A note to the victor of this year’s presidential election: While the sentiments of an inaugural address may be long lasting, that doesn’t necessarily mean the word count should follow suit.
Many of the better remembered speeches — for example, John F. Kennedy’s and the first-term addresses given by George Washington and Franklin D. Roosevelt and the second by Abraham Lincoln — land under the 2,000 word mark, while several of those closer to the 9,000 word end of the scale belong to presidents less celebrated for their rhetorical skills. Yet another case of quality over quantity when it comes to speaking out of doors in the dead of winter.
Click here to read the inaugural addresses for all the presidents.
