THIS IS A RECONSTRUCTED POST: My open-comment thread letting people liveblog the speech vanished — the server was overloaded and was having problems before they restarted, and that may have something to do with it. Anyway, some of the comments were saved by readers, and here’s a good chunk. Click “more” to read the post and comments.
COLLABORATIVE LIVEBLOGGING: I’m opening comments on this thread, so
that people can post reactions to Kerry’s speech in realtime, if they
like. When the speech is over I’ll close ’em, and open another one for
overall evaluatons.
Instapundit.com
Comments:
FIRST
Posted by Greg at July 29, 2004 10:02 PM
Seriously now:
Ooh, “Countdown for Kerry”… more like “Countdown for Not Bush”.
Posted by Greg at July 29, 2004 10:03 PM
I’m stunned. (about the comments being opened up)
Posted by Alan at July 29, 2004 10:03 PM
Nice move, Glenn.
And all afternoon, plotting my live blogging, I thought, “Heh. Tonight I’ll steal some of Glenn’s traffic.”
Oops.
Posted by Stephen Green at July 29, 2004 10:03 PM
OK, Kerry hasn’t started up yet, but Cleeland is about to put me to sleep. He’s a horrible public speaker.
Posted by zombyboy at July 29, 2004 10:04 PM
Screenwriter Roger Simon has posted a review of the Kerry video.
Posted by Glenn Reynolds at July 29, 2004 10:04 PM
Drudge has had the speech up for some time now.
Posted by Mike at July 29, 2004 10:05 PM
Alan — I can close this down before the comment-spammers find it! Er, maybe. . .
Posted by Glenn Reynolds at July 29, 2004 10:05 PM
They actually seem to have found a Secret Service agent taller than Kerry to go ahead of him. There can’t be many of those. . .
Posted by Glenn Reynolds at July 29, 2004 10:07 PM
Aaaarrrggghhhh
Enough Vietnam already!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Robert at July 29, 2004 10:07 PM
I knew they would play Bruce. The Boss is really on fire these days. . . with BDS!
Posted by Sergio at July 29, 2004 10:08 PM
What song is that?
Posted by Mikey in Texas at July 29, 2004 10:08 PM
Kerry enters to the strains of Springsteen’s “No Surrender.” I wish he was as earger to fight terrorists as he is to fight Republicans…
Posted by Karl at July 29, 2004 10:08 PM
The real experiment here… Seeing how many spam comments sneak in here with only an hour or so.
Posted by Shawn Levasseur at July 29, 2004 10:09 PM
After Pelosi, Albright and Cleland I’m actually kind of glad to see Kerry.
Posted by NR at July 29, 2004 10:09 PM
I was hoping that he would come out in his NASA costume.
Posted by Reek Stankleberry at July 29, 2004 10:10 PM
Can we stand 55 minutes plus applause? Yikes.
Posted by Scott B at July 29, 2004 10:10 PM
Wouldn’t it be cool if he opened with “Thank you Booooston! Good Night!” and then just ran off the stage.
Posted by John Little at July 29, 2004 10:10 PM
This crew is in the middle of some sort of Vietnam psychosis. It’s all too bizarre. No mention of 20 years of service in the senate, and non-stop talk about 16 WEEKS in Vietnam.
Posted by Deaconess at July 29, 2004 10:11 PM
Reporting for duty!?
Dismissed
Posted by The Comedian at July 29, 2004 10:11 PM
“I’m John Kerry, and I’m reporting for duty”
I’m sorry, I turned off the TV after that.
Posted by Greg at July 29, 2004 10:11 PM
“I’m reporting for duty” – OMG how goofy.
Posted by Jim Perry at July 29, 2004 10:11 PM
Early reports are that Pakistan captured the mastermind behind the African embassy bombings. That unilateral Texas Cowboy who can’t get any international cooperation in the WoT deserves none of the credit of course.
Another senior Al Qaeda leader, who committed major crimes against the US when Clinton was in office, wrapped up by the Bush administration.
