CNN on the Miller & Cheney Speeches
Reported by Eleanor - September 2, 2004 -
CNN's post-convention coverage was surprisingly candid and felt like honest journalism to a point. At 11:00 Wolf Blitzer, Judy Woodruff, and Jeff Greenfield interviewed Zell Miller for a few minutes, then Tad Devine, followed by Aaron Brown with some frank and straightforward commentary that I don't hear very often.
Zell Miller came across as a fool. He denied that he was angry. (When anyone can see he's an angry, bitter old man. His facial expression during the entire speech was twisted with rage.) When told that Dick Cheney voted against the same weapons systems that Kerry voted against, Miller said he didn't know if that was true, Cheney could speak for himself, but he knows about Kerry because he looked it up. He actually had the record in his hand.
Tad Devine talked about the difference between the politics of hope, and the politics of fear, smear and attack. The republicans said that Americans have more affordable health care. Everyone knows that's not true. Devine stated that Miller was doing the dirty work for Bush and Cheney. Miller didn't know what he was talking about. Cheney tried to eliminate those same weapons systems. The intent was not to inform, but to mislead. Everyone knows we had to change our weapons posture after 9/11. If Cheney didn't attack Kerry, he would have to look at his own miserable record of failure. Kerry voted against the $87 billion for Iraq because $20B was a blank check for companies like Halliburton. Also, Kerry wanted a way to pay for it. (By taking back part of the tax cut.) He voted for responsibility. It's a lie that Kerry won't defend our country.
Blitzer reminded the audience (who might have objected to Devine's interview) that Ralph Reed was interviewed after John Edwards speech. (Ralph Reed was talking within 20 seconds after Edward's speech ended. This time Zell Miller was the one with the instant interview.)
Aaron Brown:The republicans threw out enough red meat to make an Adkins dieter happy for a year. People won't remember Cheney tomorrow, but they'll remember Miller. Jeff Greenfield: Is that kind of speech over the top? We'll see how the facts play out. Brown: Talk Radio will be on Bush's side. They won't see a problem, but the public might not see it that way. John King:The speeches were angry and bitter in tone. There's a reason they're hitting Kerry so hard. They have to. Economic numbers are coming out on Friday. Candy Crowley: Zell Miller got their juices flowing. Brown: Do the democrats regret that they weren't tougher? Crowley : They can say they had a positive convention. Brown: We might be overestimating the importance of four days with one party. Bill Schneider: The republicans are not aiming at swing voters, but to get out their base. Moderate speakers are not giving moderate speeches. They're angry, belligerent and accusing democrats of tearing the nation apart and making it weaker by trying to bring down the commander-in-chief. This sort of thing has never worked in a presidential election, only in mid-term elections.
Joe Klein: "Whew!!" I never saw anything as angry and ugly as this speech. It was partisan, personal and wildly inaccurate. Miller said Kerry would let France decide when America would go to war. Brown: That angry stuff works as long as it doesn't cross the line. Was the line crossed? Klein: The president's speech will dwarf this. The starkest difference in the two campaigns is that this was over the top angry. The democrats were under the top benign and positive. The Kerry camp is deciding right now where to take the campaign. Do they want to be as angry as these guys? Even Cheney said that John Kerry sees two Americas. That's Edwards. Kerry has gone out of his way to avoid that phrase. This is anger and inaccuracy by the bucketfuls.
Nina Easton tried to disagree about the anger. She said that Jimmy Carter, Al Sharpton and Ted Kennedy expressed anger, but Brown said not like this, and not during prime time. Joe Conason asked it Kerry and Edwards will have what it takes to hit back hard. Kerry must defend himself and fight back hard to get respect.
Howard Kurtz talked about the signs that TV is partisan - especially Fox News.
