Inside the making of the State of the Union address

It’s one of the most important speeches ANY President gives in ANY year. Both houses of Congress attend. The Supreme Court justices. Joint Chiefs. Nearly the entire Cabinet.The speech is not mandated. Article II of the Constitution calls only for a report “from time to time” from the President to Congress on how things are going.It’s the State of the Union Address. And when it airs Tuesday night – when the House Sergeant at Arms shouts: “Madam Speaker, the President of the United States!"” the pageantry will begin.But the main event will be the speech. The words. The prose. The combination of substance and style that simultaneously seeks to define the national agenda and persuade Americans and Congress to believe in it.But how do those words get onto the page? What is the process? What tradeoffs occur? When does a President step in? And when does the President say: This is done.To get an insider’s view of the Art of Speechwriting – with special focus on the State of the Union Address – we spoke to insiders, speechwriters, from the last three Administrations: * From the Obama Administration: Former Director of Speechwriting Jon Favreau * From George W. Bush: former Special Assistant and Speechwriter David Frum * And from Bill Clinton: Former Assistant to the President and Director of Speechwriting Michael WaldmanEach wrote words for and with the President at different times in history. Different circumstances and crises and dreams. What makes a great speech? What defines the Art of Speechwriting? That’s what we asked them.