The Speech that Made Obama President

In 2004, a one-term senator from Illinois took the stage to deliver the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. By the time Barack Obama had finished speaking, Democrats across the country knew they had seen the future of their party.

Political speech experts featured in this episode include:

Michael A. Cohen
Author, Live From The Campaign Trail

Mario Cuomo
Former Governor of New York

Robert Lehrman
Chief Speechwriter for Vice President Gore and Professor of Speechwriting, American University

Charlton McIlwain
Professor of Communication, New York University

Jeff Shesol
Speechwriter for President Clinton and Founding Partner, West Wing Writers