James Fallows
James Fallows, the prolific journalist and National Book Award winner (for National Defense - 1981) is an acute student of Presidential rhetoric. He was Jimmy Carter's chief speechwriter - at the age of 26 - like Jon Favreau, the Holy Cross grad who is Barack Obama's chief speechwriter.
Fallows has published his annotated version of President Barack Obama's 2010 State of the Union address. The full annotated text is HERE. An excerpt follows:
One year ago, I took office amid two wars, an economy rocked by a severe recession, a financial system on the verge of collapse, and a government deeply in debt. Experts from across the political spectrum warned that if we did not act, we might face a second depression. So we acted -- immediately and aggressively. And one year later, the worst of the storm has passed.
But the devastation remains. One in 10 Americans still cannot find work. Many businesses have shuttered. Home values have declined. Small towns and rural communities have been hit especially hard. And for those who'd already known poverty, life has become that much harder.
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