Dear Foxy,

Sometimes one can be seduced by words. I read a couple of articles written by Kevin Rudd before he became prime minister. They were most impressive. Rudd was a Churchill in speech and a Chamberlain in action.

I was involved in politics in Philadelphia during the Vietnamese War. One politician in my party running for mayor gauged his audiences. If they were for the war he lauded the virtues of the military. If they were against the war he questioned its wisdom. Nuri Reichart and I played a part in seeing he didn't get nominated. He was very angry at both of us.

Whether or not a politician uses a speech writer she or he should be consistent and honest. Don't tailor your speech to the audience, but say what you think.

"tear down THIS wall".

"Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan". The speech was clearly a success so many seek to claim the glory. eg Peter Robinson.

" In an article published in The Wall Street Journal in November 2009, [Anthony] Dolan gives a detailed account of how in an Oval Office meeting that was prior to Robinson's draft Reagan came up with the line on his own. He records impressions of his own reaction and Robinson's at the time.".

Dear David,

Peter Robinson certainly knew and understood the US President
Ronald Reagan. Reagan questioned the wall but Robinson wrote
the line to "tear down the wall." He understood the President
very well having written so many
speeches for him:

http://politico.eu/article/speechwriter-who-helped-reagan-tear-down-that-wall

He understood what tone worked for the president: clarity, a
sense of vision and a moral purpose. He also realised that sometimes
as stated earlier great speechwriting requires breaking rules
and following one's instincts.

Robinson had been advised by numerous diplomats not to
mention the Berlin Wall in the speech, yet in spite of the
advice, he left the line - "Mr Gorbachev, tear down the wall,"
in every draft.

And the President took it on board on Robinson's advice.

Competing stories that we'll never know the answer to.

I guess those who think little of Reagan would prefer to believe the Robinson story, while those who know Reagan was a great man would prefer to believe Anthony Dolan. Either way, the speech embodied the ideas and aims of Reagan and it was Reagan's decision to override the State Dept to use those words, just as he'd done with the 'Evil empire' speech.

Nonetheless it was a great speech because of its delivery and because it had all the elements that galvanised action and support. The wall that had separated Europe for a quarter century fell three years later. Along with the "On the beaches" speech, the most iconic of the 20th century.

Even so, I'd still vote for the Chamberlain eulogy speech as my favourite simply because of its demonstration of simple English compassion and fair-mindedness.

Dear mhaze,

I know you love the bloke but come on.

Dolan said:

"Well before a draft was circulated, I called the writer who had the assignment, Peter Robinson, and told him I was going to an Oval Office meeting.

Shortly before we walked to the West Wing, Peter told me what he wanted in the draft: "Tear down the wall." I pushed back in my chair from my desk and let loose "fantastic, wonderful, great, perfect" and other inadequate exclamations. The Oval Office meeting agenda went quickly, with little chance to pop the question. But the discussion ceased for a moment toward the end, and I crowded in: "Mr. President, it's still very early but we were just wondering if you had any thoughts at all yet on the Berlin speech?"

Pausing for only a moment, Reagan slipped into his imitation of impressionist Rich Little doing his imitation of Ronald Reagan—he made the well-known nod of the head, said the equally familiar "well," and then added in his soft but resonant intonation while lifting his hand and letting it fall: "Tear down the wall.""

Do you really think Regan hadn't seen the speech before the meeting on the 19th?

"On Friday, May 15, the speeches for the President's trip to Rome, Venice, and Berlin, including my draft, were forwarded to the President, and on Monday, May 18, the speechwriters joined him in the Oval Office. My speech was the last we discussed. Tom Griscom asked the President for his comments on my draft."

The argument that it was portrayed as the president's own in some quarters to smooth the way for it to remain in the speech is pretty evident.

Thanks Steele.

Here's more:

http://hoover.org/research/secrets-statescraft-peter-robinson-art-writing-ronald-reagans-speeches