Posted on 09/03/2004 5:41:48 AM PDT by NotchJohnson
On Thursday morning's Good Morning America, ABC's Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos seemed the most offended by the Wednesday night convention speeches delivered by Vice President Dick Cheney and Democratic Senator Zell Miller. Gibson complained that "the Vice President and Senator Miller pounded and pounded and pounded. It may have been very effective politics; it was not subtle." Stephanopoulos characterized Miller as out of control: "The Vice President was very, very tough, but Zell Miller was on a tirade. I mean, he was red faced, red meat for the red states."
CBS and NBC also stressed the negative tone of last night's speeches. CBS's Bill Plante said the "Republicans unleashed their fiercest partisans" with Miller delivering "stinging partisan jabs" at Kerry. NBC's Campbell Brown argued that Cheney and Miller "delivered plenty of red meat," and she characterized Miller's speech this way: "He called Senator John Kerry unpatriotic and unqualified to lead."
In fact, Miller last night distinguished "patriotism" from "judgment" when he challenged the approach of Democratic Party leaders: "In their warped way of thinking, America is the problem, not the solution. They don't believe there's any real danger in the world except that which America brings upon itself through our clumsy and misguided foreign policy. It is not their patriotism, it is their judgment that has been so sorely lacking."
ABC's Gibson and NBC's Tim Russert both were more equivocal. Gibson's phrase was that "Miller all but questioned Kerry's patriotism," while Russert said Miller in his speech was "challenging, in effect, Senator Kerry's patriotism."
Now, more complete summaries of how ABC, CBS and NBC showed their disgust with the Republican criticisms of John Kerry:
# ABC's Good Morning America led with the dismissal of the Kobe Bryant case and the hurricane heading to Florida. Previewing the upcoming story on the convention, however, MRC's Jessica Anderson recorded how Gibson used war metaphors: "The Democrats really came under the gun last night. Republicans were on the attack and we're going to show you some of that."
A few minutes later, in his review of the night's speeches, Gibson asserted that Democrats had been "polite to the President" in their speeches: "Democrats might now question their strategy of having been polite to the President at their convention, for Republicans showed no such reluctance last night. The keynote speaker, Democratic Senator Zell Miller."
Then a soundbite from Miller: "For more than 20 years, on every one of the great issues of freedom and security, John Kerry has been more wrong, more weak, and more wobbly than any other national figure." Gibson: "Miller all but questioned Kerry's patriotism, citing Kerry votes against weapons systems." Miller: "This is the man who wants to be the Command In Chief of the U.S. armed forces? U.S. forces armed with what? Spitballs?"
Gibson then moved on to Cheney: "The Vice President, in his acceptance speech, was milder by comparison, but just by comparison." But the soundbites ABC showed were pretty familiar to anyone who's followed the last few weeks of campaigning. Cheney: "He talks about leading a more sensitive war on terror, as though al-Qaeda will be impressed with our softer side. Senator Kerry denounces American action when other countries don't approve. George W. Bush will never seek a permission slip to defend the American people."
After running through a couple more soundbites from Cheney --including his crack that "Senator Kerry says he sees two Americas. It makes the whole thing mutual. America sees two John Kerrys" -- Gibson fretted: "The Vice President and Senator Miller pounded and pounded and pounded. It may have been very effective politics; it was not subtle."
Gibson then turned to Stephanopoulos: "What did you think of what they did last night?"
Stephanopoulos was just as dissatisfied: "Well, the Vice President was very, very tough, but Zell Miller was on a tirade. I mean, he was red faced, red meat for the red states. I think it did a lot more to energize Republican voters than convince some of those swing voters in the middle."
# NBC's Today led with the hurricane, then reporter Campbell Brown summarized the events of Wednesday night using some of the same clips from Cheney's speech: "It was Vice President Cheney and a Democrat in the key note slot who delivered plenty of red meat." Cheney: "George W. Bush will never seek a permission slip to defend the American people." Brown: "Vice President Dick Cheney on the attack. Building up President Bush's record and tearing down Senator Kerry's." Cheney: "Senator Kerry doesn't appear to understand how the world has changed. He talks about leading a more sensitive war on terror. As though al-Qaeda will be impressed with our softer side."
Brown, too, suggested that Miller had been the most extreme: "But by far, the harshest words of the evening, perhaps the convention, coming from a Democrat, keynote speaker Georgia Senator Zell Miller." Miller: "No pair has been more wrong, more loudly more often than the two senators from Massachusetts, Ted Kennedy and John Kerry." Brown claimed: "He called Senator John Kerry unpatriotic and unqualified to lead." Miller: "This is the man who wants to be the commander-in-chief of the U.S. armed forces. U.S. forces armed with what? Spitballs?"
Brown recalled a happier time when Miller used his oratorical powers to castigate the first President George Bush: "The folksy firebrand, who electrified Democrats at their convention twelve years ago, this time accusing leaders of his own party of elevating partisan politics over national security."
