American speechwriter
Cody Keenan is an American political advisor and speechwriter who served as the director of
speechwriting for
President Barack Obama . Keenan studied
political science at
Northwestern University .
[1]
[2] After graduation, he worked in the
U.S. senate office of
Ted Kennedy ,
[3] before studying for a master's in
public policy at the
Harvard Kennedy School .
[4] After graduation, he took a full-time position on
Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008.
[3] In 2009, he assumed the position of deputy director of speechwriting. After
Jon Favreau left the White House in 2013, Keenan took over as director of speechwriting.
[4]
Early life and education
Keenan's parents were both advertising executives
[5] who lived in
Lake View, Chicago , before moving to
Evanston, Illinois ,
Wilmette, Illinois ,
[5] and later Ridgefield,
Fairfield County, Connecticut , where Keenan attended high school.
[6] Keenan attended
Northwestern University ,
[7] where he majored in
political science ,
[5] graduating in 2002.
[8] Keenan is a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and recipient of its Significant Sig award.
[9]
Career history
Keenan works with speechwriters
Ben Rhodes , and
Jon Favreau , with President Obama in the Oval Office in February 2013
Early career
Keenan's political career began with an internship in the mailroom of
Ted Kennedy 's senate office in 2003, before going on to become the senator's legislative aide.
[10] After a stint as a staff assistant for the
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee ,
[7] Keenan took a
master's degree in
public policy at the
John F. Kennedy School of Government , studying speechwriting and delivery under
Steve Jarding .
[11] In 2007, Keenan took a summer internship in speechwriting on
Barack Obama's presidential campaign , working under
Jon Favreau ,
[12] before returning to the Kennedy School to complete the second year of his studies.
[13] He remained involved in the campaign during the year, flying to
Iowa during the Christmas break to assist in preparation for the
Iowa caucuses .
[14] After
Hillary Clinton conceded in June 2008, Keenan returned as a full-time staffer on Obama's presidential campaign.
[7]
[13]
[15]
White House staffer
After the election, Keenan continued in the role as deputy director of speechwriting, working on a speech about the
Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act ,
[14] the president's eulogy for Ted Kennedy in 2009,
[13] and the president's
address after the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords in 2011,
[8] among other speeches. He appeared in a
visual gag for the 2009
White House Correspondents' Dinner , dressed as a pirate.
[16] Prior to Favreau's departure from the White House in March 2013, Keenan took the lead on writing the
State of the Union Address in January 2013.
[17]
Barack Obama with Cody Keenan in the Oval Office, July 23, 2013
In March 2013, Keenan was promoted to White House director of speechwriting,
[7] with overall responsibility for all speechwriting. Writing in
The New York Times ,
Michael S. Schmidt noted that unlike Favreau, "who was known for his ability to write lofty, big-picture speeches ... Mr. Keenan focuses far more on individual, hard-work stories as parables for what is difficult but still possible in America."
[6] In 2015, Keenan wrote
the speech delivered by Obama to mark the 50th anniversary of
Bloody Sunday .
[18] After leaving the White House in 2017, Keenan spent several more years writing with Barack Obama.
[19]
In June 2015, Keenan gave a
commencement address to the
Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service .
[20] In June 2018, Keenan delivered the convocation speech at his alma mater,
Northwestern University .
[21]
Writing
Keenan is the author of a New York Times Best Seller, Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America (2022), which tells the story of “ten days of the presidency, in June 2015, when a racist massacre and two impending Supreme Court decisions put the character of our country on the line, and a President's words could bring the nation together or tear it apart.”
[22] In January 2023, the book was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction.
[23]
Other work
Keenan is a partner at the speechwriting firm Fenway Strategies,
[24] a visiting professor at Northwestern University,
[25] and sits on the board of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate.
Personal life
Keenan married Kristen Bartoloni in 2016.
[26]
[27] Bartoloni worked as deputy research director in the Obama White House.
[28] The story of their courtship and marriage was included in the CNN Films documentary The End: Inside the Last Days of the Obama White House .
[29] In the film, Keenan says he and Bartoloni met during her first day on the job which he describes as "still the best day I've had at the White House." Keenan says he asked Bartoloni to go out with him three times before she agreed. In 2020, Bartoloni gave birth to a daughter named Grace.
[30]
References
^
"Obama speechwriter Cody Keenan to discuss elections, White House Nov. 12" . news.northwestern.edu . Retrieved 2019-02-01 .
^ Felsenthal, Carol.
"Cody Keenan, Obama's Chief Speechwriter: Chicago-Born and (Mostly) Bred" . Chicago magazine . Retrieved 2019-02-01 .
^
a
b Franke-Ruta, Garance (2013-02-12).
"Who Is Cody Keenan, Obama's SOTU Speechwriter?" . The Atlantic . Retrieved 2019-02-01 .
^
a
b Clift, Eleanor (2013-02-12).
"Meet Cody Keenan, Lead Speechwriter on Obama's 2013 State of the Union" . Retrieved 2019-02-01 .
^
a
b
c Stein, Lisa.
"Cody Keenan has words for the President" . Crosscurrents Magazine .
Northwestern University . Retrieved September 2, 2015 .
^
a
b
Schmidt, Michael S. (January 19, 2015).
"State of the Union Speechwriter for Obama Draws on Various Inspirations" .
The New York Times . Retrieved 2 September 2015 .
