The New Team: Jonathan Favreau

[ProSense]

The New Team

Jonathan Favreau

By ASHLEY PARKER
Published: December 5, 2008

As he prepares to take office, President-elect Barack Obama is relying on a small team of advisers who will lead his transition operation and help choose the members of his administration. Following is part of a series of profiles of potential members of the administration.

Name: Jonathan Favreau

Chosen for: Director of speechwriting

Would bring to the job: Five years of speechwriting experience, and the total trust of Mr. Obama. He helped write every major speech during the presidential race, and can recite some verbatim.

Is linked to Mr. Obama by: A chance encounter at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Mr. Favreau, then a speechwriter for Senator John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee, was dispatched to interrupt Mr. Obama’s rehearsal of his convention speech to ask him to cut an overlapping line. (Mr. Favreau recalled that Mr. Obama looked at him “kind of confused — like, ‘Who is this kid?’ ”) With Mr. Obama’s election to the Senate, Mr. Favreau was hired as a member of his staff, and he has been his speechwriter ever since. The two men are also linked by a fierce Red Sox (Mr. Favreau)-White Sox (Mr. Obama) rivalry.

In his own words: “He gives me lines that he wants to use, phrases, ideas — he sends me e-mails with chunks of outlines and speeches — so it’s a real collaborative effort. It’s very much a two-way street. It’s a little bit like being Tom Brady’s quarterback coach.” (In an interview on WBZ-TV, Boston, February 2008)

Used to work as: A press assistant in Mr. Kerry’s presidential campaign in 2003; he was promoted to speechwriter that November. In college, he interned in Mr. Kerry’s office. He was the opinion editor on his college newspaper and spent his summers during high school as a telemarketer, selling newspapers.

Carries as baggage: Not much, but he shares partial responsibility for Mr. Obama’s reputation during the campaign as emphasizing lofty rhetoric over substance. That line of criticism helped Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton stage her primary comeback in New Hampshire and put Mr. Obama on the defensive at points.

Is otherwise known for: Being obsessed with polls and worrying over them endlessly. He also has the same name as the actor Jon Favreau, of “Swingers” fame, but they are not related. The political Favreau goes by the nickname “Favs” and excels at the Xbox 360 video game Rock Band — he is known for his prowess on the guitar and his love of the microphone. He is afraid of flying.

Biography: Born June 2, 1981, in Winchester, Mass. ... grew up in North Reading, Mass. ...degree in political science from the College of the Holy Cross in 2003. ... just bought his first condominium, sandwiched between Dupont and the U Street corridor in Washington.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. "Born June 2, 1981".. HE'S 27!!!!!!!!!!??????????????

and has 5 years experience in speechwriting????

[PresidentObama]

2. Quite impressive, isn't it? n/t

[BrklynLiberal]

6. I am VERY impressed!!

[Drunken Irishman]

87. And yet, some here want his career to be over because of something simple.

[tblue37]

12. He is my daughter's age, almost exactly.

Becky was born June 12, 1981. She is a doctor and also has a higher degree in social policy from University College in Dublin, as a result of a Fulbright Fellowship she won in 2005. She took a year off from medical school to do the Fulbright and get the degree in Dublin. She has also done primate ecology research in the rainforests of Costa Rica and traveled all over Eastern and Western Europe and parts of Southeast Asia.

By age 27, a serious person should already be an adult. If someone isn't pretty much grown up and accomplished by age 27, then he or she is not likely to be by age 40, either.

His age doesn't bother me a bit. What bothers me is the evidence of immaturity and thoughtlessness, and his apparent willingness to behave publicly in inappropriate ways when under the influence of alcohol.

I think he should be watched carefully and dismissed if he does anything else that inappropriate, because it will inevitably reflect poorly on Obama, and the RW echo chamber is just aching for such things to smear Obama with.

[northernlights]

16. wow

"If someone isn't pretty much grown up and accomplished by age 27, then he or she is not likely to be by age 40, either."

That's pretty, well, judgemental, imho.

Someone might survived hell in a handbasket, and just be starting to heal from it by age 27.

I know by age 27, back in the late 70s recession, I'd spent several years nearly homeless, in therapy and in clinical suicidal depression. I was nearly institutionalized.

10 years later I was 6 years into my 1st good job -- the first decent opportunity to come my way and I jumped for it.

By age 41, I'd been promoted to a 6 figure salary. But I suppose that doesn't count, in your book since it took me until 41.

At 47 I was being considered for a top position in my field. The equivalent of a speechwriter for president or prime minister of a lesser country, but still, top of my profession. Had high tech not crashed when it did, I might have been selected and still be there...

