WHEN: Fall 2018
FOR WHO: I wrote this piece for an assignment in my Media Writing class.
WHY: The assignment author an article about a guest speakers presentation on campus. I was required to include direct quotations from audience members and format my article in AP style.
WHAT: I attended a speech given by Cody Keenan–President Obamas former speech writer–and wrote the following article based on his presentation and interviews I conducted with members of the audience.
Four takeaways from Obama’s former speechwriter speech at Elon
Barack Obama’s former presidential speechwriter, Cody Keenan, spoke Monday at Elon University. Keenan's speech, “Idealism and Impatience,” incorporated his personal political story and his ideals for future diplomacy. Elon’s Liberal Arts Forum hosted Keenan at 7:30 p.m. in Whitley Auditorium.
Here are four takeaways from the speech.
1. One decision as a student will not make or break your career.
Keenan has been writing speeches for former President Barack Obama for about 12 years. Long before this role, Keenan had no idea what he wanted to pursue professionally.
“When I graduated from Northwestern in 2002, I moved to Washington,” he said. I didn’t know anybody. I didn’t have any connections. I didn’t have any jobs lined up.”
Soon after moving, Keenan realized his political science degree from a “good school” was not enough to impress employers with “decades of experience in politics.”
After many failed interviews, Keenan took an unpaid internship, and after a few months, began to climb the “political ladder.” Eventually, he said he was asked by a boss “Hey, can you write a speech?”
Keenan had never considered speechwriting before and it is now his career. His job as Obama’s speechwriter was not solely obtained because of one choice or plan. Keenan demonstrated it was perseverance and ambition that led to his discovery in an unexpected and fulfilling career.
2. Being cynical is unrewarding.
Keenan acknowledged that politics, especially now, can be disappointing. He said it is “easier to put up that armor and say they’re always going to let you down.”
But being cynical lacks a reward. Instead, opening up to the possibility of success, and actually succeeding, is what Keenan said is the “best reward there is.” Referencing also the 2018 Women’s Marches, he encouraged listeners to channel that energy consistently. He also encouraged a combination of realism and idealism to bring about change.
“We can’t just care about this country when our own narrow interests are at stake,” he said. We’re not supposed to take off four years, or eight years, when our preferred candidate wins.”
3. The road to success is challenging but often worth it.
Throughout Obama’s presidency, Democratic efforts were sometimes met by disappointment, as all presidencies are. Keenan discussed the loss of Democratic power in the Senate and the House and school shootings, saying he witnessed a lot of “cruelty” and “destructive politics.”
“You’re not always going to win,” he said. “Sometimes that boulder that you’ve been working so hard to push uphill slips, and you have to take a breath and go back down and get it,” he said.
4. Young voices matter.
Keenan encouraged the audience to participate in politics. He shared a few direct outcomes to the “massive” increase in young American voters in the 2018 elections: The average age of a member in Congress is 10 years lower, and climate change and inequality are now being recognized in government.
“America is not just limited to those who work in politics,” he said. “It requires all of us pushing. And I’ll tell you, it’s been pretty amazing to see all of that coming true over the past couple of years.”
He asked the audience to imagine even more young voters.
“Suddenly you get officials that look like you guys. Who look like the rest of the country.”
If Americans come together, he said, politics will become more “hopeful” and “responsive to our lives.”
Audience Reactions
Students and residents from the area surrounding Elon came to listen to the speaker.
Sydnie Holder, a first-year elementary and special education major, said she enjoyed the speech.
“I like that he addressed he had failures,” she said.
Other students, such as Chloe Yoon, a first-year student at Elon with a major in English, were not as fond of Cody Keenan.
“I think he brought too much of his Democratic view into the speech,” she said. “I wish the speech was more applicable to students of different political views.”
Page cover photo credit to Alex Kaminer