Doug Gamble

Since starting a freelance writing career in 1981 - following work in broadcasting, public relations and advertising - Doug Gamble has written humor, "soundbites" and speech material for some of America's most prominent figures in the fields of politics, entertainment and business.

His various clients have included two presidents of the United States, (and a candidate who would go on to become president) a showbusiness legend and some of America's leading corporations. He was among those who helped "The Great Communicator" communicate, writing humor and other material for President Ronald Reagan from February, 1984 until the end of his second term, an association sparked by radio legend Paul Harvey. He wrote for George Bush throughout his 1988 presidential campaign and his presidency. He has written for politicians, mostly Republican, continuously since then. Doug wrote for the personal appearances and TV monologues of comedian Bob Hope from 1983 - 1993.

Doug describes his work this way:

"A lot of what I do is in conjunction with political or corporate speechwriters, where I'll work from a draft and add humor, not just at the beginning to get the speaker off to a good start, but throughout the body of the speech to reinforce certain points in an entertaining way. I'll also add so-called soundbite lines that serve to help the speaker communicate various points and ideas in a creative manner that the audience finds memorable. This 'speech doctoring' usually makes a good speech even better and adds elements of impact that would otherwise be missing.

"In a political campaign, and/or while a politician is in office, I provide a steady stream of humor and soundbites for use in speeches, debates, news conferences, media interviews or however the material will best help the person advance his or her cause. This includes self-deprecating humor, lines that jab at an opponent, lines that help 'sell' a position on the issues and material that is tailored to a specific audience, location or event.

"Many of my assignments are 100% humor, such as writing for a 'roast' or an event when an MC or speaker is expected to be funny. Roast writing is a highly-specialized endeavor, and I do a lot of it in both the political and corporate realms. I have written for major political figures, including presidents, for more than a dozen 'Gridiron Dinners'and 'White House Correspondents Dinners,' major Washington events where sharp, topical political humor is the order of the evening."