By Samuel Rubenfeld

Former speechwriter Michael Cohen compared presidential elections from throughout the 20th Century to the one being fought across the country today during a lecture on Tuesday at the East Library Wing of the Axinn Library.

Cohen, who also recently wrote “Live from the Campaign Trail,” a book about major political speeches during the 20th Century, explained the context behind each speech he featured in the book.

“The speeches are reflective of that quest, that sense of vision for the future of America,” he said.

Cohen said all of the presidential elections since 1896 have been fought over two fundamental ideas: the role of government in the lives of people and the role of the United States throughout the world.

“It’s the same debate we’ve had for a century, and a century now, we’ll still probably be having the same debate,” Cohen said.

He described the political realignments of the 20th Century by comparing them to the movements of a pendulum, and then said the pendulum for this election is swinging in the Democrats’ direction.

However, he also said Barack Obama isn’t truly embracing liberalism. “What you’re seeing is a rejection of conservatism,” Cohen said.

Having worked for Democrats like Bill Clinton during his 1992 presidential campaign, Sen. Christopher Dodd (Conn.) and Gov. Bill Richardson (N.M.), Cohen did not hide his criticism for John McCain: “He hasn’t given a single great speech this cycle.”

The McCain campaign “seems obsessed with the news cycle,” Cohen said. “Bush did this greatly in 2004.” But the 24-hour news cycle changed everything, he added.

(Melissa Gerson)