And on the eve of Kerry’s speech at the DNC too.
The VRWC is working overtime tonight :)
Posted by Lonestar at July 29, 2004 10:11 PM
So far,very exciting.
I am live blogging as we go: The pre-Kerry part is here: here and the Kerry speech segment has been started here
Posted by Steven Taylor at July 29, 2004 10:12 PM
Reporting for Doodie? I don’t get it.
Posted by John Little at July 29, 2004 10:12 PM
Did he mean “Reporting for Doody?”
Posted by Ivan in Cambridge at July 29, 2004 10:12 PM
“Reporting for duty”…feh. The crowd better hope he doesn’t start committing “atrocities” like on his last tour.
Posted by NR at July 29, 2004 10:12 PM
It’s only been two or three minutes and he looks exhausted…
Posted by Joe Maller at July 29, 2004 10:13 PM
He’s stammering – is he actually nervous?
Posted by Beth at July 29, 2004 10:13 PM
What? Minds hearts minds…Okay
Posted by Scott B at July 29, 2004 10:13 PM
One purpose: making America stronger and respected throughout the world. Another case of the Dems confusing two things for one thing?
Posted by Elliot at July 29, 2004 10:13 PM
“Reporting for duty.” One of those war hero allusions that served GHWB, Dole and Gore so well…
Posted by Karl at July 29, 2004 10:13 PM
home, where my love lies waiting silently for me…
-Simon & Garfunkle
Posted by John at July 29, 2004 10:13 PM
Hahahaha, holy crap. Does he know this is live?
Posted by Reek Stankleberry at July 29, 2004 10:13 PM
“…world that doesn’t have an end”
WTF???
Posted by Deus ex Macrame at July 29, 2004 10:13 PM
“my parents went to their rest over the past few years”…
… and it was all Bush’s fault.
Posted by cannon at July 29, 2004 10:14 PM
He used that ‘West wing’ bit when he was here in CO too.
Posted by Jason at July 29, 2004 10:14 PM
I thought he was going to say the LEFT wing.
Posted by Beth at July 29, 2004 10:14 PM
That’s about the fifth time I’ve heard him use the “West Wing” line. It was lame the first time and doesn’t improve with repetition.
Posted by lostingotham at July 29, 2004 10:14 PM
“Reporting for duty” -okay…
“I was literally born in the West Wing” – cheezy.
Posted by Shawn Levasseur at July 29, 2004 10:14 PM
So, is Kerry’s base having to listen to him talk about “faith” the same as Bush’s base having to listen to him talk about “tolerance” or “inclusiveness”?
Posted by sparky at July 29, 2004 10:14 PM
open and endless and rambling and . . . uh. . . I had a normal life and I’m just like everybody else. . . mommy and daddy. . . (when does he get to the sixties already. what I want to know is, did he serve in Vietnam?)
Posted by Sergio at July 29, 2004 10:14 PM
What a fucking Robot
Posted by Duke at July 29, 2004 10:21 PM
I didn’t think Kerry’d be the guy to serve red meat.
Public Service Announcement:
Do not take a shot every time John Kerry refers to the military out of context.
Posted by Michael Ubaldi at July 29, 2004 10:21 PM
I’m not sure, did he actually tell us anything about, well, anything?
/scrawlville.com
Posted by Gabe Posey at July 29, 2004 10:21 PM
I appologize in advance for seeming so trivial but I cannot stop focusing on his botoxed face.
Just one wrinkle between his eyebrows would snap me from this hypnosis.
Posted by syn at July 29, 2004 10:21 PM
The “West Wing” thing is his standard stump speech starter.
…So far, looks really really way too nervous.
Posted by Jared P at July 29, 2004 10:21 PM
Here’s the speech I want to hear:
“My fellow Americans, I am proud to accept the nomination to run for President of the United States. If I am elected, I will kill terrorists and cut taxes. Thank you.”
Posted by shell at July 29, 2004 10:21 PM
He may have had the longest sentence I’ve ever heard from one of these speeches – the crowd, by cheering, effectively tried cutting him off a couple of times.
Posted by Dr. Manhattan at July 29, 2004 10:21 PM
Already a straddle: he saw the horror of Communism first-hand, then talks about how we had peace for 50 years after WWII. Cold War, anyone?
“We can do better:” I’m JFK! Even the initials are the same. We did better (after ’94, when GOP gained the Congress…)
Posted by Karl at July 29, 2004 10:21 PM
I think I have heard this speech before, in 1980, 1984 and 1988.
Posted by reed at July 29, 2004 10:22 PM
I only heard the Kerry daughters give their introduction, and I had to gag at two things:
1) The younger’s anecdote about JFK being sensitive when his mother was dying. He makes her a “tree” out of copper wire and leaves so she can see the leaves, which is nice enough. But then Vanessa K says: “and a short time later he told her he was running for President.” I’ve known Kerry the politician since he replaced Paul Tsongas 20 years ago, and that anecdote sums up his narcissism nicely: his mother’s dying, and his idea of comfort is to tell her he’s running for President. It’s ALWAYS about John Kerry in his world.
2) The sycophantish comments by the NPR reporters afterward was nauseating. One refers to Kerry’s 4 months in ‘Nam as “some of the worst combat you can imagine.” Having recently read a harrowing account of Omaha Beach, I had to turn off the radio. There’s no doubt it wasn’t fun on JFK’s Swift boat, but it wasn’t something that tens of thousands of young men did then without such fuss, and tens of thousands more are doing right now, again without making a God-damned road show out of it. And comparing it to Omaha or Iwo Jima or Corregidor or Gettysburg tells you it wasn’t the worst that can be imagined.
If nothing else, he came back. Plenty didn’t. I’d say *they* experienced the worst combat you can imagine. . .
Posted by Bob Shrum at July 29, 2004 10:22 PM
Anyone else notice his talk on his voting record lasted about 60 seconds and then it was off to bash the Bush administration?
Posted by elgato at July 29, 2004 10:22 PM
Kerry seems to be sucking the energy out of the room.
Posted by Chris Peterson at July 29, 2004 10:22 PM
Does it really matter what we think…I mean let’s face it the media will be saying this is the greatest speech ever..Chris Matthews already has his kneepads on
Posted by bob at July 29, 2004 10:22 PM
WOW, he actually accepted….who knew….
Posted by Ivan in Cambridge at July 29, 2004 10:22 PM
“I will restore trust and credibility to the White House.”–John Kerry in tonights DNC nomination acceptance speech. He could start by telling us what he truly believes and sticking to it despite where the prevailing political winds may blow. A backhanded way of saying “Bush lied and people died.”
Posted by Leon L. at July 29, 2004 10:22 PM
He said this was the most important election of our lifetimes. He said we were facing an enemy like we had never known before.
Then he was done with that, and got back to talking about health care and jobs.
Posted by Mike G at July 29, 2004 10:23 PM
He sucks and I am very surprised – he seems nervous?
Posted by Rebecca Brown at July 29, 2004 10:23 PM
I hope the entire country is watching this guy….what a lack of presidential timbre and what a misguided sense of what is right……….
Posted by mr curiouse at July 29, 2004 10:23 PM
Making peace with Vietnam was an applause line but fighting the war on terror wasn’t.
Posted by Mikey in Texas at July 29, 2004 10:23 PM
I’m pretty sure someone was supposed to be excited by now. And no, I don’t count Ted Kennedy spilling his Jack’n’Coke all over his intern’s blouse.
Posted by Gabe Posey at July 29, 2004 10:23 PM
Edwards is the American Dream: sue, get rich, run the country.
Posted by John at July 29, 2004 10:23 PM
This is horrible, where is Peggy Noonan?
Posted by Don at July 29, 2004 10:23 PM
Trees are cathedrals of nature–how sloppy a metaphor is that?
My dad taught me the things that a boy remembers? Um, English 101?
Posted by David at July 29, 2004 10:24 PM
not inspiring…..automatic conventional wisdom….filling up stage with others now….
Posted by john at July 29, 2004 10:24 PM
Edwards is the American Dream: sue, get rich, run the country.
Posted by John at July 29, 2004 10:24 PM
Punish those who outsource but its ok to outsource for perscription drugs?
Posted by Mike at July 29, 2004 10:24 PM
Why can’t he keep his hands still?
Teresa looks bored.
Posted by CMM at July 29, 2004 10:24 PM
“What can I say about TeRAYsa?”
“I married her for her money!”
Posted by reed at July 29, 2004 10:24 PM
I don’t want a fighter for the middle class as VP–I want someone who is well-qualified and prepared to be president.
Posted by Coral at July 29, 2004 10:24 PM
Delivers the Cheney line then… what do you bet it said [SMILE] on the TelePrompTer?
Posted by Karl at July 29, 2004 10:24 PM
No mention of his calling fellow soldiers in Nam war criminals to the Congress and world; no mention of his Senate record of 19 years; no mention of the billion reasons why he married Heinz; and, oddly enough, no mention of France per DNC marching orders. No, wait- he does mention “French troops” somewhat admiringly. The man has Gaul- gotta give him that.
Posted by c at July 29, 2004 10:24 PM
Does the man ooze energy, or what?
Posted by Steven Taylor at July 29, 2004 10:24 PM
Delivers the Cheney line then… what do you bet it said [SMILE] on the TelePrompTer?
Posted by Karl at July 29, 2004 10:24 PM
Why can’t he keep his hands still?
Teresa looks bored.
Posted by CMM at July 29, 2004 10:25 PM
I don’t want a fighter for the middle class as VP–I want someone who is well-qualified and prepared to be president.
Posted by Coral at July 29, 2004 10:25 PM
Edwards is the American Dream: sue, get rich, run the country.
Posted by John at July 29, 2004 10:25 PM
Holy shit! He loves his children?
Stop the presses!
Posted by shell at July 29, 2004 10:25 PM
“What can I say about TeRAYsa?”
“I married her for her money!”
Posted by reed at July 29, 2004 10:25 PM
He’s taken longer than I thought to get to his Vietnam service.
Posted by Dr. Manhattan at July 29, 2004 10:25 PM
Edwards is the American Dream: sue, get rich, run the country.
Posted by John at July 29, 2004 10:25 PM
Correction… Spam may not be the problem… for a few minutes I couldn’t connect to the latest comments… Can the Instapundit, cause an Instalanche upon himself… It looks like it…
Posted by Shawn Levasseur at July 29, 2004 10:25 PM
Delivers the Cheney line then… what do you bet it said [SMILE] on the TelePrompTer?
Posted by Karl at July 29, 2004 10:25 PM
This is just BRUTAL!!!
Posted by Don at July 29, 2004 10:26 PM
Now he’s getting to the boring part – kind of a relief
Posted by Rebecca Brown at July 29, 2004 10:26 PM
He shoulda skipped all of the biographical stuff. That’s what the video is for, and the joke sucked.
He’s hitting his stride now that he’s in the policy section. He definitely doesn’t have Clinton’s skill at controlling the crowd, but he seems much more approachable.
Posted by CalVoter at July 29, 2004 10:26 PM
This is just BRUTAL!!!
Posted by Don at July 29, 2004 10:26 PM
Just remember the pitch in the dirt on Sunday. This one is going to get by the catcher.
Posted by Rick Ballrd at July 29, 2004 10:26 PM
No mention of his calling fellow soldiers in Nam war criminals to the Congress and world; no mention of his Senate record of 19 years; no mention of the billion reasons why he married Heinz; and, oddly enough, no mention of France per DNC marching orders. No, wait- he does mention “French troops” somewhat admiringly. The man has Gaul- gotta give him that.
Posted by c at July 29, 2004 10:26 PM
Anyone see Edwards mouthing “pay attention, pay attention, pay attention!” when Kerry was talking about him? High-larious.
Posted by Josh at July 29, 2004 10:26 PM
Will he just get on with it. Enough with the thanks to the loosers in the race.
Posted by Willy at July 29, 2004 10:27 PM
A better presentation on this than I expected…
Posted by ElvenPhoenix at July 29, 2004 10:27 PM
Wait a second — I thought that 9/11 was off the table?
Posted by Tyler at July 29, 2004 10:27 PM
He’s rushing himself. Maybe brevity is his strategy against boredom.
Posted by Mikey in Texas at July 29, 2004 10:27 PM
Boy, after nearly fifteen minutes of stem-winding, he better start puttiing out something more than stump speech retreds and introductions
Posted by Greg at July 29, 2004 10:27 PM
Did he really say that as a child he rode his bike into Soviet East Germany!? I can imagine the East German guards being drunk and not paying attention, but what were our guys doing?
Posted by Carl at July 29, 2004 10:27 PM
I say we need more winking coiffed Southerners like Edwards and less starched bleached botox casualties like Kerry.
At least we could watch their speeches longer.
Posted by Gabe Posey at July 29, 2004 10:27 PM
He needed an out-of-the-park home run and all he got was a fielder’s choice single. RIP John Kerry
Posted by Jeffersonian at July 29, 2004 10:27 PM
Who’s we, pale two-face?
Posted by The Comedian at July 29, 2004 10:27 PM
“We’re the optimist”??? The Democratic Party?
This absurd statement snapped me from hypnosis, now all I hear is Kerry’s psychosis.
I have had enough.
Posted by syn at July 29, 2004 10:27 PM
Anyone see Edwards mouthing “pay attention, pay attention, pay attention!” when Kerry was talking about him? High-larious.
Posted by Josh at July 29, 2004 10:28 PM
On September 12th we were all one. Because we were *victims*. See, being a victim is beautiful and correct. But then we started killing brown people in far away land, and it was just like Vietnam and everybody hates us.
He’s so *nuanced* donchyaknow
Posted by Sergio at July 29, 2004 10:28 PM
Teresa??? “Moral compass” after that “unAmerican” kerfuffle? Her denial of something that was filmed. The blogs have rendered this kind of rhetoric increasingly unreal….
Posted by Chris Peterson at July 29, 2004 10:28 PM
Gee, here comes the wasting of unity lines….wasn’t he one of those who caused the divisions? Bash bush some more…
Posted by CPT Tom at July 29, 2004 10:28 PM
Democrats were the ones who had to buy flags on Sept. 12.
This is BRUTAL
Posted by Don at July 29, 2004 10:28 PM
I joined late – and I’m not a Kerry supporter, but his presentation is better than I expected. Much more energy than normal.
Posted by ElvenPhoenix at July 29, 2004 10:28 PM
OMG, did he just say he served in Vietnam? Who knew??
Posted by Susan at July 29, 2004 10:28 PM
this speech isn’t very lively. is it possible for barack obama to deliver it instead?
Posted by Josette at July 29, 2004 10:29 PM
he’s blowing it. I love the faces in the crowd – stunned and thinking of 2008
Posted by Walt at July 29, 2004 10:29 PM
Lauds Pentagon workers who rushed into the fire on 9/11. One of whom was Rumsfeld. Just saying…
Posted by Karl at July 29, 2004 10:29 PM
How does a rich guy from Massachusetts speak with the cadence of a Southern Baptist preacher?
Posted by shell at July 29, 2004 10:29 PM
Carl — Hoping they’d keep him?
Posted by richard mcenroe at July 29, 2004 10:29 PM
1 minute: A war declared *on us* by terrorists
next minute: we went to war because we *wanted to*
Posted by Zach at July 29, 2004 10:29 PM
“Facts are never distorted by politics” just seems…ironic.
“We only go to war because we have to.” IOW, play defense.
Posted by Danny at July 29, 2004 10:29 PM
maybe a fresh shot of botox has him in high spirits?
Posted by Owl at July 29, 2004 10:29 PM
He’s rushing and stumbling and the “mission accomplished” jab didn’t work….
Posted by Rebecca Brown at July 29, 2004 10:30 PM
John Kerry’s talking about American heroism on September 11th. Where you, John?
“Some issues aren’t that simple.”
John, voting against $87 billion does wonders to make war “on the cheap.”
This is moving quickly towards Dukakis: Reloaded.
Now, if he says, “As president, I will bring back disco,” I’m switching. That’s the conservative choice.
Posted by Michael Ubaldi at July 29, 2004 10:30 PM
Pay close attention to the lines that receive the greatest applause from the Democratic faithful. They’re all lines that imply the memes of the hard anti-war left — e.g., I’ll tell the truth to the American people, etc. Likewise, during Cleland’s intro, the line that received the largest applause was the one about not alienating our (always unnamed) allies.
Is this really what is most important to these people?
Posted by Old B at July 29, 2004 10:30 PM
He complains about fighting a war on the cheap–just how much did he want to spend?
Posted by aces at July 29, 2004 10:30 PM
This speech is a car wreck–only not as subtle or funny. Platitudes, empty banalities, all terribly delivered.
John Kerry loves his children–wow. And here I thought he hated them! Get that man in the White House.
The problem with Kerry couldn’t be demonstrated more clearly than in this quick transition from a potentially serious statement and into September 10 thinking “We are a nation at war – a global war on terror against an enemy unlike any we have ever known before. And here at home, wages are falling, health care costs are rising…”
Posted by David at July 29, 2004 10:30 PM
this speech isn’t very lively. is it possible for barack obama to deliver it instead?
Posted by Josette at July 29, 2004 10:30 PM
At least if he was a horse you could shot him
Posted by bob at July 29, 2004 10:30 PM
Okay, I’m with the other posters above — I’m truly surprised he’s so bad. I tuned out the content long ago, but from a presentation/public speaking standpoint alone, it’s objectively poor.
Posted by Sweeney at July 29, 2004 10:30 PM
Wow. I’m really shocked this is so bad. He’s not normally great in this type of setting, but this is sloppy, truly sloppy. The structure of the speech is terrible, his delivery is disjointed, and the crowd looks mortified.
Posted by Evil Genius for a Better Tomorrow at July 29, 2004 10:30 PM
“Facts are never distorted by politics” just seems…ironic.
“We only go to war because we have to.” IOW, play defense.
Posted by Danny at July 29, 2004 10:30 PM
I can’t wait to see Dubya’s “band of brothers” at the GOP convention…
Posted by Matt at July 29, 2004 10:30 PM
Breath John, Breath. The speech must really be 2 hours long and he just runs through it so fast that it only last 55 minutes.
Posted by Scott B at July 29, 2004 10:30 PM
“Fighting a war on the cheap…”? “I know what soldiers go through when they carry an M16…”?
I’m sure he understands well enough to vote against funds to supply them.
Posted by Christian at July 29, 2004 10:31 PM
He’s rushing and stumbling and the “mission accomplished” jab didn’t work….
Posted by Rebecca Brown at July 29, 2004 10:31 PM
Kerry Edwards Bumper Sticker
Posted by Dave at July 29, 2004 10:31 PM
We had a plan. It is working right now. Soveringty in under a year? I think that is a great accomplishment. Alone? We have nearly every country on our side except Germany and France.
Posted by Willy at July 29, 2004 10:31 PM
Won’t go to war unless it is “imminent” – shades of Munich (and ominously portending much the same outcome).
Posted by Mike Lutz at July 29, 2004 10:31 PM
Where is the knight from Monty Python to walk behind him and slap him with a raw chicken?
Posted by gupps at July 29, 2004 10:31 PM
John Kerry is working very hard to become a cliche. More so, in my opinion, than Bob Dole ever was. Eventually there will be a Kerry Fark tag associated with ‘loser’ stories.
