Obama’s Speechwriter on Instilling Hope (with Cody Keenan)

Words matter. Coming from the highest office, they have the power to bring the nation together or tear it apart. Andy speaks with Barack Obama’s chief speechwriter Cody Keenan about some of the most high-stakes speeches Obama gave during his presidency, from the aftermath of a white supremacist shooting to the fate of marriage equality, and why his message of redemption resonated so strongly with the American people. Cody also reacts to the pendulum swing that brought us Trump’s hateful language and Biden’s propensity for unscripted remarks.

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Follow Cody Keenan on Twitter @codykeenan.

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Check out these resources from today’s episode: 

Order Cody’s book, “Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America”: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/grace-cody-keenan?variant=39970831597602

Find vaccines, masks, testing, treatments, and other resources in your community: https://www.covid.gov/

Order Andy’s book, “Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response”: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165 

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For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.