You, Sir, Are No Zell Miller

Matt Welch | August 25, 2008

I yield to no one in my white-hot burning hatred for all things Zell Miller, but after watching opening night turncoat Jim Leach's nose-picker of a speech, a question is begged: Are there no other pissed-off Republicans in the U.S. and A.? Seems to me you can't sneeze in Washington without knocking one over. Mickey Edwards was busy? Chuck Hagel getting an eyelift?

The Democratic Party has just blown almost one-quarter of its convention on some of the most tepid personal-trivia testimonials and no-really-they-watched-Brady-Bunch crapola I have heard since my last Amway convention. Only with much less spirit. Wait, your mother loved you? IZ VOAT DIMOKRAT! 

The Republicans kicked the stuffing out of the Dems in the last year's convention season, in part due to an uproarious and combative opening night. Can Democrats even hit a ball off a tee without irritating the hell out of everybody?

Comments

BDB|8.25.08 @ 10:45PM|#

Last year? You mean four years ago.

Matt Welch|8.25.08 @ 10:48PM|#

Thanks! Sorry!

SIV|8.25.08 @ 11:12PM|#

Zell Miller gave the kind of speech that is best delivered on a tree stump to a band of muzzle-loader toting irregulars about to "illegally" cross the border, kill some Injuns, and and bring some British agitator/agents back for an extra-judicial hanging.It was magnificent.
We don't know what Old Hickory said to his men before battle but it probably (in tone) sounded a lot like Zell's speech at the 2004 Republican convention.

|8.26.08 @ 7:41AM|#

Valid commentary, Matt. My concern is Tuesday night. The race is tied because a quarter of Hillary voters are refusing to support Obama. Will that change after Senator Clinton gives an enthusiastic nationally televised endorsement of Obama? I fear it will, and that Obama could have a huge lead by Friday.

Hope I am wrong.

|8.26.08 @ 9:34AM|#

The country already knows Bush is a piece of crap, and that McCain is more of the same. In the middle of Michelle's speech, you know what I thought? What a contrast from the last 8 years. And she never even mentioned his name.

Please can we have a little faith, and a little less bloodlust and hand-wringing? Last night we saw spine and moral integrity. The contrast was clear.

|8.26.08 @ 10:17AM|#

Michelle Obama can't even bump fists with her husband without it becoming a "terrorist fist jab." You REALLY think she should have come out flame-throwing? Be realistic. She did exactly what she had to do, and she carried it off as well as anybody could have.

|8.26.08 @ 11:11AM|#

You don't think we'll get more of the same from any Candidate?

You can't be President in this country without selling out. Obama is a good speaker, he is able to tell people what they want to hear. I'm not sure he is any more than that.

Brian Defferding|8.26.08 @ 11:23AM|#

Reading all the comments on Fark reacting to this blog is hilarious.

Zen|8.26.08 @ 11:24AM|#

Same tired rhetoric from the far left. I loved Michelle Obama's fairy tale of humble beginnings. Barry went to private schools and ivy league colleges. That's humble beginnings???????? Wish mine were that humble.

|8.26.08 @ 11:34AM|#

Obama skipped Wall Street and went to work as a community activist and civil rights lawyer because Wall Street demands results and activism demands failure. (if activists ever win, they are out of a job, so it is better to come close but lose and require more contributions the follow year)

|8.26.08 @ 11:36AM|#

Thank God for Op Chaos!!

|8.26.08 @ 11:44AM|#

Let's face it....Osama doesn't have a chance. If he doesn't have a resounding lead at this point given the economy, Iraq, gas prices, unemployment, inflation, etc., what the hell will it take?? And to boot, he chose Biden as a VP....a man even less known to Joe six-pack than Osama. I'm not saying that it won't be a tough race, but McCain's chances are looking better and better every day. Hark! Did I just hear the sad weeping of Liberals as they wake up to the fact that Republicans will control the White House for yet another 4 years?!

|8.26.08 @ 11:48AM|#

the Obamas know they are treading thin ice in the Racist Land of the Free (and uneducated). its a miracle they are even in contention. i figured by now McSame would be leading in the polls by 20%. America has become a greedy, arrogant, ignorant nation that believes Money is the end all of existence. where have our values gone?? they've gone the way of the Boob Toob, Public schools, Nascar, and lots of beer/prescription drugs. so sad. we're no longer the "Greatest Country on Earth"

|8.26.08 @ 11:51AM|#

America has become the Greatest Commercial on Earth, all hat and no cattle.

|8.26.08 @ 12:43PM|#

because Wall Street demands results and activism demands failure

Not sure how your analysis squares up against the failures of a number of large Wall Street-based mortgage banks...or against the recent success of the activist PUMAs at scaring the shit out of the OTHER 75% of registered Democrats...but I think it means your off base there, dust bin.

Over-reliance on stereotypes, labels, generalizations and histrionics tends to make one ignorant and ill-informed.

|8.26.08 @ 1:34PM|#

because Wall Street demands results and activism demands failure

Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, Wachovia, Countrywide, AIG, Bank of America . . . and on and on. You mean those kinds of results?

