--- title: "2 Free world Quotes By David Litt" description: "2 Free world quotes by David Litt. Plus more from David Litt and more Free world sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e0/david-litt-23158_free-world_what-i-hadn-t-realized-was-that-above-al_10760.jpg" --- > [“What I hadn’t realized was that, above all else, Favs was a prodigy. Speechwriters, even great ones, tend to lead either from the head or heart. I was a head-first writer, connecting logical dots and only later adding emotions. Heart-first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/what-i-hadn-t-realized-was-that-above-all-else-favs-was-a-prodigy/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e0/david-litt-23158_free-world_what-i-hadn-t-realized-was-that-above-al_10760.jpg) > [“What are you doing here?” He wasn’t annoyed, exactly. He just seemed to find my presence unexpected, the way you might be surprised to discover your dog in the living room instead of in its crate. A different young staffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/what-are-you-doing-here-he-wasn-t-annoyed-exactly-he-just-seemed-to/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/david-litt-23158_air-force_what-are-you-doing-here-he-wasn-t-annoye_3176280.jpg) ## Other authors on Free world - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b021/author-ronald-reagan-81107.jpg) Ronald Reagan 8 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-world/ronald-reagan/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b010/author-garry-kasparov-36886.jpg) Garry Kasparov 7 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-world/garry-kasparov/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b008/author-dwight-d-eisenhower-30965.jpg) Dwight D. Eisenhower 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-world/dwight-d-eisenhower/) ## More by David Litt > [“What I hadn’t realized was that, above all else, Favs was a prodigy. Speechwriters, even great ones, tend to lead either from the head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/what-i-hadn-t-realized-was-that-above-all-else-favs-was-a-prodigy/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) > [“In 1960, a mere 5 percent of Americans said they would be upset if their child married someone from the opposite party. A half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/in-1960-a-mere-5-percent-of-americans-said-they-would-be-upset-if/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) > [“But as the weeks rolled on, I realized it wasn’t a lack of glamour that was bothering me. Instead, I kept thinking back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/but-as-the-weeks-rolled-on-i-realized-it-wasn-t-a-lack-of-glamour/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) > [“The cost of living the dream, I was taught, is the responsibility to expand it for others. It’s a more than fair price.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/the-cost-of-living-the-dream-i-was-taught-is-the-responsibility-to/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) > [“This is the most common misconception about speechwriting. It came up especially often in the years before I started at the White House, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/this-is-the-most-common-misconception-about-speechwriting-it-came-up/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) > [“In the real world, speechwriters are more like personal trainers than puppet masters. They can help you present the most attractive version of yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/in-the-real-world-speechwriters-are-more-like-personal-trainers-than/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) > [“The firm’s fourth partner, Jeff Nussbaum, had carved out a niche writing jokes for public figures. It was he who taught me about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/the-firm-s-fourth-partner-jeff-nussbaum-had-carved-out-a-niche/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) > [“Make sure no one goes Eastwood in Charlotte.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/make-sure-no-one-goes-eastwood-in-charlotte/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) > [“I was lucky to receive it. Most rogue interns never get a second chance. And here it’s worth mentioning that I benefited from what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/i-was-lucky-to-receive-it-most-rogue-interns-never-get-a-second/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) > [“If I had lied to the CIA, perhaps I might have passed a test. Instead of writing a book about the White House, I’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/if-i-had-lied-to-the-cia-perhaps-i-might-have-passed-a-test-instead/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) > [“Some of the leaders of the backlash said their name was an acronym for “Taxed Enough Already.” Maybe this was true at first. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/some-of-the-leaders-of-the-backlash-said-their-name-was-an-acronym/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) > [“Some accomplishments, in other words, are impossible to undo. Millions of people found jobs thanks to Obama’s decisions. Soldiers who spent Christmas 2008 in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/some-accomplishments-in-other-words-are-impossible-to-undo-millions/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) > [“If you’re working with a writer, chances are you’re an expert. And if you’re an expert, chances are you’re boring. You can’t help it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/if-you-re-working-with-a-writer-chances-are-you-re-an-expert-and-if/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) > [“Barack Obama’s election was a triumph of hope. But his presidency was a triumph of persistence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/barack-obama-s-election-was-a-triumph-of-hope-but-his-presidency-was/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) > [“And then I saw him speak. Years later, after writing dozens upon dozens of presidential speeches, it would become impossible to listen to rhetoric…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/and-then-i-saw-him-speak-years-later-after-writing-dozens-upon-dozens/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-world/david-litt/#itemlist", "name": "2 Free world Quotes By David Litt", "numberOfItems": 2, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What I hadn’t realized was that, above all else, Favs was a prodigy. Speechwriters, even great ones, tend to lead either from the head or heart. I was a head-first writer, connecting logical dots and only later adding emotions. Heart-first people went the other way around. Favs was the only true switch-hitter I ever met. His writing was both lyrical and well organized, arcing between timeless values and everyday concerns with astounding ease and grace. Perhaps because he possessed innate talent, Favs tended to separate people into two categories: those who had it and those who did not. I was lucky enough to be lumped into the haves. From the day I arrived he acted as if, all evidence to the contrary, his team benefited from having me around. “So, is it amazing?” friends would ask. Of course it was amazing. Sometimes Kathy, Valerie’s assistant, would explain that we needed to reschedule a meeting because Valerie had been called into the Oval. She said this casually, as though her boss had been put on hold with the cable company and not summoned by the leader of the free world. Other times I would watch Favs and the POTUS speechwriters spitball lines for a set of remarks. A few days later, I would see those exact same lines on the front page of the New York Times. It was unbelievable. 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He raised his eyebrows, looked at our cameraman, and sighed. “It always makes me nervous when Litt’s around.” I’m 90 percent sure President Obama was half joking. Still, two months later, on my final POTUS trip, my stomach full of arugula and Brie, I was careful to avoid his eyes. Backstage in Detroit, POTUS went through his usual prespeech routine, shaking hands with the prompter operators and joking with personal aides. Then he stepped onstage to remind a roomful of autoworkers about the time he saved their industry seven years before. I had written plenty of auto speeches for President Obama. There was nothing especially new in this one. But as POTUS reached his closing paragraph, my eyes filled with tears. I had tried to prepare myself for each milestone: my last set of remarks for the president, my last ride in the motorcade, my last flight on Air Force One. Still, the nostalgia left me reeling. I fled the staff viewing area and found a men’s room. With my left hand, I steadied myself against the sink. With my right, I held all but the first page of my speech. You’re supposed to be an adult, I reminded myself. And adults don’t cry in front of their boss’s boss.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Litt" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/what-are-you-doing-here-he-wasn-t-annoyed-exactly-he-just-seemed-to/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/david-litt-23158_air-force_what-are-you-doing-here-he-wasn-t-annoye_3176280.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/david-litt-23158_air-force_what-are-you-doing-here-he-wasn-t-annoye_3176280.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/david-litt-23158_air-force_what-are-you-doing-here-he-wasn-t-annoye_3176280.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What are you doing here?” He wasn’t annoyed, exactly. 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