Lessons from 75 Years of Presidential Speeches

What Joe Biden could learn from his predecessors.

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Seventy-five years ago today, October 5, 1947, Harry Truman gave the first televised presidential address from the White House. Truman spoke to the nation—or at least to the 44,000 American households that had TV sets at the time—about the continuing shortages in Europe following World War II and the need for Americans to conserve food to help the people of Europe. Another 40 million or so Americans had the capacity to hear—but not see—Truman via radio.

Truman’s speech was not the first time a president had appeared on TV, but address started a new and now familiar routine of the live televised speech to the nation: All of Truman’s White House addresses after that would be televised, and soon TV would eclipse radio as the way the Americans got their messages from the commander in chief.

The triumphs and missteps of the past 75 years have provided a playbook for Truman’s successors, one that could be useful for Joe Biden, whose biggest speeches have been too sharp and too partisan, especially for a president who was elected on the promise of uniting America. The lessons began with Truman’s successor. Dwight Eisenhower understood the importance of television, hosting the first televised presidential press conference, and even hired a well-known actor, Robert Montgomery, to help with his performances. When Ike was preparing to leave office in 1960, he and his speechwriters worked for months on a farewell address, the famed “military-industrial complex” speech, which imparted a warning he wanted to leave to the nation upon his departure.

Jack Kennedy was far better on TV than Eisenhower and recognized that TV was instrumental in his 1960 presidential victory. “We wouldn’t have had a prayer without that gadget,” he said after watching a tape of televised campaign appearances. He also was the first president to do his press conferences live and unedited on TV, where his quick wit had the reporters begging for more. Kennedy’s key televised address was his September 12, 1962, Rice University speech pledging to get America to the moon within a decade. This speech spoke to the aspirations of the American people and helped inspire a generation.

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  1. Sam

    I think that Tevi Troy would be the next great hire. How about a history themed newsletter.

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    Rajeev

    Joe Biden’s MAGA Republican speech was one of his finest yet. He stumbles regularly on boring policy speeches like on infrastructure or inflation. But this was the speech he needed to give before January 6th. The Republican Party will always call any Democrat’s speeches divisive if any Democrat acknowledges reality and has even the mildest criticism or policy position they don’t like. But Biden finally stepped up and gave a memorable and powerful speech.

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    Kevin Johnson

    Thanks much. I was a junior Embassy staffer sent from Bonn to Berlin to help with President Reagan’s visit to Berlin. Witnessing his “tear down this wall” line with the disgusting wall behind him was fantastic. When I later learned how many advisers tried to cut that line, I was even more impressed. Great history told concisely and enjoyably. Well done and thanks.

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  4. Ted Smith

    My favorite of Reagan's speeches was at Point du Hoc (a bluff above Omaha beach) on the 40th anniversary of D-Day (June 6, 1984). No teleprompter, just note cards. It was perfect for the time and place. And about 12.5 minutes long.

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    Cecelia Grace

    I'm really sad to see that a fair number of the comments on this piece are unconstructive and/or rude.
    This was a great historical recap, and really helpful to me personally (as most of my history classes stopped at Watergate). Thanks for writing this!

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  6. Raincheck

    Interesting how a gifted speaker like Clinton didn’t give a classic speech. Maybe it is because they were all 2 hours long.

    My advice (much sought after):

    Keep it brief. Start with a short speech and then mercilessly edit it down.
    Speak to all Americans, not just your supporters.
    Be the President, not the head of a party. (Same idea as above, but cannot be emphasized enough)
    Make sure it is true, connects emotionally, and leads to concrete action

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    Bill B

    In my lifetime I can remember few speeches but then any interest in politics didn't occur until well into adulthood. That being said, in memory of course, Kennedy was a rock star on speeches beginning with the Inaugural Addess, We Choose The Moon, etc; I hardly remember any of Johnson's speeches except that last one - missed the Gulf of Tonkin one; faint recollection of a couple of Nixon's - the last one is pretty memorable; none of Ford's except the N Korean one - only because it sent my DDG heading that way; Carter's "malaise" speech was memorable; a couple Reagan set-piece speeches on foreign policy mostly, i.e., "tear down this wall", etc. ; the "this will not stand" speech from the Bush 41; none of Clinton's speeches which is odd; the 9/11 address by Bush 43 and then some blooper reels; Obama's Bin Laden address, the Address to Congress that featured that disgrace of a human being, Joe Wilson, and the others which were memorable for the grief and frustration with which they addressed too many preventable domestic tragedies, i.e., Newton massacre, Charleston mass shooting, etc.; a few Trump speeches I'd just as soon forget; Biden, none so far, other than the "facist" speech which needed to be given in the event anyone is still suffering from the illusion that a violence prone personality cult intent on subverting and overthrowing a democratically elected government is engaging in "civil discourse".

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  8. Urey Patrick

    Interesting, but postulating on what Biden "could" learn from his predecessors is rather wishful, don't you think? Not to be crude about it, but in reality if a frog had wings, it wouldn't bump its ass.

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  9. JMG

    Could you please rewrite this and substitute Komicala Harris for Joe Biden?

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  10. Philebus

    "The triumphs and missteps of the past 75 years have provided a playbook for Truman’s successors, one that could be useful for Joe Biden, whose biggest speeches have been too sharp and too partisan, especially for a president who was elected on the promise of uniting America".

    Yea. Not sure he's up to it. Great article...

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