Not exactly the best way to try to make a point. Then, of course, it was not the best of points to try and make.

|8.26.08 @ 1:48PM|#

Michelle Obama was NOT the person to attack McCain. I think their introduction of her went as well as it possibly could have gone. Had she gone on the attack, the coverage would have said, "Angry spearchucker's angry wife on the rampage." That's what they've already thrown at her, and her speech put that to rest rather effectively.

The question is whether they needed to cede the entire first night of their convention to achieve this. I think yes. What they did was make the first night their sentimental night. The Republicans will have their sentimental night, too.

It will be the next three nights that'll matter on the partisanship front. After all, it's a political convention. It is obligated to be partisan. So they need to go kick the living shit out of the Republicans.

This is something they have not done, and they MUST do it. At this juncture, Obama is beginning to look like a weakling, and America will not put a weakling in the White House. The good news to me is that I think Team Obama has gotten the message from Democrats.

Let the ass-kickin' begin.

|8.26.08 @ 1:57PM|#

"Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, Wachovia, Countrywide, AIG, Bank of America"

All of which are typically considered to be EPIC FAIL. Listing those doesn't change the fact that the financial world demands performance, whereas the activist world demands only that you superficially support some grand cause, results be damned.

|8.26.08 @ 1:59PM|#

"That's what they've already thrown at her, and her speech put that to rest rather effectively." --Fightin' Democrat

Maybe... we'll have to see. I don't think most people thought that she was being genuine. Indeed, even left-wing bloggers were bemoaning that the didn't let the "real" Michelle speak.

All in all, they handled it correctly, but I'm not convinced that her performance will win over anyone who wasn't already persuaded.

liri|8.26.08 @ 2:20PM|#

DaveS...I think you must be very unfamiliar with the activist world. There are countless people who work their asses off everyday to win small battles and achieve life-changing results. Sure, they aren't earning millions of dollars for people who already have millions of dollars but they are getting essential items for people to continue living from day to day, maybe a little safer and happier than the day before. Obviously, these things cannot be judged fairly in the same way but give me a "lazy" activist any day over a heartless Wall Street "performer."


Also, the "real" Michelle couldn't speak because she would have said something, though true, that would have been upsetting to moderates and fuel for Republicans to lash out and spread doubt. I wish she could have spoken openly too, so that people could hear what really needs to be heard. I'm not always proud of this country and I'm not the only one. I'm glad someone is pointing out the mistakes we've made. Maybe someone will finally make some changes!!

|8.26.08 @ 2:56PM|#

"I'm glad someone is pointing out the mistakes we've made. Maybe someone will finally make some changes!!" --liri

LOL... what "mistakes that we have made" do you think Michelle has pointed out? There is no substance there, just a general dislike of the US (based on her previous speeches, which may or may not accurately reflect her true feelings).

|8.26.08 @ 3:01PM|#

FTA: "U.S. and A."

I stopped reading at that point. Come on now, people...can we at least reference the name of our country correctly before we criticize those attempting to run it?

The Owners Manual|8.26.08 @ 3:11PM|#

Russ,

I didn't even make it that far. This...
"a question is begged: Are there no other pissed-off Republican" ... misuse of question-begging is a major turnoff when done by anyone who makes a dime writing.

|8.26.08 @ 3:21PM|#

T.O.M.,
True that it was misused, but I tend to let that one slide...its true meaning is not very intuitive. Begging usually implies "asking", rather than the true meaning in the phrase: "assuming."

Nonetheless, it's a good indicator that the article isn't worth reading.

|8.26.08 @ 4:38PM|#

I think that it is the calm before the storm or it should be. If Michelle Obama became Bush Bashing, Sean Hannity would have said that she is a Militant Black Woman ( One of the Bad ones, he would say). Why can we be positive before beating the hell out of each other.

srocket|8.26.08 @ 4:59PM|#

It is not The United States AND America, it is the United States OF America so your comment should read U.S. of A. If your going to go on a meaningless tirade then at least spell correctly.

Obbop|8.26.08 @ 5:18PM|#

After observing Chuck Hagel's bizarre unAmerican and anti-American antics in Congress it is my belief the putrid creature has never met an illegal alien invader he did not adore and did this by spitting upon American working-poor citizens.

Such a sick, warped, perverted mind that Hagel creature must possess.

|8.26.08 @ 6:27PM|#

Yeah, that great 2004 GOP Convention where they mocked Kerry and all wounded American Vets by handing out purple band-aids!

God bless the GOP for electing a draft dodger, while villifying his GOP primary opponent in 2000 for his 5 years in a POW camp! Now they nominate that same man and are trying to make Obama look like the dodger W.

At least we can go on Smoking Gun and see where W checked the box indicating he DID NOT want to Serve his Country overseas (yes, you can also see the same form where Kerry checked YES he wanted to serve his Country overseas.)

Does anyone in the GOP have a grasp on reality?