Confessions of a Presidential Speechwriter

Craig R. Smith

• Publisher: Michigan State University Press
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN:
  9781611861136
• eBook ISBN:
  9781628950106
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Political Biographies
• Index: Politics & International Relations

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 memoir, 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 transitions from consultantships with George H. W. Bush and the Republican caucus of the U.S. Senate to a position with Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca. When Smith returns to Washington, D.C., as president and founder of the Freedom of Expression Foundation, he becomes a leading player on First Amendment issues in the nation's capital. Returning at long last to academia, Smith finds happiness coming out of the closet and reaping the benefits of a dedicated and highly successful career.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Chapter One. Meeting Richard Nixon and Robert Kennedy
• Chapter Two. Geography Lessons
• Chapter Three. From Student Body President to CBS News
• Chapter Four. First Job Syndrome
• Chapter Five. Working at Mr. Jefferson's University
• Chapter Six. Writing for President Ford
• Chapter Seven. Writing for President George H. W. Bush
• Chapter Eight. Working for the United States Senate
• Chapter Nine. Running a Senate Campaign
• Chapter Ten. The National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee
• Chapter Eleven. Living Large with Lee Iacocca
• Chapter Twelve. President of a National Foundation
• Chapter Thirteen. Protecting Broadcasters’ First Amendment Rights
• Chapter Fourteen. The Rise and Fall of George Bush
• Chapter Fifteen. The Fall of Bob Packwood
• Chapter Sixteen. There's More Politics in Education than Education in Politics
• Chapter Seventeen. Last Lessons Out of the Whirl of Events
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index