Newsweek: Would Someone Please Give This Schweitzer Guy a Keynote Address?

[Wetzelbill]

Would Someone Please Give This Schweitzer Guy a Keynote Address?


DENVER--The most telling line of Mark Warner's keynote address here at the Democratic Convention came near the end. It's "daunting," he said, "delivering the keynote speech four years after Barack Obama speaking before Hillary Clinton."

Warner was right to feel daunted. Aiming to link his background as a successful tech businessman and wildly popular former Virginia governor with the theme of the night ("Renewing America's Promise") Warner may have hit the right notes tonight--but he did so with little authority, agility or verve. It was partly his reliance on halfhearted speechwriting devices that disappointed. Under Bush, he said, a "fair shot" has become a "long shot"; under the Dems, a "fair shot" could become a "shot in the arm."It was partly his overuse of threadbare cliches, from "the race for the future is on" to "it's not where you came from that counts, it's where you want to go." It was partly his willingness to recite rote Democratic platitudes--"cover everyone," "restore America's leadership," "get off foreign oil," "recruit an army of new teachers"--without any memorable hooks. And it was partly the fact that Warner's own biography--start one business, start another, make hundreds of millions in the cellular industry--is neither moving nor particularly familiar. In the end, Warner made some good points--his story about bringing high-tech jobs to the small town of Lebanon, Va. was especially effective--but his speech felt totally flat. In the hall, the crowd muttered over his reedy voice. The applause was sparse, and when it came, it felt dutiful rather than inspired. The fact is, Warner was an excellent governor--an admirable, able technocrat. But the moment--a moment of theater, after all--required either a spellbinder (like Obama) or a force of nature (like Clinton). Sandwiched between the two, he was dwarfed. "Atrocious," one journalist told me. Overhearing, another chimed in. "Not atrocious," he said. "Just boring."

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/archive/2008/08/26/brian-schweitzer-would-someone-give-this-guy-a-keynote-address.aspx

[tridim]

1. I'm going to pretend that he did give the keynote address.

[silverojo]

9. Pretend??

They can call it what they want, but that WAS the keynote address!

[stillcool]

2. Dennis was the best ...

no contest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4EN7ibO1ec

[drmeow]

4. Dennis is always the best :-) n/t

[grasswire]

3. I also enjoyed the Massachusetts governor.

His was a touching and beautifully written speech.

But Schweitzer was the rodeo clown, the raconteur, the charismatic combination of Mickey Rooney and Ronald Reagan. Compare him to former MT governors Ted Schwinden, and Marc (ugh) Racicot, and the most recent one (a woman whose name I've forgotten) and you'll see that he is a new breed who could be very useful to the party.

Wahoo!

[Wetzelbill]

5. Judy Martz lol

Also known as Marc Racicot's bumbling sidekick.

[Phoonzang]

6. Like the article said....no one watching the networks really saw the speech

Hopefully someone replays it.

[DCKit]

7. Yes, we demand that all our speakers be equal to, or better...

than our best. It's obviously the only way we're going to beat McMumble and the Republics tired talking points.

What an asshat. He's gonna be sorry when Mark Warner's sitting in the Senate next February.

[Wetzelbill]

10. oh Warner is a shoo in

Doesn't matter that he's not the most charismatic guy around. He also has a viable presidential shot at some point. But the GOP's talking points are tired, yet still somewhat effective because the media accepts their framing. It'll be good to see Warner in the senate. Webb and Warner, not a bad combo.

[EFerrari]

8. Schweitzer is my very fav Democrat discovery of the year.

He's got my vote no matter what he wants to do. lol

Poor Warner. He should have been a magic act or something.

[JDPriestly]

11. John Warner delivers. Who cares about whether he can talk.

[Wetzelbill]

12. It's Mark Warner

And he only kind of delivers.

[JDPriestly]

19. Sorry. You are right Mark Warner. He has apparently done a lot for Virginia,

or???

[KharmaTrain]

13. Gov. Schweitzer Gave a Classic "Stem-Winder"

My favorite convention term...it's just like winding up and old watch...slowly and then let the spring go.

While I understand the motives for Gov. Warner's kumbaya speech, I'll be honest...I wanted some red meat! The combination of my disgust with the corporate media's awful coverage combined with the inner desire to lash out at the scummy attacks by the GOOP...I was ready for someone to rip Gramps and his corrupt party's head off.

Initially, Gov. Schweitzer started nice and easy...and I was seriously thinking this was the time to make a sandwich...and then as I was making the final choice between corned beef and chicken loaf, he started to get things cranking...he turned a house that was close to catatonic into a full boil in the next 3 minutes. A great speech, but I've always like Gov. Schweitzer...and have high hopes he can deliver Montana...a nice surprise on Nov. 4th.

[KT2000]

14. He's absolutely lovable too

The bolo tie - the leaning on the podium - the round face -
and then - let's go baby!!!
Watching Bill Clinton and Joe Biden respond to him was priceless.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

15. Schweitzer is awesome

I guess he'll get term limited out as governor eventually, but when Max Baucus retires I'd like to see him in the Senate.

[Mojambo]

16. I bet he gets the keynote in 2012 and is a very strong contender for the nomination in 2016.

I have this dream of Schweitzer/Feingold or Feingold/Schweitzer in 2016.

[pipoman]

17. Schweitzer's populist positions are what may

save the party eventually. I am not yet convinced that the current ticket can deliver the votes of much needed blue collar and rural traditional Dems and indies who have not supported the party since the party's support of NAFTA, GATT, gun control and the position on illegal immigration.

[applegrove]

18. I've never seen anyone read and direct an audience like he did. He was fantastic.