I’m sorry… perhaps it was the advance Spielberg-Protegé Hype or my own apostate politics… but the Kerry Movie came off to me as a bland infomercial. Maybe they should have hired Oliver Stone to give it some pizzazz. The whole thing fell flat to me, but I guess I’m not the audience.
UPDATE: I must say I was stunned at what a poor speech Kerry gave, not particularly for the delivery — the man has never been a Churchill– but for the writing. This was the most important speech of his life and it sounded like a laundry list with no ups and downs, no narrative, no feeling, no beginning, middle or end, no nada. Did he write most of this himself or did he hire writers? If it’s the former, I would suggest the latter. If it’s the latter, I would suggest he can them immediately and look elsewhere.
But whoever comes in to write for Kerry has a problem. Years ago, when I was a good little Democrat, some Hollywood people asked me if I would be interested in writing speeches for Mike Dukakis. I was hugely flattered (anything to avoid writing scripts) and I accompanied those people to a party where Dukakis was speaking. But excited as I was, when I heard the then prospective candidate I was completely turned off and told them I wasn’t interested. Not in my wildest imagination could this man even get nominated. I didn’t want to waste my time.
What did I know?… Not much obviously, but I did know this. You can be the best writer in the world, but if your actor (politician) can’t cut the mustard, doesn’t have a soul of his own, your words are going nowhere. There’s something fake. Imagine John Kerry reciting a beautifully crafted speech and you’ll know what I mean.
But more importantly, when I heard Kerry utter the following words, I became genuinely depressed and more than a little angry:
I defended this country as a young man and I will defend it as President. Let there be no mistake: I will never hesitate to use force when it is required. Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response. I will never give any nation or international institution a veto over our national security. And I will build a stronger American military.
Any attack? That’s it? No preemptive action? Where would Kerry have stood on American intervention in Europe during World War II? The Nazis had not attacked us. Maybe I don’t want to know….The reassuring feeling I had gotten from John Edwards last night that their team would be serious about the War on Terror disappeared.
MORE: PunchTheBag has some witty observations.
PJM Home
Pajamas Media appreciates your comments that abide by the following guidelines:
1. Avoid profanities or foul language unless it is contained in a necessary quote or is relevant to the comment.
2. Stay on topic.
3. Disagree, but avoid ad hominem attacks.
4. Threats are treated seriously and reported to law enforcement.
5. Spam and advertising are not permitted in the comments area.
The clause regarding "hate speech" has been deleted because readers criticized it as being too loosely defined. We agreed.
These guidelines are very general and cannot cover every possible situation. Please don't assume that Pajamas Media management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment. We reserve the right to filter or delete comments or to deny posting privileges entirely at our discretion. If you feel your comment was filtered inappropriately, please email us at story@pajamasmedia.com.
17 Comments
1. Alan:It did for me too. I did like the daughters’ speeches which preceded it, though.
Jul 29, 2004 - 7:08 pm 2. Rick Ballard:The man from Hope becomes the hopeless man. As Cleland drives the crowd into wild sonambulence in anticpation of Mr. Kerry, operatives move around the hall draining the batteries in their cattle prods as they attempt to electrify the crowd.
OK, Mickey, it’s time to panic. Even if he had it, his campaign clowns don’t.
Jul 29, 2004 - 7:11 pm 3. richard mcenroe:No, no, it was brilliant and inspiring! Ask Stephen Bing! Ask Katie Couric! Ask Dan Rather! Ask Terry McAuliffe!
Jul 29, 2004 - 7:11 pm 4. mrp:Teleprompter notations:
(raise left arm)
(raise right arm – make fist)
(speak loudly – raise both arms)
(turn left)
(turn right)
(lower voice – look wistfully)
(wait 3 seconds – smile)
Jul 29, 2004 - 7:22 pm 5. Solomon:I didn’t care for the video, either, and I was wondering during the second daughter’s speech whether they were there to nominate Kerry or bury him. It sounded like a eulogy – “I remember that time when my dad…”
Jul 29, 2004 - 7:26 pm 6. Rick Ballard:Where’s the clinch line? I’ve read the damn thing and this is quite possibly the worst assemblage of cliches to ever get air time. He’s trying to straddle a 6′ barbwire fence and he’s not comfortable doing it.
Jul 29, 2004 - 7:37 pm 7. Assistant Village Idiot:Peter, Paul, and Mary for Pete’s sake! Maya Angelou? The movie was weak because it was out of focus intellectually. This DNC, including movie, including peace signs, including Barak Obama (Julian Bond’s nomination redux) is running against Richard Nixon.
Gad, I can’t wait for my generation to die off.
Jul 29, 2004 - 7:39 pm 8. Rick Ballard:AVI,
Not so fast, buddy. My kids owe me 25 years of SS taxes.
Have you ever seen a worse performance? This is pathetic. Bring back Dukakis.
Jul 29, 2004 - 7:44 pm 9. mrp:After reading the script I closed my eyes for a few seconds and imagined Slick making the delivery…
Every delegate in that hall is dying a little.
Jul 29, 2004 - 7:45 pm 10. frendlydude2k:i’d like to see a comparative analysis of the time the movie spent on his service in vietnam vs. his actual time spent in the nam, compaired to the time the movie spent detailing his service in the senate.
Jul 29, 2004 - 7:46 pm 11. Rick Ballard:Is he sweating like a pig or drooling? Doesn’t he own a handkerchief?
Jul 29, 2004 - 7:52 pm 12. Solomon:Go balloons! Go balloons! LOLOL “WTF are you guys doing up there?”
Jul 29, 2004 - 8:02 pm 13. Solomon:(Quoting the CNN audio, BTW – not sure if that’s audible on the others.)
Jul 29, 2004 - 8:04 pm 14. Catherine:It was lame.
As soon as it ended I said to my husband, the ABB voter, “So he’s no Man from Hope.”
He agreed.
On the other hand, he thought the speech was presidential.
Jul 29, 2004 - 8:39 pm 15. richard mcenroe:Spielberg’s next movie ó “Saving Lt. Kerry”
What was with that salute? First off, Lieutenant, you don’t salute bare-headed, secondly, civilians don’t salute, third, why did I get a flashback to Peter Sellers: “Mein Fuhrer ó I can valk! I can valk!”
Jul 29, 2004 - 8:50 pm 16. Rick Ballard:Catherine,
I know he’s an academic but obscure references to Van Buren, Harrison and Polk just don’t cut it in 2004.
Test him a little, ask him if he’s ever seen a tape of the Nixon-Kennedy debate in ‘60. I think Nixon may have sweated more than Not a Clue tonight but it’s close. Maybe that’s what he meant by presidential.
Jul 29, 2004 - 8:51 pm 17. Rick Ballard:I dunno, richard, maybe we should lay off a little. I mean, he did buy the nomination fair and square, no rules against using your wife’s money that I know of. He makes Dukakis look like a dream candidate (he was his Lt. Governor – say where was Mike tonight?). Not one of his band of brothers, I guess.
Have you ever thrown a grenade that didn’t pop? First one I tossed in training (and I only tossed them in training) went the correct distance, while I was attempting to become one with the earth, then – nothing. The DI had to stay down for whatever time the range required – and then made me do pushups ’til I was good and tired. The Dem’s are going to be doing pushups over this dud until Nov. 2. Should be fun to watch.
Jul 29, 2004 - 9:01 pm