candidates into a premium course The Secrets of a Winning Stump Speech .

Most of my clients have never ran for office before.

They’re not used to public speaking, even in front of small groups.

Over the course of my career, I’ve noticed that there are six key components that make for a good stump speech.

If you follow these, you’ll be in good shape as a candidate and might even surprise yourself as a public speaker.

1.  Who You Are and What You’re Running For

Never assume that the voters know who you are.

They likely don’t.

Your mission as a candidate for office is to build your name recognition and support for your candidacy.

Even if you’ve been introduced by someone, always begin your stump speech by telling your audience who you are and the office your running for.

If you’re married, say so and tell them how long you’ve been married.

If you have children, list your kids and how old they are, and what kind of things they’re into.

Should your spouse, children, parents, or other family members be present, be sure to point them out by name and thank them for their support for your campaign — especially if it’s your spouse.

It’s a cardinal sin in the political world to not introduce or thank your spouse.

2.  Where You Come From

Voters like to elect real people from real places with real lives.

After you introduce yourself and the office you’re running for, tell them where you grew up, a little about your family life, and how that impacted your life.

If you’re running in a community where you’ve lived all of your life, or most of it, make sure that’s highlighted in your stump speech.

Mention the schools you went to, where you played sports, your first job in town, your favorite place to eat, or that your parents still live there.

This creates an instant connection with the voters and will make it easier for them to become supporters.

3.  What You’ve Dones

Experience matters to voters.

They want to know that you’ve accomplished something in your life.

In your stump speech, tell them about where you graduated from college (if you did), your military service (if you served), the jobs you’ve had (if you’ve never had a job or a business  — why are you even running?)

Voters want to know these things for two reasons:

1) it shows you can set goals and accomplish them

2) it demonstrates you’re not afraid of hard work

This is especially true in today’s political environment when the perception of elected officials is that they’re only in office to cash for themselves and their family members, rather than work hard and accomplish something for their constituents.

Have you noticed that critics of both Joe Biden and Donald Trump each use this line of attack?

Talk about your professional experience — the things you’ve done and learned that have prepared you for office.

If you volunteer or are active in community organizations, put this in your stump speech.

But please be careful not to come off as bragging.

That will turn off voters rather than endear them to you.

Yes, Donald Trump violates this admonition often, and it reflects negatively his approval ratings and poll numbers.

If Trump who can get away with so much that other candidates cannot is still damaged by this, don’t think you’ll fare any better.

4.  What You Want to Accomplish

Voters like candidates who have a plan.

They want to know why you’re running for office and what you intend to do once you’re elected.

The best way to clarify this is by understanding what your campaign is about in one sentence, as detailed in this article.

When giving your stump speech, incorporate your One Sentence into your remarks and build upon it.

It’s best to have three specific things you want to accomplish.

Your goals should align with three problems that need to be fixed.

Hopefully you’ve done some polling or other type of opinion research so you’ll know what issues and problems are foremost on your voters’ minds.

State each problem, describe how you’d like things to be better, and outline the steps you believe that can be taken to get there.

While you need to show that your plan is realistic, be careful not to get into too many specifics with your solutions to these problems.

While you need to know the specifics for when you are elected, and when people ask you for details, giving specifics and details in your stump speech will bore your audience.

Bored voters don’t convert into supporters.

Excited voters do, plus they tell their friends to vote for you.

5.  It’s Not About I, It’s About We

One of the biggest pitfalls candidates for elected office can face is making it all about themselves.

While you may be the one running, elections are not about candidates.

They are about voters.

Elections are where the voters get to have their say on people and policy.

If you make it about you, you’ll fall into the “I, me, mine” trap, become labeled as a “politician” and turn off the voters you need.

When giving your stump speech always change the word “I” to the word “we” when it’s possible.

Clearly, when talking about where you grew up, went to school, work, and your family, you’re going to use “I.”

But when you are talking about what you want to do in office, things that you’ve been a part of in your community, or accomplishments you were involved in as part of a larger organization, use the word “we.”

Speaking to your audience with the word “we” creates a bond and buy-in with your ideas.  That’s the effect that you’re after with your stump speech.

In 2016, Hillary Clinton severely violated this rule.

She had supporters say, “I’m with her.”

It didn’t work because she was asking the voters to focus on her as the candidate — rather than focusing on the voters and the shared mission they were on together.

