Barton Swaim was struggling to find an academic jobâheâd recently received a PhD in Englishâwhen he sent his resume to Mark Sanford, the conservative and controversial governor of South Carolina. He thought he could improve the governorâs writing and speeches.
On the surface, this is the story of Sanfordâs rise and fall. But itâs really an account of what happens when a band of believers attach themselves to an ambitious narcissist. Everyone knows this kind of politicianâa charismatic maverick who goes up against the system and its ways, but thinks he doesnât have to live by the rules. Swaim describes what makes people invest in their leaders, how those leaders do provide moments of inspiration, and then how they let them down.
The Speechwriter is a funny and candid introduction to the world of politics, where press statements are purposefully nonsensical, grammatical errors are intentional, and better copy means more words. Through his three years in the governorâs office, Swaim paints a portrait of a man so principled heâd rather sweat than use state money to pay for air conditioning, so oblivious heâd wear the same stained shirt for two weeks, so egotistical heâd belittle his staffers to make himself feel better, and so self-absorbed he never once apologized for making his administration the laughing stock of the country. In the end, itâs also an account of the very human staffers who risk a life in politics out of conviction and learn to survive a broken heart.