President Obama asked speechwriter for no White Sox jokes in Cubs White House speech
President Obama instructed his speech writer not to include any Chicago White Sox jokes in his remarks for the Cubs' White House visit on Monday, speech writer Cody Keenan told The Athletic's Jon Greenberg.
Keenan is a diehard Cubs fan and noted that he started writing the speech and taking notes immediately after Game 7 of the World Series.
“I banged it out in a day or two, then got sidetracked by the usual demands of the White House,” Keenan said. “No Sox jokes — the President is true about his fandom. He said go nuts with the Cubs remarks — just don’t rag on the Sox. Then he reminded me the Sox won the Series 11 years ago.”
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“I just tried to channel all the conversations I’d had over the years with friends, family, and coworkers who live and breathe the Cubs,” Keenan added. “These remarks were for every Cub fan.”
Cubs president Theo Epstein did not hesitate with his own White Sox joke as the Cubs issued a “midnight pardon” for being a Southside fan. Obama closed his speech by saying that “among Sox fans I am the Cubs' No. 1 fan.”
