Posted on 09/04/2004 1:17:51 AM PDT by kattracks
WEST ALLIS, Wis. — President Bush, ignoring press derision of Zell Miller, yesterday began invoking him on the campaign trail, which brought raucous applause from voters who share the fiery Georgian's opposition to fellow Democratic Sen. John Kerry.
"Zell Miller of Georgia, he's a discerning Democrat," Mr. Bush told a rally in Moosic, Pa., his first stop after accepting the party's nomination Thursday. The audience of 8,000 exploded in cheers.
The reaction was even more dramatic at the president's next stop here, where the crowd of 20,000 made more noise than any other gathering the president has addressed during the campaign. One of those cheering the loudest was Brian Lunde, national co-chairman of Democrats for Bush.
"You know, Brian and Zell Miller, they're on to something," Mr. Bush said. "There's a lot of discerning Democrats who understand that four more years will make this country safer, stronger and better.
"And this campaign welcomes all Democrats and independents," he added. "Our vision includes everybody. Our message is for every single citizen in this country."
Mr. Miller electrified the convention on Wednesday by delivering an impassioned endorsement of Mr. Bush and an attack on Mr. Kerry that Democrats and the press called overly strident.
"I pick up the New York Times this morning and read that it was 'bizarre,' " Mr. Miller marveled in an interview. "The media is way out of touch on this; they're out on the extreme left with John Kerry."
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
I don't know anything specifically about the Clinton/Gore comments, but Alan Colmes brought up the earlier praise of Kerry. Miller answered, quite forthrightly, that he had been asked to introduce Kerry and just read the stuff he was handed. He admitted that he hadn't researched Kerry himself at that time (with a little zinger that, of course, talking heads never go ahead without research) and that he was wrong about that. Another refreshing comment from Zell!
He thinks that political speeches all have a certain rhythm (due to focus groups and political speechwriters). Miller's speech sounded quite different...sort of like one's grandpa blowing his stack at a family gathering. It made people sit up and pay attention because it sounded so real.
THE SOLDIER
It is the soldier, not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier, not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the soldier
who salutes the flag,
who serves under the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
who allows the protester to burn the flag.
Chris Matthews used Zell's quotes of this poem to criticize and demean Zell...I was outraged.
I am more outraged and disgusted with Matthews than I was two days ago. Who is this ego-enhanced, Bush-loathing leftist to insult, interrogate and browbeat a U.S. Senator on live television? Zell had just come off a similar inquisition with the CNN pukes only to be berated by malaria mouth Matthews.
Maybe someday the poobahs at the cable networks will "get it." On that day Matthews will be one of many from the elite media who will be standing in a mile-long line of pink slip recipients.
Inch by inch, the leftist media's reign of terror is coming to an end.
Zell should go around the country stumping for GWB. I think he could easily fill stadiums. He reminds me of what the old time preachers must have sounded like.
There is no substitute for passion. Zell Miller not only made his points, he was on fire with righteous indignation. Every person watching that night could see he was furious with his own party. You can't explain that away with spin. The man opened up a can of "whoop ass" and everyone knew it. It was refreshing to see a true orator as our forefathers had witnessed long before television ruined politics.
** Miller's speech sounded quite different...sort of like one's grandpa blowing his stack at a family gathering. It made people sit up and pay attention because it sounded so real.***
I think your son is on to something, Miss M. I've been trying to think of how to describe Zell's speech to a friend who missed it. The best I could come up with was that, even though he was angry, and never smiled, he sounded and looked likeable. But your son's grandfather analogy does it better.
Send the Honorable Senator your comments:
http://miller.senate.gov/email.htm
His office claims that 60% of the email messages have been supportive (post RNC speech) so let's push that even higher!
Just sent him a thank you!
This quotation is from a eulogy used by a USMC Chaplain and has been around for some time. Unfortunately, I can't cite his name or the exact reference at this time. Maybe some FReeper out there knows it.
It is displayed as author unknown on most pages I google.
Put"It is the soldier" in quotation marks in google...one site is signed by a USMC chaplain, I recall but I am not certain it implies authorship.
Great description. And as ususal..."grandpa" was right!
I went to the convention website and printed out Zell's speech. I want my grandchildren to be able to read what a real political speech used to sound like. (One of the commentators said that you had to go back to Harry Truman to equal it.)
Millers speech wasn't bizarre. It was a little bit Old Testament, in a good way, not bizarre.
What a GREAT idea, kattracks! Surely Rove could get Zell to let them use that part of the speech as an ad...and it wouldn't need any production so it could be and should be put on the air next week!
And there's the rest of the country :)
A most accurate description!
Prairie
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