Ep. 507 — Cody Keenan

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

CNN

News

4.6 • 7.7K Ratings

🗓️ 13 October 2022

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In high school, Cody Keenan wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon. But a challenging college chemistry course led him to pursue a degree in political science instead. He got his start working in the mailroom for Sen. Ted Kennedy, eventually becoming chief speech writer for President Barack Obama. Cody joined David to talk about the challenges of speech writing, battling imposter syndrome, the joys and frustrations of working in politics, and a whirlwind 10 days chronicled in his new book, “Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America.”

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Transcript

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0:00.0	And now, from the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and CNN Audio, the Axe Files, with
0:12.6	your host, David Axelrod.
0:16.0	If you're a regular listener you may recall my conversation a few years back with an old
0:23.0	friend and colleague of mine, Cody Keenan, the former Chief Speechwriter for President
0:27.2	Obama. Well now Cody's written a book, a splendid book called, Grace, President Obama, and
0:33.5	10 Days in the Battle for America. It's about 10 eventful days in 2015 during which, a lot
0:39.8	of history was made, some sorry, and some tragic. The book's a wonderful window into Obama
0:46.3	his White House, and the role of speechwriter, really speech collaborator, to a president
0:52.1	for whom the power of words meant so much.
0:55.2	I sat down with Cody this week before an audience at the Institute of Politics to talk
0:59.4	about this and his own journey. Here's that conversation.
1:09.9	Cody Keenan, it's great to see you brother, it's been a while. And I appreciate you being
1:16.6	here, you're coming down from some school on the north side there.
1:21.8	Yeah, I just sorry about saying thanks for what ain't Northwestern guy in here. I just
1:26.4	came from class. Where you teach speech writing, but it's good
1:32.7	of you to be here at the Institute of Politics and we're happy to have you. Chicago is really
1:38.2	your original home. This is where you were born. Much of your youth was spent here. In
1:44.5	fact you were born in Rigglyville. That's right. And you remain to this day. I know
1:50.5	a loyal Cubs fan, Bears fan. And I was wondering if this is how you learned how to write so
1:58.6	poignantly about sorrow and loss. Yeah, the the Venn diagram between being a Democrat and
2:05.2	a Cubs and Bears fan is a circle. And your folks were in the advertising business creatives
2:13.5	and the advertising, what tell me about them? What did they do? Well, they so they were
	...

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