^
a
b
c
d Weiner, Rachel (February 12, 2013).
"Speechwriter Cody Keenan takes lead on State of the Union" .
The Washington Post . Retrieved September 2, 2013 .
^
a
b Skiba, Katherine (January 13, 2011).
"Chicago native helped Obama find his voice in Tucson speech" .
Chicago Tribune . Retrieved September 2, 2015 .
^
"Significant Sig Cody Keenan – Sigma Chi" . Retrieved 2023-05-07 .
^ Felsenthal, Carol (February 19, 2013).
"Cody Keenan, Obama's Chief Speechwriter: Chicago-Born and (Mostly) Bred" .
Chicago . Retrieved September 2, 2015 .
^ Nawaguna, Elvina (January 28, 2014).
"The 'fearless' speech writer behind Obama's State of Union address" .
Chicago Tribune .
Reuters . Retrieved September 20, 2015 .
^
"The right Cody for the job" .
The Washington Post . January 14, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2015 .
^
a
b
c Kohut, Matt (January 11, 2010).
"Alumnus Cody Keenan MPP 2008: White House Wordsmith" .
John F. Kennedy School of Government . Retrieved September 2, 2015 .
^
a
b Superville, Darlene (May 26, 2013).
"Cody Keenan Speechwriter: Chicago Native Rose From Unpaid Intern To Presidential Wordsmith" .
The Huffington Post .
Associated Press . Retrieved September 2, 2015 .
^ McCain Nelson, Colleen (February 12, 2013).
"Meet Cody Keenan, Obama's New Top Speechwriter" .
The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved September 2, 2015 .
^ Knoller, Mark (May 12, 2009).
"White House Back-Story: The President And The Pirate" .
CBS News . Retrieved September 20, 2015 .
^ Franke-Ruta, Garance (February 12, 2013).
"Who Is Cody Keenan, Obama's SOTU Speechwriter?" .
The Atlantic . Retrieved September 2, 2015 .
^ Jaffe, Greg (June 3, 2015).
"President Obama and American exceptionalism" .
The Washington Post . Retrieved September 2, 2015 .
^
"Obama speechwriter Cody Keenan to discuss elections, White House Nov. 12" . news.northwestern.edu . Retrieved 2023-05-07 .
^ Keenan, Cody (June 16, 2015).
"Cody Keenan to Public Service Grads: Be Afraid to Fail" .
Time . Retrieved September 2, 2015 .
^
2018 Weinberg College Convocation Address by Cody Keenan , retrieved 2019-09-04
^
"He wrote for a president. What Cody Keenan can teach you about crafting a great speech" . news.northwestern.edu . Retrieved 2023-05-07 .
^
"Nominees" . NAACP Image Awards . Archived from
the original on 2017-12-06. Retrieved 2023-05-07 .
^
"Fenway Strategies" . Retrieved 2023-05-07 .
^
"Cody Keenan: Department of Political Science - Northwestern University" . polisci.northwestern.edu . Retrieved 2023-05-07 .
^ Paz, Ivanha (2017-02-07).
"Cody Keenan: RHS quarterback to Obama's lead writer" . The Ridgefield Press . Retrieved 2019-02-01 .
^ Wildman, Sarah (2016-07-15).
"For Obama's Speechwriting Team, the Message Finally Got Through" . The New York Times .
ISSN
0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-02-01 .
^
"About" . Silver Street Strategies . Retrieved 2019-02-01 .
^
"CNN's documentary 'The End' tracks end of Obama presidency" . San Angelo . Retrieved 2019-02-01 .
^ Fox, Sandra Diamond (2022-10-15).
"Cody Keenan said Obama's edits on his speeches reminded him of feedback from his former Ridgefield High School English teacher" . The Ridgefield Press . Retrieved 2023-05-07 .
External links
Office Name Term Office Name Term
White House Chief of Staff
Rahm Emanuel 2009–10
National Security Advisor
James L. Jones 2009–10
Pete Rouse 2010–11
Thomas E. Donilon 2010–13
William M. Daley 2011–12
Susan Rice 2013–17
Jack Lew 2012–13
Deputy National Security Advisor
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Rob Nabors 2013–15 Dep. National Security Advisor, Homeland Security
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Alyssa Mastromonaco 2011–14 Dep. National Security Advisor, Iraq and Afghanistan
Douglas Lute † 2009–13
Anita Decker Breckenridge 2014–17 Dep. National Security Advisor, Strategic Comm.
Ben Rhodes 2009–17 White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Planning
Mark B. Childress 2012–14 Dep. National Security Advisor, Chief of Staff
Mark Lippert 2009
Kristie Canegallo 2014–17
Denis McDonough 2009–10
Counselor to the President
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John Podesta 2014–15
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Jen Psaki 2015–17 Senior Advisor to the President
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Jen Psaki 2009–11
Brian Deese 2015–17
Jennifer Palmieri 2011–14 Senior Advisor to the President and
Valerie Jarrett 2009–17 Amy Brundage 2014–16 Assistant to the President for Liz Allen 2016–17 Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs
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Eric Schultz 2014–17
Jerry Abramson 2014–17 Director of Special Projects
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Lawrence Summers 2009–10 Director, Speechwriting
Jon Favreau 2009–13
Gene Sperling 2011–14
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Jeff Zients 2014–17 Director, Digital Strategy
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