As President Obama prepares to give the last State of the Union address of his first term, BPC launched an examination of the politics and policy impacting the upcoming presidential and congressional elections. From campaign- and election- themed events to policy debates, the year-long BPC effort began on January 24 with former White House speechwriters anticipating and framing the president's speech later that evening and the Republican response. The conversation explored the mechanics of writing a speech of such magnitude, the additional political pressures speechwriters face in an election year, and the expected reaction from the media and Republican presidential candidates.

Introductions by

Zachary Hastings Hooper
Director of Public Affairs, BPC

Featuring

Vinca LaFleur
Partner, West Wing Writers
Former Speechwriter to President Bill Clinton

Bob Lehrman
Adjunct Professor, American University School of Communication
Former Chief Speechwriter to Vice President Al Gore
Author, The Political Speechwriter's Companion

John McConnell
Former Speechwriter to President George W. Bush

Chriss Winston
Former Chief Speechwriter to President George H.W. Bush

Moderated by

Richard Wolffe
Political Analyst, MSNBC
Author, Revival: The Struggle for Survival Inside the Obama White House

Follow BPC’s live tweets from the event @BPC_Bipartisan #SOTU.

Democracy Project, 2012 Politics