Clinton et al

The work on Bill Clinton's first inaugural began in Little Rock with ideas from his campaign staff as well as the likes of Ted Sorensen, Richard Goodwin and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. A draft was produced by Michael Waldman and David Kusnet. Four days before the inauguration, the Clinton team arrived in Washington, where more people, including Clinton's college roommate, joined the writing process. There was a final rehearsal after an inaugural eve gala. Revisions continued until 4:30 in the morning of inauguration day. 

"Clinton never knew exactly what he wanted to say until he heard himself say the words," George Stephanopoulos wrote in All Too Human. There's a key word in that statement. Know what it is? 

The key, and easiest to overlook, word is "exactly." As a speechwriter, let me say this about speakers  who don't know exactly what they want to say until they hear themselves saying the words: they are the more highly evolved speakers. And those who don't exactly know until they see themselves saying the words are the most evolved of all.