But again, way past the age when someone is capable of actually accomplishing anything worthwhile, according to your view. Sheesh!

[tblue37]

29. Actually, that's not what I meant. When someone faces such hardships and

still triumphs, they ARE grown up by age 27. You have to have a lot of "grown up" in you to accomplish what you did despite what you faced in life. But if someone who has the path smoothed for them still doesn't stop acting like a spoiled brat by age 27, then they are not likely ever to stop acting like a spoiled brat.

My fault for not making myself clear enough. I was careless in my phrasing. Sorry.

I also faced hardships that slowed me down and prevented me from achieving what most people would consider "success" until my kids grew up--when I was already in my 40s. My problems were mostly caused by a difficult childhood and a bad marriage, which left me raising two toddlers when I was 33 years old--on a part-time adjunct's salary (about $700/month—and 0 from mid-May to mid-September!).

I had to fit part time, poorly paid jobs around my life with my kids. I did home daycare 55-60 hours a week, and did alterations and custom sewing on the side, as well as freelance editing, tutoring, etc. Anything I could fit into the times when my kids were at their dad's house or asleep. While they were growing up, I almost never got any sleep at all, and my health has suffered terribly from it. I didn't get a chance to achieve anything that others would call accomplishments until my kids grew up and left home, and even now that both are in fine careers, this is the first year that they haven't needed some financial help from me, so this is the first year that I can actually start using what I earn to try to further my own goals or take care of myself and plan for my own retirement. (I am 58, so that's a pretty looming time marker.)

Nevertheless, I consider the successful raising of my own kids, plus the 33 that I raised over 18 years in my daycare, as well as the teaching of college students and tutoring of all sorts of students over the years to be "accomplishments." I never made money from doing those things--at least not enough to really even live on. But I am proud of what I managed to do.

The poster I was responding to seemed to be suggesting that the fact that the young man was just 27 and was already a speechwriter for the president-elect, and even that he had been writing speeches for five years, was unusual and sort of bizarre. My point was that most people do grow up and start dealing with life by that age--if they are going to at all--unless unusual hardships prevent them from doing so, as was the case for you—and in some ways even for me.

I am mainly thinking of all the spoiled 20-somethings and 30-somethings that I know of who are still doing dumb stuff like posting drunken pictures of themselves on Facebook and thinking that shows how cute and clever they are. Those "kids" usually have had the way smoothed for them and have no real excuse for being so immature--except, of course, that they are spoiled and self-centered and have always gotten away with acting like fools.

This Favreau fellow is obviously accomplished--but I question how grown up he really is. Who with half a brain doesn't already know that anything you allow to be posted on Facebook is going to be widely disseminated and used against you?

[musicblind]

69. My father was in his 40's before he finally got himself on the road to success.

He now runs insurance agencies and makes around 250,000 dollars a year. It took a lot of time for him to become "accomplished". Saying that a person who is not "grown up and accomplished" by the time they are 27 will never be grown up and accomplished is just not true. It is very judgemental. ESPECIALLY the "accomplished" part.

[tblue37]

76. See my reply 29. My phrasing was uncelar. nt

[11 Bravo]

3. That boy is going places (if he can stay away from cardboard tits).

[Swamp Rat]

4. LOL!

[grantcart]

15. lol

[Cash_thatswhatiwant]

5. He makes me feel like I should be doing a lot more even at 21...

I like the fact that Obama has a lot of young people around him helping him.

[LaydeeBug]

54. Ok...not to sound cynical or anything...

But I'd check out his parent's connections before I'd go feeling inadequate. And no, that isn't to insinuate anything about Barack Obama, but Washington DC is VERY MUCH a "who you know" kinda town.

[sonias]

7. I love Favreau as a writer

But he's already messed up a little bit on the politics D.C. etiquette.

Independent- UK
Obama's 'Yes we can' man left red-faced

By Rupert Cornwell in Washington
Friday, 5 December 2008

It most definitely was not in the script – an item posted on the internet showing Barack Obama's top wordsmith being less than respectful of Hillary Clinton, whose nomination as Secretary of State was supposed to show that all was forgiven between the arch rivals of the Democratic primaries.

The trouble arose yesterday afternoon when some photos briefly appeared on the social networking site Facebook, showing Jon Favreau, the president-elect's boy-wonder chief speech writer, dancing at a party with a lifesize cut-out of the soon-to-be chief diplomat of the US.

In another picture, the 27-year-old Favreau (credited with inventing the 'Yes We Can' slogan that became Mr Obama's rhetorical trademark) is seen placing his hand on Ms Clinton's cardboard chest, while a friend is pressing a beer to the lips of the former first lady and outgoing New York Senator.

