Confessions of a Presidential Speechwriter, Part II (2014) watch online HD

An avid high school debater and enthusiastic student body president, Craig Smith seemed destined for a life in public service from an early age. As a sought-after speechwriter, Smith had a ... See full summary

An avid high school debater and enthusiastic student body president, Craig Smith seemed destined for a life in public service from an early age. As a sought-after speechwriter, Smith had a front-row seat at some of the most important events of the twentieth century, meeting with Robert Kennedy and Richard Nixon, advising Governor Ronald Reagan, writing for President Ford, serving as a campaign manager for a major U.S. senator's reelection campaign, and writing speeches for a contender for the Republican nomination for president. Life in the volatile world of politics wasn't always easy, however, and as a closeted gay man, Smith struggled to reconcile his private and professional lives. In this revealing interview based on his memoir "Confessions of a Presidential Speechwriter" (Michigan State University Press, 2014), Smith sheds light on what it takes to make it as a speechwriter in a field where the only constant is change. While bouncing in and out of the academic world, Smith ...