7/31    I've been busy so I'm sorry if this is old for the motd.  I saw Kerry's
        speech.  I thought it was bland and very 'safe'.  He didn't present any
        details at all of how he'd fix anything or do anything better or
        differently than GWB.  In an hour long speech he spent about 6 seconds
        talking about his 19 year Senate record and 55 minutes talking about
        his 4 months in Vietnam 30 years ago.  Although he didn't fuck it up,
        I don't think it was very good either.  It was safe.  What do the rest
        of you think?
        \_ I thought it was trite. It just shows that nobody can deliver
           a speech (or write one) as good as Clinton. Can't wait to see
                                   \_ Some how I dont take your review too
                                      seriously.
           Bush fuck up his speech. But yeah, I wasn't all too impressed
           with Kerry's.
        \- i thought it was pretty good. the bland speech was edwards.
           Kerry said he wouldnt privatize SS, would repeals the bush tax
           cuts for +$200k ... i dont remember if he said something about
           dividend taxation [that would have been a bad idea in the speech]
           so i think you and all the other people saying he didnt say anything
           gutsy, are not being fair ... and even more ridiculous is
           the "no diff between kerry/bushco". i thought the obama speech
           was overrated ... "edwards and obama have now eclipsed hillary
           clinton for 2008/2012" etc. i dont agree with everything he said
           but at a rhetorical level in style and delivery, the Rev Al was
           the best speech, I think. I think the "reporting for duty" was a
           pretty good beginning to the kerry speech. i bet mccain and possibly
           the Gubernator will give decent speeches at the RNC. --psb
           \_ I've read both good/bad about the reporting for duty thing.  I
              think it was just fluff but I don't hold it against him much.
              I place that in the same category as the rest of his focussing
              on his 4 months in Vietnam 30 years ago and ignoring his own
              19 years in the Senate.  I only heard a few minutes of Edwards
              so I don't know.  Nice accent :).  TheRevAl always speaks well
              in public.  If he didn't we wouldn't have ever heard of him.
              I think the RNC will put McCain up as the local RNC war hero
              to counter Kerry's 4 months and the Governator always does well
              in public, too.  I think most poor speaking is just stage
              fright since the speeches are all written by professionals who
              theoretically know what they're doing.  The Governator isn't
              going to get stage fright both due to core personality and his
              years of performing in front of the camera and on stage for
              live audiences.  GWB, well, the person above thinks he'll fuck
              it up for sure.  He might.  He has a hit'n'miss record.  You
              can always tell when he hasn't had enough time to practice.  If
              he doesn't make the time to practice the shit out of this one
              then he should forget the whole thing.  He only has to not fuck
              it up.  It isn't necessary for him to give some fantastic speech
              we all remember and get taught in college rhetoric courses years
              later like the I Have A Dream speech.  BTW, if you haven't seen
              the entire IHAD speech on film you should go find it at a
              library or something.  I saw it in rhetoric class as a sophomore.
              It was truly deeply amazing in a way I can't describe.  --op
              \-I'm actually most interested to the Evil Cyborg vs. The Trial
                Lawyer. that's a weird matching. --psb
                \_ how do you figure cheney is a cyborg?  of course he's a
                   hard crusty old bastard, but cyborg?  where's that come
                   from?  i suspect edward's trial experience won't translate
                   that well to the debate format and he'll get stomped in a
                   blizzard of policy details but the vp debate is just a
                   sideline entertainment anyway.  --op
                   \- I read it in the Economist. --psb
                   \_ hard and crusty? i vote for "dour and scheming".
                      \_ what politician isn't scheming?  dour is part of
                         being a crusty old bastard.