Oops!

Sonia

[FrenchieCat]

11. He's allowed some youthful indiscretions......

and I'm sure this one won't happen again.

[Cha]

32. I know..It's like one strike and you're

OUT around here with some peeps..like their shit never stank.

And, they just end up sounding like a collective pompous ass.

[Beacool]

58. Would you think the same thing if it had been a cut out of Michelle?

Would he still have a job if that had been the case?

Not that I think that he should have been fired, but the frat boy behavior was way out of line.

[mwei924]

64. Michelle's not a politician though.

Politicians get mocked and ridiculed; that's part of the job. I never thought it was "unacceptable" to poke fun at a politician. I mean, if that was cutout of Obama, I don't think anyone would care either.

[Beacool]

65. What does being a politician have anything to do with groping her cut out?

I would think that some would not like to see a picture of a couple of Clinton staffers groping an Obama cut out's crotch.

[mwei924]

66. That would be stupid looking picture as well, but not something to get fired over.

I don't see how this is somehow "demeaning" to all womankind. As a 20-something girl, I don't find it particularly shocking or offensive for a drunken party picture.

And Bill has SAID more offensive things about Obama during the primary, but he wasn't fired.

[Beacool]

68. Well, therein lies the problem.

I'm older than you and have done plenty of partying too. But this is different, it wouldn't have been the same if these two guys had been frat boys at some party. But, one guy has a direct line to the new president and the other one is wearing a t-shirt that identifies him as an Obama staffer. Also, the cut out they are groping represents their employer's former opponent and new SOS.

[mwei924]

72. It's a drunken party. Not a state dinner.

Of course, it's stupid to take a picture like that but when you've had half a dozen beers, no one really cares anymore. It says more about his lack of inhibitions while intoxicated than anything else. And I don't think anyone hasn't done something embarrassing while drunk.

You're gonna fire every 26 year-old with dumb party pictures? A whole generation would be chronically unemployed.

You know what was also stupid? Bill Clinton leaving clumsy evidence of his screwing around. I recall the Republicans wanting to fire him for that. But isn't it a good thing we're not puritanical?

[Beacool]

83. I never asked for the guy to be fired.

But, he was disrespectful and so was his buddy. Not the end of the world, but i hope that he learned his lesson.

[Danger Mouse]

8. Wow, he's my age. Makes me feel like a loser.

[Jennicut]

9. He is older then me, I am 32 and fell like a real big loser. But he also likes guitar hero

or rock band and I am so over those games, my husband plays it constantly.

[Pirate Smile]

10. He is 27.

[Jennicut]

40. sorry I meant younger, oops. Makes me feel like a loser, he is 5 years younger!

[Evergreen Emerald]

13. he acts like a frat boy

at least he isn't a frat boy president, just condoned by one.

[Billy Shears]

14. no frat boy I ever knew could write a speech like this guy

I'm overjoyed to hear that he will continue in his position.

[Evergreen Emerald]

17. I am not overjoyed

I am surprised that his behavior is so acceptable to many people. Perhaps had his political persuasion been different, his demeaning behavior would not be as overlooked.

[jakem]

21. While a stupid action, 'demeaning' is a bit harsh.

27 and drinking, I have a hard time getting riled up about a quick cardboard feel.

[Evergreen Emerald]

27. please

The "cardboard" is not simply a plain cardboard box. It is representative. To suggest otherwise is to attempt to ignore and minimize behavior that if done to an Obama cut-out (or Michelle cut-out) or done by a key adviser to Clinton would result in screams from DU for his head.

[Alexander]

34. Didn't you get the memo? Fun is forbidden in the Obama White House.

There will be no having fun of any kind whatsoever!

[Billy Shears]

22. his action could never be as demeaning as Hillary's 'Skies will open,Celestial Choirs will sing' bit

and yet Obama is big enough to bring her into the fold.

You should try acting like Obama for once.

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Beacool]

60. Oh please, that was while campaigning.

And he wasn't "big enough", in politics one hand always washes the other.

[mwei924]

67. So doing it while campaigning is OK, but at a private party, it's outrageous?

[Beacool]

71. All politicians say plenty of B.S. while campaigning.

Hillary did, Obama did and everyone else has too.

The stupidity was putting it on Facebook.

[mwei924]

73. The campaign B.S. is probably also on tape though...

For all we know, this might've been from the "campaign" so I guess now it's excusable.

[rockymountaindem]

24. It's good to know that one innocent, harmless mistake can still ruin our lives

I'll remember that the next time I'm having fun.

