The Justice

Media Credit: Sara Brandenburg Ted Sorenson, JFK's speechwriter and adviser, shares his political wisdom onstage at the Carl J. Shapiro Theater.

A cameraman took a step closer so that his video camera was hovering a foot from Ted Sorenson's face. A second reporter eagerly held out a microphone and asked what the process of crafting a speech was like. Without missing a beat, Sorenson replied, "It's not unlike crafting questions to ask a reluctant guest."

Last Tuesday, Sorenson, who served as former president John F. Kennedy's speechwriter and closest adviser, delivered a speech in the Carl J. Shapiro Theater. The event, "From 'Ask Not…' to 'Yes We Can,'" was sponsored by the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life, where Sorenson serves as chair of the advisory board.

Apart from his sharp wit, Sorenson, now 80 years old, shared his political insight from his experience working with President John F. Kennedy. Not one spot in the 249-seat theater was empty, and students lined the walls to hear Sorenson talk.

Despite being Kennedy's speechwriter, Sorenson said that people shouldn't concern themselves with who wrote speeches, but rather the ideas that the speeches conveyed. "A much more important question is not who penned particular words as a wordsmith, but why Kennedy's values, principles, and policies that were stressed throughout that speech have been largely forgotten," he said.

In addition, he insisted that he was not the author of Kennedy's speeches, but only the person who expressed Kennedy's thoughts in verbal form. "The author is the man who stood behind it," he said. "It was a speech that received a good deal of praise and [Kennedy] deserves that praise."

Definitive about what makes a good inaugural address, Sorenson reminded the audience that the speech is "not a time for personality presentation" or listing specific initiatives, but should uphold "lofty principles."

Sorenson spoke about the parallels between President-elect Obama and Kennedy and the importance of a great inaugural address. He started with a simple parallel between the two: Both presidents are youthful idealists with superb oratory skills and with the ability to appeal to the youngest generation of voters, he said.

Continued...

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