CNN's Post-Edwards Coverage
Reported by Eleanor - July 28, 2004 -
After Edwards great speech (July 28, 10:20 p.m.) about "Hope is on the Way," CNN made a couple of comments about the speech, saying that Edwards described John Kerry as the "image of a strong leader." They mentioned the message of hope, and compared it to Cheney's "Help is on the way" and Clinton's "A place called Hope." Then they made a comment like "he papered over a party of flip-flops with optimism" followed by Ralph Reed, Republican Strategist who had the floor for the remainder of the Edwards coverage.
Reed, as expected, proceeded with a litany of republican talking points trying to negate the effectiveness of the Edwards speech for the viewers - taxes, 20 year Kerry Senate record missing from the speech, most liberal member of the Senate - and stated that the republicans are working like the challenger and not the incumbent in this race.
Judy Woodruff asked if the negative attacks by the republicans would be a liability for the republicans, as Edwards had indicated. Reed responded "that rhetoric is self-serving" and repeated the republican talking points again, as well as providing today's Washington Post polls showing Bush up to 50% positive, and a couple of points ahead of Kerry, in spite of the convention.
Comment: This negative critique was out of place. This week is about democrats, not republicans. It will be very interesting to see if in a month, when the republicans have their convention, the media will spend the time after each republican high moment with a democratic response and critique that will drown out the republican message, giving the democrats the last word. That is the stuff only dreams are made of.