[Alexander]

35. Yes, nice to see the Purity Police here care so much about the mistakes of others.

Sounds like someone has a little too much free time.

[ErinBerin84]

18. I'm glad he's staying on too

and I'm sure he got a talking to...why anyone involved with a political campaign would choose to have a facebook page (much less post a picture that really makes you look like a dumb ass) is beyond me.

[Hippo_Tron]

42. Problem is that other people can put it on facebook even if you don't have a page

It makes it easier to find if you have your own facebook page but somebody browsing someone else's photos could've found this.

[CreekDog]

19. Groping a real person is noteworthy, groping a cardboard cutout at a private party is nothing

frankly.

nobody can even tell a joke anymore.

[polichick]

20. Well, it is just a tad pathetic. :)

[FlaGranny]

57. I don't think so -

it's just horsing around.

[leftofthedial]

25. Jon. Interns get groped. They don't do the groping.

Welcome to DC.




Obama: "Jon, you can't do that!"

Jon: "Yes I Can!"

[mtnsnake]

26. Looking at Favreau, I can understand why a cardboard cutout is the closest he'll ever come

to copping a feel.

That dude is butt ugly, not Mark Penn ugly, but still pretty bad!

[Name removed]

28. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[camera obscura]

30. Really? I think he's kinda cute

[HughMoran]

31. A lot better looking than I am

Thanks for sharing your intellect with us - lol.

[ProSense]

33. Oh my,

he put his hand on a cardboard cutout of Hillary so he's ugly and should be fired.

The ridiculousness is beyond words. The feigned outrage is understandable.

[mtnsnake]

45. Putting his hand on the cutout is no biggy, but posting the pic on his Facebook page was DUMB

and YOUR "ridiculousness" in sticking up for this asshole because of your blatant hatred for the Clintons is beyond pathetic, so you don't need to lecture me about feigned outrage with your own feigned outrage.

[ProSense]

51. Maybe he didn't think

a bunch of ridiculous people would feign outrage over a silly and funny photo.

[Alexander]

37. Ironic how the Clinton supporters attack someone for copping a feel.

Bill Clinton did a lot more than that while he was President.

[Zynx]

47. That's a pretty lame attack.

Honestly.

[mwei924]

52. Why? We were all pissed off when the Republicans tried to make Clinton's sex life an issue.

This is even less of an issue, and people are all of a sudden outraged? Bill Clinton was a 50-year old President when he did ridiculously stupid things and left evidence of it. This kid is 27 years old, likely consumed alcohol (legally) at a party and did something careless but not exactly shocking.

[Unsane]

50. huh?

let's see a pic of you

[boston bean]

36. I wonder if he had done this, would you folks be giving him a pass. or think it's funny

http://www.flickr.com/photos/think_about_it/3087215807/

[ProSense]

38. I'm outraged!

Ridiculous, it's not only cardboard it's photoshopped cardboard.



Did you vote for Obama?

[Alexander]

39. Considering it's a cardboard cutout, I doubt most people here would care.

Again, it's ironic that Clinton sycophants are attacking someone for feeling up a piece of cardboard, when Clinton himself showed far less respect for his own wife.

[Forkboy]

41. LOL...did you make that yourself?

[mwei924]

44. I'd be flattered that they even make my own cardboard cutouts.

[mtnsnake]

46. This should be an OP.

[ProSense]

53. Why don't you take the initiative and make it one?

You know how to.

[mtnsnake]

78. In the thousands of OP's you've started, few of them are original, if any

at least none of the ones I've ever seen. All I've ever seen from you are links to someone else's articles or worse yet links to your own links to other links to articles. You seem pretty intelligent to me, why can't you start posting your own ideas instead of linking to other people's words all the time?

So why don't YOU take the initiative and start an OP for once in your life that has your OWN thoughts instead of those from some article?

As far as me making someone else's post an OP, as what you're asking me to do here, it's not mine so it wouldn't be original. Hope that makes some sense....

[JTFrog]

77. Start it and title it "Wallowing in Feigned Moral Outrage"....

[mtnsnake]

79. I start my own posts, I don't steal others' ideas. Have you ever done an OP?

"Wallowing in Feigned Moral Outrage" is your idea not mine. Hey, it'a a catchy title and an original idea of yours, so I'll look forward to seeing it as an OP today, unless you're scared to do it, that is.

[JTFrog]

80. You're so funny and intimidating all at once. Those cardboard cutouts are lucky to have you on

their side.

[mtnsnake]

81. Not intimidating, just truthful.

Instead of telling me how to start OP's, why don't you just start your own? All I did was suggest to another poster that their post was worthy of an OP, and you're all to quick to jump right in with your usual negativity and condescending crap.

[JTFrog]

82. Like I said, they are awful lucky! n/t

[SwampG8r]

62. that would be disrespectful to his employer

i do not want to condone his asslier acting out
but
with the hillary cutout
he is being disrespectful to a cutout of the longest running competition during the primaries
in the context of mocking an (at the time) opponent
instant asshole just add alcohol
poor boyish behaviour but hardly anything to get all worked up over


if it had been the one you linked to that would be mocking his employer's family and would constitute grounds for firing

[RollWithIt]

75. Being a level headed left of center moderate

I wouldn't have cared at this point.

[Erin Elizabeth]

88. You're a fucking McCain voter.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON DU, MCCAIN VOTER???

[mwei924]

43. Hey, at least it was just a cardboard cutout.

Bill Clinton actually did that to REAL women. I guess he should've been fired or what's that word? Impeached?

[Zynx]

48. I'm amazed at how many Democrats resort to Republican attacks on the Clintons.

[mwei924]

49. Or how many Democrats resort to Republican's false morality..

..the kid was having fun, like most 20-somethings. It was perfectly harmless, if a bit stupid. Yet some people are calling for his head. That's exactly what the Republicans did to the Clintons, except what Bill Clinton did wasn't exactly harmless. If you're mad a 27-year old for looking stupid in a picture, what can you say about 50-something Bill Clinton looking stupid because of a blowjob?

[girl_interrupted]

55. JFK & Ted Kennedy both cheated on their wives & what if it was Michelle

in a cardboard cutout, with a member of the Clinton camp copping a feel? Think it would be still be "humorous"? I doubt it. It's interesting that Ted & John Kennedy could cheat on their wives & be given a free pass on this board, yet if Bill Clinton did it, he's the devil in disguise, Talk about hypocrisy.

This guy , at 27 years old, is not a "kid", he's a grown man & suppose to be a professional. For someone who is such a "wunderkind" & so brilliant, he seems to show a lack of common sense, taking & displaying a photo that makes him look both sexist and classless, not to mention unprofessional.

[mwei924]

56. I'm just saying be consistent with your "outrage".

I don't care about this non-issue, and I don't care if various politicians screwed around as long as they were good as their jobs.

Yet, you seem to be very outraged at this yet giving Clinton and folks a free pass for doing much WORSE than posing with a cutout. If you want him to get fired over this, then you surely must've wanted Clinton to be removed from office for even more embarrassing shit.

If it was a Michelle Obama cutout, I would say the same thing. It's immature and dumb, but nothing to get pissy about.

[Beacool]

61. Well, what Teddy did was far worse than anything his brother and Bill did.

Allowing that girl to drown without seeking help for hours was inexcusable.

[FrenchieCat]

70. Michelle Obama is not a politician.

She didn't put herself out there, her husband did.

This guy is younger then Chelsea, for goodness sakes!

I'm so glad the adults are moving on,
especially since the fucking country is falling apart.

What's gonna happen if some Muslim Crowd decided to burn Hillary in Effigy while she's SOS.
Are we going to drop a bomb on them for it?

Politicians are mocked and derided nearly everyday on the Tonight Show and elsewhere. They are tough and focused,and don't really give as much of a shit about stuff like this.

The only time a pol might get outraged and indignant about this kind of thing is during campaigns...not because it hurts their feelings so,
but because it can win them points.

The election is over though, so there are no points to make.

[QC]

59. They're probably not Democrats. n/t

[mwei924]

63. I always thought mocking politicians was an admirable thing...

..Do politicians really need to be saved by the people from ridicule? Yeah, sometimes its tasteless it seems so stupid that people would ban you from having a job in government if you've ever taken an embarrassing picture.

[RollWithIt]

74. Head speech writer at 27????? Einstein of networking..... lol

This kid knows his english writing!

[jaybs]

84. Talented Young Guy

Jon Favreau is a very talented young guy, it is quite clear that he works well with Our President Elect Barack Obama and from what I know of him starting with his days at Holy Cross and then working with John Kerry he is going to have a successful career and time at The White House/

I just can't believe how some will attack someone for one photo, are they just being just too PC or just plain sad, all the problems the world faces today, be it kids in Zambia with Cholera or people world wide with huge debts, faced with losing their jobs and homes with the financial crisis and the few see a photo as such a huge problem!

[ProSense]

85. Amazing, that this is your first post and you found a six-day-old thread to post in.

Welcome.

[karynnj]

86. Welcome to DU

I quite agree - and hope this is completely over, because he does seem like a good person as well as being very talented.