/scrawlville.com
Posted by Gabe Posey at July 29, 2004 10:31 PM
kerry knows the reality of war. he values human life but will not hesitate to kill someone.
Posted by Mike at July 29, 2004 10:31 PM
1 minute: A war declared *on us* by terrorists
next minute: we went to war because we *wanted to*
Posted by Zach at July 29, 2004 10:31 PM
Breath John, Breath. The speech must really be 2 hours long and he just runs through it so fast that it only last 55 minutes.
Posted by Scott B at July 29, 2004 10:32 PM
“No wars without a plan to win the peace” Given how difficult it is to have plan to win the peace (whatever that means), I guess we will never have to have any wars again.
Hooray! Peace forever with Kerry!
Posted by Greg B at July 29, 2004 10:32 PM
Oh, he’s trying so hard to be the “national security” nominee. I’d laugh if I didn’t feel like crying.
Posted by ElvenPhoenix at July 29, 2004 10:32 PM
See the Blond in the audience shot at 1031pm rolling her eyes when he was talking about dealing with the war with lessons he learned during the war. She was clapping and holding one of the Edwards banner thingys.
Ah well.
Posted by moe at July 29, 2004 10:32 PM
This speech is officially too long. As for the “back door draft of reservists” — aren’t reservists there for that reason? As reserves? To be called up when needed? Sheesh.
Posted by Tyler at July 29, 2004 10:32 PM
“We will provide our soldiers with the latest weapons.”
Those would be all those weapons that Kerry voted against in the Senate!
Posted by Atlanta Lawyer at July 29, 2004 10:33 PM
Here’s the money stuff – no veto over security, build up America, defense, end the backdoor draft, etc.
Good stuff . . . and everytime he brings up security, defense hawk issues, Nader bleeds off 25 of his votes somewhere in the country.
Posted by reed at July 29, 2004 10:33 PM
This military section sounds kind of defensive.
Posted by Mikey in Texas at July 29, 2004 10:33 PM
“Help is on the way?” From him…this is a really bad joke. Like he is going to be tough? What a joke
Posted by CPT Tom at July 29, 2004 10:33 PM
Interesting characterization of Vietnam service as defense of this country, especially from a man who now claims that Iraq posed no threat.
Posted by Zach at July 29, 2004 10:33 PM
Re: instead of “never go to war because we want to” “go to war because we have to”
I think it’s asinine to insinuate that we, as a country, are somehow war-hungry.
“I defended this country as a young man, and I will defend it as President.”
I like what Hugh Hewitt said about this earlier: If the Bush Doctrine is “get the terrorists before they become an imminent threat,” the Kerry Doctrine is “Only attack them *after* they’ve attacked us.”
Heck with that.
Posted by John Wilson at July 29, 2004 10:33 PM
While proclaiming optimism, doesn’t the relentless negativity from Kerry tell us what the internal polls are telling Kerry?
We’re going to add 40K troops, but not for Iraq. (We’re too stupid to note that troops are somewhat fungible).
Now touting his experience. Bring it (his voting record) ON!
Posted by Karl at July 29, 2004 10:33 PM
He’s sweaty and babbling.
Posted by NR at July 29, 2004 10:33 PM
Interesting characterization of Vietnam service as defense of this country, especially from a man who now claims that Iraq posed no threat.
Posted by Zach at July 29, 2004 10:33 PM
Breath John, Breath. The speech must really be 2 hours long and he just runs through it so fast that it only last 55 minutes.
Posted by Scott B at July 29, 2004 10:33 PM
This speech is officially too long. As for the “back door draft of reservists” — aren’t reservists there for that reason? As reserves? To be called up when needed? Sheesh.
Posted by Tyler at July 29, 2004 10:34 PM
“We will provide our soldiers with the latest weapons.”
Those would be all those weapons that Kerry voted against in the Senate!
Posted by Atlanta Lawyer at July 29, 2004 10:34 PM
Strong alliances…like the French?
Posted by ElvenPhoenix at July 29, 2004 10:34 PM
Outsource jobs bad
Outsource prescriptions good
Posted by Mike at July 29, 2004 10:34 PM
Okay to link to liveblogging elsewhere?
