Let me concur with Andrew and Josh. This was simply an incredible speech. I don't know how people get up there and show zero passion. John Kerry brought it. I felt so bad for how he went down. But it looked like he pulled from all of that pain and just offered up an incredible speech. I caught it on NPR while driving toward the Pepsi Center. Funny thing is, had I been watching the networks, I would have missed it. Anyway, see for yourself.
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His speech was tremendous, but I thought Clinton's was better. Last night was an amazing night.
Lurker here but had to chime in and agree. can we get Kerry's speechmade into bullet points that all the surrogates can use? And can we just start calling McCain Candiate McCain. Or make and ad with the two McCains debating each other?
This was awesome.
Awesome. It makes me angry that your average viewer didn't see it.
CNN.com doesn't have any video of Kerry's speech posted. I guess in their minds, its better to just pretend that it didn't happen rather than implictly admit that they cut away from a great political speech. Liberal bias my a$%.
A little off topic, but the coverage is driving me crazy. Each night of the convention has gotten better and sharper than the night before, this is readily acknowledged by the press corp. But somehow, I am to be convinced that it's going badly.
Also, it could have been my imagination, but the vibe on the floor looked to be much improved for Monday. The cheers were louder and longer there seemed to be a bit more dancing to the incidental music. Could there be some success out there in terms of catharsis? I'm fully aware that it could be wishful thinking on my part. I'll never know either way, because 15 camera crews are being dispatched to a Pizza Hut in Denver because someone heard some PUMAs were splitting a pizza there.
good ideas, lfo. i'm not even a democrat and bill and kerry both had me cheering. it's clearer in hindsight, especially now after the events of 2005 and 2006, and the media isn't as biased against the dems as it was 4 years ago, but i wish kerry had courageously articulated some of these points - about why the bush way on nat'l security was wrong, and how 'pathetic' (his word) were their proto-fascist tactics of fear-mongering and calling dissenters traitors - during that election.
anyway, all these hand-wringers can relax a bit - the dems are looking good, especially if they ride this momentum. they must prepare well for the debates, especially since the questions will likely be totally stupid or slanted. (see brokaw on how it's wrong to attack mccain because he was a POW.) they need to (a) keep in mind just why they'll do better than the current leadership, and (b) have confidence in themselves. stay calm. i'm with you dems, good luck.
It was a terrific speech.
Rachel Maddow & Eugene Robinson (on MSNBC)observed that it was the speech that Kerry should have given four years ago at the convention (to be fair - I think he did deliver that type of speech in the final weeks of the campaign).
They also said it serves as a warning to Senator Obama that he shouldn't leave his A Game speech behind on Thursday night and have to come back four years later (in 2012), like Kerry, to deliver the A Game speech as the defeated 2008 Democratic candidate.
As to the speech not getting live tv coverage, that's why it pays to watch this convention with two sources (I'm using the Sirius Radio direct feed from the convention in addition to MSNBC's sparring sessions).
Great speech, hands down. Kerry was really on, channelling Teddy. The man made me proud to be from Massachusetts.
And yes, as I was watching I was thinking it was such a pity that the networks weren't showing it, because his speech was a hell of a lot more meaningful than Bill's (and that's not a knock on Bill's speech). The only reason I saw it was that I switched to CSPAN on a lark when I saw that Kerry was speaking, half-expecting him to show the energy of John McCain. But he brought the fire.
Awesome speech. He all but called McCain a flip-flopper, without ever using the words. Nice, nice touch.
The PBS coverage has been really good. They rarely cut speakers, but there is some commentary during down times. They did cut Schweitzer the other night, though. But they've been showing almost all of the totally boring normal people (i.e., not politicians). So, I would say it's the happy medium between CSPAN and the cable channels.
Kerry's speech was absolutely one of the best. His comparison of Senator McCain and Candidate McCain had me laughing, probably because I'm from Arizona. I love where Kerry said that Candidate McCain has vowed to vote against the immigration bill that was written by Senator McCain. And my favorite line was that McCain shouldn't have a debate with Obama until he has completed the debate he is having with himself.
Yeah, I think this "McCain the Maverick" myth needs to be thoroughly debunked and replaced with "McCain the Flip-Flopper who never was a Maverick."
At the risk of creating an echo chamber, my thoughts while watching the Kerry speech (hurrah for CSPAN) was "Damn, if he had done this four years ago, he'd be running for reelection right now."
Kerry always brings it, except for the big time in '04. I blame covert GOP op Bob Shrum.
Also caught Mondale (of all people) chatting with Team Lehrer last night, recounting his role in the 1964 convention, the seating/non-seating of, err, non-inclusive delegations, and the sea of white male faces in that crowd. Asked whether he ever thought he'd see the day when his party put up a black nominee, he gave the same flat 'no' that every other old guy states.
C-SPAN. The only way to watch the conventions. No commercials, no bull-crapping analysts. All the speeches, all the time. I especially like to watch the "ordinary folks" that the networks cut away from when they bring in their "experts" to tell you what you've just seen.
I'm sorry I missed this one.
It is what I have been calling for, butit is still to cool for my taste. You can really be vicious w/ candidate McCain vs Sen McCain and I'd like to see more.
NPR did me the favor of not cutting Kerry off during the speech. I thought it was a great one. The NPR commentators are awfully annoying; who was the moron who thought that Kerry didn't bring it?
Also, not a blip of Kerry's talk anywhere in the papers today. Those clowns need to be smacked.
A-men to Tinare...you have all been notified. Just pass the word along.
The best thing about this speech is tha you can tell it comes from deep within him and he wrote it himself. If only, John, if only.
I thought that Kerry's speech was great, but Bill Clinton's delivery was better - man, don't know HOW he does that. He talks to the entire nation, as if he is sitting at the kitchen table with you, explaining things in a calm measured, good-humored manner.
Just the pauses, the timing, the delivery style - Bill is really the best democratic campaigner ever. From debates, to individuals, to big speeches, no one compares. He of course was also a very good politician and leader, but the drama aspect of his personality, his lack of building a democratic party outside of himself, takes away from his eventual ranking as a leader. "No drama Obama" I hope to be a much more effective leader, because of his strengths in those areas that Clinton is weak.
But as a campaigner? Clinton simply rules.
At any rate - what's funny is, the speech that REALLY got the people riveted (from nothing), got them going, was something that none of the "big time" analysts want to say much about, but it was still very very good. That is Kucinich's speech. He brought down the house, and it was VERY good.
Of course, he's out of bounds of "acceptable" behavior, so every consciously disappears that speech...
I was saying that all night to anyone who would listen: Kerry probably gave the best speech of the night.
It seems like he's found his stride over the past four years. And it also reminded me that the Democrats have a really deep bench behind the Obamas.
Don't you think the Republicans wish they had a No. 2 or No. 3 the caliber of Biden, Clinton, Kerry or even Gore. They might even settle for a Beau Biden.
Both John Kerry and Hillary Clinton gave far better speeches at this convention than during their own presidential runs. This might just be more proof that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. But there's another possibility - both might've been better candidates than their handlers allowed them to be.
I gotta give the nod to the Big Dog for the speech of the convention -- so far!