Donald Trump spun that around masterfully and told his supporters “I’m with you.”

6. Close Strong

Closing your stump speech the right way is important.

After you’ve listed what you want to do in office, tell the audience that you can’t do this without their help.

Weaving “we” throughout your stump speech ties this in nicely for your finish.

If you’re talking to voters, ask them for their votes.

If you’re talking to donors, ask them for their contributions.

If you’re talking to leaders of an organization that endorses, ask them for their support.

There’s no reason for anyone to give you what you want unless you specifically ask for it.

As one professor I had always said, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”

Make the ask then it’s time for you to go.

End by thanking your audience for their time.

Always do this. Tell them you appreciate taking the time to listen to you.

Grateful candidates tend to be winning candidates.

Candidate Take-Aways

If you follow these six rules you’ll be able to craft an effective stump speech.

Go figure yours out and write it out word for word.

After you write it out, go and learn it.

Learn it and practice your stump speech, but don’t memorize it.

You don’t want to come off like a robot.

If it helps, write an outline of our speech and refer to that when you’re speaking.

The first speech you give will likely be difficult and you may hate doing it.

That’s fine.

Keep giving your stump speech.

You’ll get better at it each time you speak.

Before you know it you won’t need an outline to refer to, you won’t be nervous, and people will be coming up to you when you’re finished telling you what a great speaker you are.

Now if you’d like to go deeper and learn exactly how to write, rehearse, and deliver a solid stump speech, t ap this link for instant access to the premium course Secrets of a Winning Stump Speech.

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Jul 17, 2017

Write a Political Speech

by The Campaign Workshop

Write a Political Speech for Strategic Communications

Write a Political Speech - All candidates for political office should have a strategic communications plan in place, but not all candidates need to worry about writing lots of speeches for their campaign. For local office races, you may only find yourself wishing you had a speech during your announcement and on election night. In those moments, don’t panic! Writing a basic speech is easier than you think.

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

There’s a format used by most political speechwriters, whether they realize they’re using it or not, called Monroe’s Motivated Sequence.  When you write a political speech use the five components of the Monroe Sequence, you can develop a persuasive argument to communicate just about anything your campaign might need - GOTV, asking for donations, defending a policy - in no time! All you have to do is place your argument into these five strategic steps:

1. Attention: This is where you draw the audience in at the top of a speech. It’s often necessary to welcome people and thank certain members of your audience right away, but try to keep that part short. Instead, focus on engaging your listeners. An attention grabber could be anything from a short personal anecdote to a rhetorical question. It allows the audience to connect with you and settle in for the rest of the speech.

2. Need: The need step could also be known as the problem step. This is where your argument truly begins. In the context of a strategic communications plan, the need step often lays out how a certain elected official or policy isn’t doing the best job. In this phase of the speech, you want to invite the audience to question their current situation.

3.  Satisfaction: Satisfaction comes when you provide a solution to the problem that was laid out in the need step. You want to calm the audience’s anxieties by explaining how you are going to make their lives better, and how the problem doesn’t have to exist. Is the problem that the district’s representative is failing to support small businesses? Lay out your plans to promote the local economy. 

4.  Visualization: The visualization step can be a little bit tricky because it’s fairly similar to the satisfaction step. In the satisfaction phase, you are presenting the details of your solution. Visualization ramps things up a bit by inviting your audience to imagine what their lives would look like if your solution (most likely you getting elected) actually happened. You need to paint a clear picture that the audience can see themselves in.

5.  Action: It’s all built up to this - asking your audience to actually DO something about the problem in order to help achieve your solution. In a strategic communications plan, this often means asking for a vote or a campaign contribution. The most strategic action steps are clear and simple. You want the audience to understand exactly what it is that they can do, and then feel compelled to do it. The action step should sum up what the purpose of your speech was all about. 

While this is the most standard sequence used when you write a political speech, feel free to play around with the order of the steps. Just remember that ultimately, each of these steps is helping you prove a point. Don’t be afraid to break minor grammar rules, either. Writing for the ear is different than writing for the eye. If you spoke in the same style as most great writing, you would probably come off sounding a little distant or robotic to your audience. Starting sentences with conjunctions and using common language can actually work really well in a political communications. 

Have questions about how to write a political speech?  Comment below. Check out blogs on political communications here!

