The American Democracy Project had the opportunity to bring to Rhode Island College some of the most respected political speechwriters in the nation. In this forum, we explored the intimate relationship between speechwriter and speaker, and sought to understand how political speeches are constructed and negotiated among a team of writers. These behind-the-scenes strategists influence political dialogue far more than the average citizen realizes, and this event was designed to shed light on the process.

Writers for Howard Dean, Martin O’Malley, and President Obama were among the compelling panelists:

  • Parag Mehta, Chief of Staff to the U.S. Surgeon General and former speechwriter for Senate candidate Ron Kirk and presidential candidate Howard Dean.
  • Sarada Peri, Special Assistant and Senior Speechwriter to President Obama
  • Steve Rabin, Senior Advisor for NASA’s Office of Communications, former speechwriter for Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and former Press Secretary for Anthony Weiner
  • Michael E. Smith, former speechwriter for Rhode Island Office of the Governor and former speechwriter for RIC Office of the President