I’m liveblogging on my blog: ttp://hftp.blogspot.com
Posted by Josh at July 29, 2004 10:34 PM
Why doesn’t he just shriek, “BUSH LIED!” He’s implied it several times already.
Posted by yk at July 29, 2004 10:34 PM
Hard to participate here. But is he throwing this speech away or what?
Posted by Rebecca Brown at July 29, 2004 10:34 PM
Wow.
First of all, he’s flat. He’s nervous and the sweat on his brow shows it. Second, you can see everybody wants to be really excited, but they’re not. The applause during pauses almost seems forced. He’s knocking it out of the park allright – if the park is a little league field.
Posted by Jay C. at July 29, 2004 10:34 PM
Do the Iraqis feel freer today?
Posted by Matt at July 29, 2004 10:34 PM
Future doesn’t belong to fear, it belongs to freedom. That’s a good line, you must admit.
Posted by Mikey in Texas at July 29, 2004 10:35 PM
“I will wage this war with the lessons I learned in war…”
Here are a couple of lessons he learned…
Use any excuse to avoid war…like insisting on a purple heart for a self inflicted shrapnel scratch on your forearm.
Use war to further political aims…like reenacting battles after the fact to create 8mm film for political use later.
Posted by Ivan in Cambridge at July 29, 2004 10:35 PM
Is it me or does JFK look more like RMN during the Kennedy/Nixon debate?
Posted by skokorat at July 29, 2004 10:35 PM
“Backdoor draft of National Guard and Reserve?”
So these are just jobs programs for the middle class?
Posted by Mike Lutz at July 29, 2004 10:35 PM
No applause to the comment about how he will respond to an attack swiftly and surely…
….creepy…
The applause came when he talked about the “back door draft” of the reservists….as a reservist, that bugs me.
Posted by Ken Talton at July 29, 2004 10:35 PM
I hope all you nutters are shaking in your boots (and from your comments, you are). This is a speech given by a true leader…as opposed to GWB aka Goddamn Worthless Bastard.
Posted by TennAtty at July 29, 2004 10:35 PM
1) I am glad to see I’m not the only one whose sick of Vietnam referrences. What have you done lately, John?
2) Kill terrorists and cut taxes would have been much more effective. That’s what Rumsfeld would say if he ran for president.
3) Restore trust and credibility? This from the guy who changes his POV for political advantage?
Now, I’m pretty firmly in the GOP camp (priority #1 being killing more terrorists, and the Dems haven’t earned my trust on this). But what has John Kerry done as a politician that should inspire us? So what if he faced danger for 4 months 35 years ago? So did Rambo, and look how he turned out. 3 crappy movies.
Posted by Half Canadian at July 29, 2004 10:36 PM
Wow! What amazing timing I have. The one and only chance to comment on Instarube’s blahg opens up and I just happen to be bored enough to visit his site.
Anyhoo, I’m not watching Kerry’s speech so I really have nothing to offer in this thread and will leave you all to your Kerry bashing. Now cue the snarling by the right whingers who know and fear me.
Posted by Robert McClelland at July 29, 2004 10:36 PM
Where is the Knight from Monty Python to walk behind this guy and whack him with a raw chicken?
Posted by gupps at July 29, 2004 10:36 PM
Kerry knows the reality of war. He values human life but will not hesitate to kill someone. He is a diverse and learned man. Dubya is barely a decent Texan (he doesn’t drink anymore)
Posted by Mike at July 29, 2004 10:36 PM
I liked how he paid tribute to the brave men and women who raced into the WTC and the Pentagon on 9-11. Awfully decent of him to pay tribute to Donald Rumsfeld in his nomination speech….
Posted by Mike G at July 29, 2004 10:36 PM
“We will double our special forces to conduct terrorist operations”
quickly corrected to “anti-terrorist”
Oops!
Posted by Hal Duston at July 29, 2004 10:36 PM
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