If the GOP Can't Protect Its Own Convention From a Keynote Speaker....

[MrBenchley]

...how can it keep America safe?

"After gauging the harsh reaction from Democrats and Republicans alike to Sen. Zell Miller’s keynote address at the Republican National Convention, the Bush campaign — led by the first lady — backed away Thursday from Miller’s savage attack on Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, insisting that the estranged Democrat was speaking only for himself."
Because that's what a Keynote Speaker does....fly off the handle and discuss whatever pops into his head.

THAT probably explained that embarassed silence in the hall while Zell was speaking....(snicker)

"Late Thursday, Miller and his wife were removed from the list of dignitaries who would be sitting in the first family’s box during the president’s acceptance speech later in the evening. Scott Stanzel, a spokesman for the Bush campaign, said Miller was not in the box because the campaign had scheduled him to do too many television interviews.
There was no explanation, however, for why Miller would be giving multiple interviews during Bush’s acceptance speech, or what channels would snub the president in favor of Miller. Nor was it made clear why Miller’s wife also was not allowed to take her place in the president’s box 24 hours after his deeply personal denunciation of his own party’s nominee. "

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5897622

"The change was made only a few hours after Laura Bush, asked about Miller’s speech, said in an interview with NBC News that “I don’t know that we share that point of view.” Aides to President Bush and his campaign said Miller was not speaking for all Republicans. "
Gee, when you compare the tepid way they cheered for Laura's trip down memory lane with the lynch mob glee that greeted Zell's ranting, it's pretty clear Miller spoke for the GOP....

[Skidmore]

1. Zell got himself used.

And he's too bitter and misguided to understand that fact. Sorry fact is that there are a lot like him.

[ladjf]

3. They dropped him even quicker than I anticipated.

[MrBenchley]

7. The numbers on his performance must be even more brutal

than most people thought.

Ever see a convention that had to "disappear" its KEYNOTE speaker? Me neither.

[ladjf]

13. In this morning's USA Today, it was noted that he and his wife

were not allowed sit in the President's box during Bush's speech. The pubs claimed it was because he was scheduled to be on many interview shows. Laura Bush and the Republican Party have distanced themselves from him as fast as possible.

Yet, I don't think his speech was a surprise to the Pubs. They wanted him to get in there , savagely "gut" Kerry and then claim that he wasn't speaking for them. It's like telling the jury to disregard the improper remarks of the witness, knowing the jury won't forget what they heard.

[MrBenchley]

15. What interview shows?

Far as I can tell, he only showed up on Faux Noise...and that was pre-taped. As MSNBC says, who was going to run an interview with this loony DURING the pResident's speech?

"I don't think his speech was a surprise to the Pubs"
The Keynote speech at a convention some sort of surprise? Yeah, ri-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ight. And what's that dropping from the ceiling? Why, it's balloons! Who'd have guessed that?

And remember, the first reaction from right wing pundits after the premiere of "Inherit the Windbag" was ALL "what a great job Zell did" while the delegates themselves ate it up with a spoon and howled for more.

It wasn't until they began to realize how sane people reacted that this new "he doesn't speak for us" lie began.

"the jury won't forget what they heard"
And they heard a bitter dishonest old loony ranting to a howling lynch mob.

[ladjf]

18. Exactly! That was pointed out in the same USA Today article.

There were no interview shows during that period. Miller is now a persona non Grata. He has turned his back on his base and is being rejected by his new associates, a very lonely situation.

[MrBenchley]

21. Zell was sitting on the hotel room crapper talking into a hairbrush

"Ah'll take you all on...you Matthews and you Larry King...and you Olbermann...Olbermann, is that a Jewish name?...you're all pussies...afraid to face a real man on the field of honor...where so many boys lost their gallant lives fo rthe Cause....oh ah wish ah was in the land of cotton...what's that, Strom, General Pickett is a-callin us to charge?"

[MrBenchley]

5. Not as many as there used to be...

How'd you like to be part of the Miller household this morning?

[IADEMO2004]

2. Is there anyone in America more alone than Zell?

He is the political Maytag man with door marks on his ass. See ya Zell, your pension checks will be the only mail you will ever get.

[MrBenchley]

6. And what's funniest....

is that he really is IN TUNE with what the right wing loonies are all about...they hate America, other Americans, and freedom with a white-hot passion.

That's why the convention roared with fury along with Zell's diatribe.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. No, RW loves America, but their America, not the real America.

[MrBenchley]

10. They hate freedom....they hate diversity....

[ladjf]

14. No animal species admires a traitor, especially homo sapiens.

And that congressman in Louisiana that pulled the last minute switch is going to get his "come uppins" as well. The court has already ruled that the Dems will be given time to enter their candidate.

[MrBenchley]

16. As somebody said, "Zell gives quislings a bad name..."

By the way, it was fitting that Zell brought up Wendell Willkie...Willkie was a somewhat obscure Democrat dredged up by GOP party bosses in 1940 because they didn't want to have a Republican get trounced a third time by FDR, and because they wanted to pretend that FDR was hated by even his own party. So they put Willkie in the spotlight, and then he went around the country fighting with Republicans and ended up getting trounced. This is the first time I've ever heard his name mentioned aloud at a Republican convention.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. And can't protect from Infiltrators. GOP incapable of keeping America safe

[MrBenchley]

8. And brought such hope and help to NYC

....that they had to hide from its citizens behind police barricades, muttering about ungrateful money grubbers....

[Minimus]

11. I almost feel sorry for him

I said almost. I'm worried he may be seriously mentally ill and that compassionate liberal in me just can't control itself.

the GOP can say Zell was speaking for himself but we know the speech was vetted

the GOP can say Zell was not speaking for republicans, but we all saw the conventions reaction - the rabid cheering

come on GOP, he was your KEYNOTE speaker for god's sake! can't you take responsibility for anything?

[MrBenchley]

19. I know what you mean...

I said yesterday, attacking Zell's "credibility" is like kicking a blind crippled dog because it doesn't get out of the way fast enough.

"that compassionate liberal in me just can't control itself"
I know what you mean...I feel sorry for the old lady with the bandaid...I doubt she thought for a moment what it meant and put that on because the other "cool kids" were doing it.

"the GOP can say Zell was not speaking for republicans, but we all saw the conventions reaction - the rabid cheering"
You got that right. Here, hilariously, is what the Nazional Review Online had to say right after Zell finished:

"The question bouncing around the Corner yesterday: Although we conservatives loved Zell Miller, did Miller’s speech change any votes?
Well, folks, this just in from ... a hip young denizen of Manhattan and master of media—not, in other words, the most promising material for the GOP. But just listen:
“What a speech by Miller last night. He might have secured my vote for Bush with that speech. Being the loose free spirit that I am, I don't necessarily agree with Bush's social and moral values -- FCC media censorship, religious fundamentalism etc. But I think I really have to put those issues on the back-burner and look at the real issue at hand--national security.”
National security, the real issue. Zell done did it.

http://www.nationalreview.com/thecorner/04_08_29_corner-archive.asp#039089

"I think the Miller speech was fantastic, as I said. But I do think that if it had been delivered by a Republican it would be seen as a major liability for Bush -- largely because the press would but that spin. I think the Bush campaign believes that the counter-spin that Miller's a Democrat will defuse that sort of thing; "the Republicans weren't mean. Zell Miller's a Democrat."
"

http://www.nationalreview.com/thecorner/04_08_29_corner-archive.asp#038953

'"Zell Miller walks on water," Andrew Stuttaford says in response to that speech. He was on fire. Real homeruns for the RNC this week."

http://www.nationalreview.com/thecorner/04_08_29_corner-archive.asp#038949

"I thought it was an fantastic speech. There are probably one or two statements of fact in it that I think the Dems can rightly quibble about. Kerry has said several times that he would not give the UN a veto etc etc.
But man-o-man-o-shevitz. Kerry must have smashed a bottle of chablis against the wall after hearing that. "

http://www.nationalreview.com/thecorner/04_08_29_corner-archive.asp#038945

"ZELL
He's got his head and his heart wired together for some full tilt boogie for freedom and justice. "

http://www.nationalreview.com/thecorner/04_08_29_corner-archive.asp#038942

They did a great job explaining how Zell wasn't speaking for them, didn't they?

[seabeyond]

12. never take responsibility, i didnt know i didnt know i didnt know

flier sent out in florida, twice on with swift boat, one about getting absentee not trust black box. the whole swift boat, that their attorney was shared, that an employee was shared.............we didnt know

well, they read all the speeches. they had miller do exactly what they wanted. maybe not the duelin with chris, but then hell they may have even chatted about it in meeting and miller just put it out loud

an i didnt know president isnt worth keeping either. i didnt know cia had bad information on iraq

[Mad_Dem_X]

17. Exactly - what happened to

"bringing honesty and integrity back to the White House"? What utter bullshit.

[MrBenchley]

20. The slimeboatters have nothing to do with us

but we'll have the keynote speaker and Deadheart Dick read their ads almost verbatim....

[MrBenchley]

22. vanity kick

http://www.on101.com/dishonor2/