2. Ted Kennedy Didn’t Address His Constituents Until Six Days After the Accident
Kennedy’s star-studded legal and advisory team, which included former US District Attorney Paul F. Markham and former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, long advised that Kennedy should keep quiet, fearing that any holes in his story would become clear if he spoke publicly. Kennedy was also in poor emotional shape, sobbing and growing sensitive when discussing the incident. His team instead focused on ensuring the Kopechne’s were satisfied with the coverage and Kennedy’s response, as his legal ramifications were mainly in their hands.
However, after several days of unimpeded media coverage, much of which was unfavorable to Kennedy, he was forced to address the nation. The speech, which broadcast at 7:30 on the evening of July 25th, the same day he pled guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, was primarily written by long-time Kennedy family speechwriter Ted Sorenson, who reportedly ghost-wrote John F. Kennedy’s famed book Profiles in Courage. The speech claimed that he had not been drinking, that he engaged in no immoral conduct, and once again reiterated that shock and brain damage had caused his actions. The speech ended in a somewhat self-promotional note both for Kennedy and Sorenson, with a quote from Profiles in Courage.