I'm not too sure about in the US, but I've met one political speech writer, and in the UK they tend to be spineless Oxbridge types that are not dissimilar from the likes of Cameron. Cameron recently appointed Julian Glover as a speech writer:
www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/oct/07/...-glover-speechwriter
Glover used to come out with the most unbelievable tosh imaginable when he was a Guardian columnist, I honestly believe he is the worst journalist I have ever seen in my life. Here's an example of his 'work':
www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/oc...n-columnists-verdict
This speech ambled about, limped into a few bad jokes and then stumbled into the "big society". At that point, and all the way to the end, it was transformed. David Cameron spoke fluently and sincerely about the liberal case for the reconstruction of the relationship between the state and the people. You can question his belief in the possibilities of change. But do not doubt that he is persuaded by the necessity.
He began, like his coalition partner Nick Clegg a fortnight ago, in much too defensive a tone. This part of the speech lacked any clear thread, other than that he had become prime minister and that the deals needed to allow this to take place had been worthwhile. The hall gave this a tolerant rather than enthusiastic response. Tories seem happy with the fact of the coalition's creation and accepting of its consequences, but far from sure about its ideological meaning.
Cameron is not like that and this speech, more than any other he has given, strove to put heart into the modern Tory message. Many people in his party are unconvinced by his obsession with social responsibility and do not understand what the big society is supposed to mean. The prime minister tried to tell them. He emerged as an idealist: overoptimistic, perhaps, about the potential benefits of the reform, as well as about the retreat of the state, but someone at least prepared to venture an engaging vision of the future which goes beyond the correction of Labour's budgetary disaster.
This is radical liberalism, of a sort, with talk of prison reform and social improvement rather than authoritarianism. Will we all found new schools, start new businesses, help each other out, as Cameron envisages? Not always. But he is right that the state is the product of, and the servant of, society. Citizens decide the future, not government. The prime minister said so boldy. These, he thinks, are the ideas of a new generation.
Have you ever heard such a load of cack in all your life? There is literally nothing of substance in that article, nor any factual basis for anything that he's saying, and that's before you go into his butchering and misrepresentation of various concepts.
I honestly think that, in Britain at least, what is required from a political speech writer is the ability to actually believe in the wishy-washy claptrap and justification for the government's policies that they are asked to come out with, to the extent that instead of questioning whether or not it's true, they will instead be willing to wax lyrical about it and create certain memorable phrases that stick in people's minds. The last thing they want is someone who has an understanding of politics or anything to do with the ulterior motives behind the policies and speeches.
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) they are supposed to be charismatic people you can believe in - people who reflect those they are supposed to serve and who make you want to vote for them - with respect to the aforementioned - speech writers imho are just another layer of fakery and fraud that is politicians. 
Hillareous video that, the canned laughter helped it along nicely too 
