Wow. What to say about Zell Miller's spittle-soaked, foaming-at-the-mouth rant. I'm going to be impolitic here and just say it sounded more like someone addressing a lynch mob than someone addressing a political convention.
And what is with all the booing? Is that the kind of positive, upbeat, optimistic, hopeful message that the GOP wants to send? Let me tell you from my experience at the DNC that there is no such thing as a spontaneous crowd reaction at a convention. There are "political whips" on the floor connected by earpiece to the "boilerroom" and what they do is cue the delegates on how to react. They tell them to dance to Sly and the Family Stone songs, they tell them to applaud, to chant, to laugh, and, yes, to boo. Nothing happens spontaneously. That means that the overwhelmingly negative tone of tonight (and the entire convention) and the incessant booing are no accident. Rove has decided to just let 'er rip. The only way Bush can win this election is if people come to despise John Kerry; contempt will be the Bush/Cheney theme for the next two months.
As for Zell, who had so much vile to spill in the direction of John Kerry, via Atrios, here is what he was saying:
My job tonight is an easy one: to present to you one of this nation's authentic heroes, one of this party's best-known and greatest leaders – and a good friend.
…
John has worked to strengthen our military, reform public education, boost the economy and protect the environment. Business Week magazine named him one of the top pro-technology legislators and made him a member of its "Digital Dozen."
That Zell, what a flip-flopper.
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Christopher Hayes is the host of MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes. He is an editor at large at the Nation and a former senior editor of In These Times.