Matt Lauer then asked Tim Russert what he thought of Miller and Cheney's approach. Russert cited Republican delegates as making the case that Miller was too hot: "Zell Miller was just out front, frontal attack. Several delegates came to me afterwards and said do you think Zell was too hot tonight, as much as they enjoyed it. And that's for the voters to decide. A lot of undecided voters are women. Whether they will think he is too negative, we don't know." So, Lauer asked, "there's an upside and a downside to Zell Miller, in your opinion?" Russert: "There very well could be. Did he come across as someone who's just so angry and over the top, by his challenging in effect, Senator Kerry's patriotism."
He painted Cheney in a more favorable light: "Vice President Cheney took a much different tack by saying these are the specific issues in which we disagree with Senator Kerry and frankly, we don't think he's up to the job. The Republicans set the table in a very interesting way, Matt. You had Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Arnold Schwarzenegger saying the most important issue is the war on terror, and we need a strong commander-in-chief. Vice President Cheney came in last night and said John Kerry is not a strong commander-in-chief."
Russert added that Cheney's general popularity was beside the point: "It doesn't matter what Dick Cheney's popularity ratings are with the American public, frankly. His job is to be by the president's side and offer the best advice. What the public saw last night was Dick Cheney. Not electrifying, but someone who laid out, in his mind, a very dangerous world and all the scenarios that could flow from that, if you didn't have the right commander-in-chief."
# Only CBS's Early Show gave a full report on the GOP convention before diving into the hurricane and Kobe Bryant case. MRC's Brian Boyd caught how co-host Harry Smith called it a "no-holds-barred assault" on Kerry: "Tonight, of course, belongs to President Bush as he officially accepts the Republican nomination for a second term. Last night the GOP laid a no-holds-barred assault against Democratic challenger John Kerry. And CBS News White House correspondent Bill Plante is here at the Garden with me with more. Good morning, Bill."
Plante echoed Smith's summary: "On the third night of the convention Republicans unleashed their fiercest partisans and one of them was a Democrat. Vice President Cheney, as Vice Presidents traditionally do, also went on the attack....But the most stinging partisan jabs came from a Democrat, Georgia Senator Zell Miller, who ridiculed Kerry for opposing a long list of weapons."
Why wouldn't network news shows be upset? They are part of the Democrat propaganda machine.
It was a good old-fashioned stemwinder. Sen. Miller didn't deliver it with a view to NOT offending people. He just spoke what was on his mind. Its the kind of politics we used to have before McVain insisted on "civility" and the Democrats demanded consultants and focus groups. Yeah, he didn't try to please every one. That's what make the speech so effective and I'm pleased as punch to see the partisan media liberals beside themselves. Mission Accomplished.
Wednesday night Miller and Cheney ripped the dems. a new hole and the liberal broadcast media whined about it - anyone surprised?
The lying leftists are angry?
Tough $hit...
Their big brave "hero" had better brace himself, because it's going to get a lot worse....
Semper Fi
See #7.
Dick Morris says it only appeals to teh Red Meat Republicans and that independenst were turned off. Turned off? Sorry, but you have to be a man who squats to pee if you are offended by the truth. I love Millers accent and how he puts an "er" on words that don't need it.
I have a tape of the speech, he was NOT red faced!
I musta missed the article where the media was offended by Sharpton & Kennedy's hate speeches.
"Miller all but questioned Kerry's patriotism"
A man who throws away his medals and trashes his fellow veterans is patriotic???
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Michael Moore was given a seat in the presidential box at the Democrat National Convention and was hired as a journalist by a major newspaper to cover the Republican National Convention.
These "highminded" so-called "journalists" were strangely unoffended.
So much for them and what they stand for. History has already judged these people and recorded exactly what they are.
but but but - what about Kerry and company calling Bush a liar and inferring that he's KILLING these soldiers in Iraq when the Dem. convention was on?
I want to know if any of these morning show rocket scientists uttered the word "umbrage" at any point...
As the Democratic Party harbors both freeks against the war and journalists for socialism, the time to attack has just begun. Their first losses are ratings. Their next loss is the party itself.
'ridiculed'? Ridicule is, of course, the Demrats 'first line of offense'; so they readily use it.
What Zell was doing, which they refuse to recognize, was to forcefully, emotionally. . .dare to tell the TRUTH of John Kerry.
The light of truth is something these folks cannot bear to have shining in their face. And they will ascribe every negative they can to that experience.
"a man who squats to pee"
Ah yes, this IS the season of Liberal sitzpinklers.
Ultimately, in the court of public opinion, the alphabet networks, plus CNN and MSNBC, have been declared largely irrelevant and unreliable. They can harp all they want about Zell Miller, but at the end of the day, they're the ones with the pink slips because Matthews and Olbermann are drawing a viewership of approximately 12 television sets in the country - six of which have been left on with no one home.
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