Okay. Since I’ve already done a few entries on Jon Favreau, wunderkid and potential heartthrob extraordinaire, here are a few more recent articles about him.
UK’s Guradian has a kiss-ass article on how Favreau, or “Favs” plays guitar hero to de-stress and wrote his speeches for Obama at Starbucks.
The Guardian calls Favreau: “Obama’s mind reader has crashed his way through yet another deadline.”
The Irish Times, on the other hand, has a bit more new info. Interesting parts:
“He looks like he’s in college and everybody calls him Favs, so you’re like, ‘This guy can’t be for real, right?’ ” said Ben Rhodes, another Obama speechwriter. “But it doesn’t take long to realise that he’s totally synced up with Obama . . . He has access to everything and everybody. There’s a lot weighing on his shoulders.”
Even more daunting is the list of things Favreau can’t think about as he writes the speech. He went for a run to the Lincoln Memorial last month and stopped in his tracks when he imagined the Washington Mall packed with three million people listening to some of his words. A few weeks later, Favreau winced when Obama spokesman Bill Burton reminded him: “Dude, what you’re writing is going to be hung up in people’s living rooms!”
“If you start thinking about what’s at stake, it can get paralysing,” Favreau said.
“So,” he said. “What’s your theory on speechwriting?”
Awkward silence. Favreau, who had just graduated from Holy Cross, had talked his way into Senator John Kerry’s presidential campaign in 2003 and had become a press assistant. The speech he had given as class valedictorian circulated around the staff, and Favreau eventually got a shot at speechwriting. He wrote well and rose to the top of the department, but there was never any time to formulate theories. Now, Favreau looked at Obama and went with his gut.
“A speech can broaden the circle of people who care about this stuff,” Favreau said. “How do you say to the average person that’s been hurting: ‘I hear you. I’m there. Even though you’ve been so disappointed and cynical about politics in the past, and with good reason, we can move in the right direction. Just give me a chance’.”
“I think this is going to work,” Obama said.
When the pressure wore on Favreau, he unwound like a 27-year-old, sending prank e-mails to friends at the Obama offices or playing the video game Rock Band in the Lincoln Park house he shared with six campaign staffers. He called his best friend, Josh Porter, when he felt ready to break down.
“A few times he called at midnight, sounding just done,” Porter recalled. “He would be like, ‘I don’t know if I can do this anymore. I’m in over my head. I’m starting to freak out.’ ”
But there were also moments of euphoria, when Favreau would catch himself choking up while riding in the motorcade or rehearsing with Obama backstage. Before he entered Grant Park on election night, to stand in the VIP section with his parents and younger brother to hear Obama speak, Favreau sent a quick e-mail to Porter at 9:07 p.m. The subject line read: “Dude”.
“We won,” Favreau wrote. “Oh my God.”
That’s all for today, folks.
Update:
Watching West Wing Season 7. Just realized that Matthew Santos’ speechwriter, the Hispanic/Asian looking guy, is 23 years old. Hmmmm…