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Election Speech

Election speeches are more than just a string of words; they are a means to convey a candidate’s message, connect emotionally with the audience, and establish a rapport that resonates beyond the rhetoric. These speeches are delivered in a context where every word carries weight, and the tone and manner of delivery can significantly impact the listeners’ perception of the candidate. While some may dismiss election speeches as cliché -filled performances, they are, in fact, a fundamental aspect of democratic societies, providing candidates the platform to present their objectives , highlight their accomplishments, and express their commitment to addressing societal concerns.

1. Simple President Speech Example

Size: 21 KB

2. Writing a Campaign Speech Example

Size: 78 KB

3. Election Simulation Toolkit Speech Template

Size: 75 KB

4. Student Council Secretary Speech Example

Size: 32 KB

5. Sample Pre Election Speech Example

Size: 342 KB

6. Speech by Vice-Governor Example

Size: 85 KB

7. Campaign Speeches and Public Acceptance

Size: 594 KB

8. Basic Post Presidential Speeches Example

Size: 601 KB

9. Techniques and Tips for Effective Interviews and Speeches

Size: 784 KB

10. Campaign Speech During Elections Example

Size: 332 KB

11. Persuasive Strategies in Presidential Election Speeches

Size: 460 KB

12. Editable Campaign Speech Example

Size: 126 KB

13. Counterfeit Campaign Speech Example

Size: 702 KB

14. False Campaign Speech and the First Amendment

Size: 219 KB

15. Student Council Candidates Campaign Guidelines

Size: 94 KB

16. School Leader Election Speech

Size: 777 KB

17. School President Election Speech

Size: 25 KB

18. School Campaign Election Speech

19. School Council Election Speech

20. School Vice President Election Speech

Size: 56 KB

What is an Election Speech?

An election speech is a carefully crafted verbal presentation delivered by a candidate seeking public office. It is a formal address that serves as a platform for the candidate to communicate their objectives, values, policy proposals, and vision to the electorate. Through an election speech, candidates aim to connect with voters, gain their support, and influence their decisions in the upcoming election. These speeches are an integral part of political campaigns and play a significant role in shaping public opinion and perceptions of the candidates. The content, tone, and delivery of an election speech are strategically designed to resonate with the audience and leave a lasting impact.

How to draft an Election Speech

Drafting an election speech requires a careful blend of strategy, authenticity, and persuasive techniques. To help you navigate this process successfully, let’s break down the essential steps involved in creating an impactful and memorable election speech.

Step 1: Define Your Objective

Before penning down a single word, it’s crucial to determine your objective for the speech. Are you aiming to introduce yourself to the audience, emphasize your achievements, or outline your policy proposals? Having a clear objective will provide you with a focused direction for the rest of your speech.

Step 2: Understand Your Audience

A compelling election speech is tailored to resonate with your target audience. Conduct thorough research to grasp their concerns, needs, and expectations. This observation will enable you to address their specific issues and demonstrate your commitment to representing their interests.

Step 3: Craft Your Message

Crafting a powerful message involves choosing the right words and verbs that capture your vision succinctly. Keep your sentences simple and avoid jargon that might alienate your listeners. Weave in relevant examples and personal anecdotes to establish a connection and make your speech relatable.

Step 4: Structure and Tone

The way your speech is structured can greatly influence its impact. Begin with a captivating introduction that hooks your audience and clearly states your purpose. Follow with the main body, where you delve into your key points and proposals. Conclude with a strong closing that summarizes your message and leaves a lasting impression. Additionally, pay attention to the tone of your speech – whether it’s inspirational, authoritative, or empathetic – as it sets the emotional tone for your audience.

Can I use proper nouns in my election speech?

Yes, using proper nouns can add authenticity to your speech. Mentioning specific people, places, or events can make your message more relatable and grounded.

Should I avoid clichés in my speech?

While some well-worn phrases might resonate, relying too heavily on clichés can make your speech sound insincere. Strive for a balance between familiar expressions and fresh, original language.

Can I use conjunctions in my speech to create more complex sentences?

While conjunctions can connect ideas, it’s best to keep your sentences clear and straightforward. Complex sentences might confuse your audience, so opt for simplicity and clarity.

Election Speech Generator

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Write an Election Speech outlining your campaign promises.

Create an Election Speech focusing on the need for change.