The Pundits on Kerry: He Nailed It (Salon)

[VolcanoJen]

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/07/29/pundits/index.html

Great round-up of post-speech pundit commentary about Kerry!

Excerpt:

If Sen. John Kerry's acceptance speech were the opening night of a Broadway production, it would be doing robust box office business Friday morning. The same talking heads who seemed openly skeptical of the Democratic presidential nominee for much of this week gave his speech strongly positive notices.

<snip>

NBC's Tim Russert credited Kerry for opening himself up during the address. "He gave more of himself than I've ever seen before." He added that Democratic delegates "have seen a candidate who's willing to take the battle to George Bush. Democrats heard what they needed to hear; it's on, full charge ahead."

Time magazine's Joe Klein told CNN Kerry "nailed it" and that he'd "never seen the man speak so well."

Some of the right's hesitation to trash Kerry's speech may have stemmed from the fact that immediately following Gore's 2000 convention speech, many conservatives denounced it as a failure. Robert Novak labeled the speech "a flop" and erroneously predicted Gore would come out of the convention facing a six-point deficit in the polls. And the Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan wrote, "Al Gore's acceptance speech was a rhetorical failure and, in my view, a strategic blunder of significant proportions."

The conservative pundits ended up with egg on their faces, as the public deemed it a hit and Gore enjoyed a robust and sustained post-convention bounce in the polls.

Kerry's right-wing critics may be holding their tongues, not wanting to pan what could turn out to be another Democratic hit.

[buycitgo]

1. thanks!

do you notice a PROFOUND difference in the response from this year's gasbags to the way they vilified Gore's effort last time?

I sure do, and I think that could be very significant in the way they treat him for at least the runup to the nazi convocation in a month

the media is STILL key, as it was four years ago, unless Kerry can find a way to speak over their heads, which Gore was unable to do.

[VolcanoJen]

2. The gasbags got hosed when they vilified Gore.

The article eludes to that, and since the media is addicted to conventional wisdom, they're just hoping to stand back and not say anything completely mean and ridiculous, just in case they're wrong (again) and Kerry takes a bigger bump in the polls than anticipated.

My take, anyway... :D

[buycitgo]

7. yep.....I made reference to the herd instinct somewhere else

here a few minutes ago

I sure hope that overcomes the corporate media propug/antidem bias that has been in effect since CARTER

read Liberty Under Siege if you think I'm exaggerating

[buycitgo]

4. heh.......should've read story first

pretty much what I thought

[JohnKleeb]

3. That speech was amazing

[Fed Up]

5. beats Clinton's 1992 speech

this was a gem. this was a Mickey Mantle 530 foot shot, even the right is quaking.

[VolcanoJen]

8. Ohh, that '92 speech was beautiful, though.

I'd give Kerry the edge... but it's close.

I'm still nostalgic for that beautiful November day in '92, when we ended 12 years of Republican rule... THANKS, BIG DOG!

There's just something about Dubya though... he can certainly make four years feel like twelve!

[JI7]

10. i think we have to take into account the times

i believe for that time in 1992 clinton was the best. kerry may not have been as strong a candidate . and for today's times kerry is stronger.

where they came from and what they did in their lives are a big part of clinton and kerry's campaign and their convention speech. in today's world kerry's personal background plays better. but in 1992 clinton's perosnal background plays better.

[incapsulated]

13. Um, no, but...

Nobody beats the Master.

What was important was that Kerry gave a great Kerry Speech. It's what I've been waiting for so long I started to give up hope I would see it.

He exceeded all my expectations. He knocked it out of the park and I was only hoping for a double.

I'm a very happy camper right now. :D

[WindRavenX]

6. That speech was the most important speech of his life

And he didn't just nail it- he hit that thing out over the Green Monstah!
I am so proud to support this man!

[VolcanoJen]

9. One last kick for the Happy Spin Thread!

:dem:

[Veggie Meathead]

11. The reason John Kerry's speech worked was

John Kerry himself:real, a hero, a man of accomplishement and embodying all the values our children should be taught to emulate.Contrast this with the fraud who sits in the WH.He cannot speak without every syllable turning into a lie,including "a" ,"an" and "the".He has lived a lie all his life.We should not expect anything different now.

The contrast gets even starker when we compare Dick Cheney with John Edwards.Our man has lived the American Dream of rags to riches,is a man beloved by all especially those who have needed his skills to help them in times of need.Dick Cheney has always played a rigged game like his running mate,whether evading the draft or getting himself a cushy job at Halliburton playing the revolving door from government to industry where he continues to enjoy the fruits of his rigged deals.

Don't even get me started with the women.Teresa and Elizabeth stand apart from the Bush-Cheney women.Loving,caring,decent and strong when faced with tragedies in their lives.Laura is the ultimate Stepford wife;Lynn is a venomous shrew.

I had to get this rant out of my chest this morning.

[VolcanoJen]

12. That's onehelluva morning rant, Veggie!

:thumbsup: :bounce: :thumbsup: