Someone suggested the news media offer the “first draft of history,” but at Democratic conventions, the “first draft” loses all historical perspective in the romance of the moment. When Obama speaks, liberal reporters sense a harmonic convergence of the planets and start putting this president on Mount Rushmore.
NBC reporter Andrea Mitchell won Quote of the Day hands-down for Wednesday by insisting we’ve never had a president “save Lincoln, who is great a speechwriter as this man.” This not only carves Obama into granite, it assumes no one helped him write this speech. She needed Keith Olbermann to say “Steady, steady....” as he did as Chris Matthews announced the thrill up his leg.
Extraordinary in invoking the Framers thoughts to form more perfect union, the most optimistic speech, the most generous speech, politically, having covered the campaign eight years ago, I could have never have imagined this kind of embrace of Hillary Clinton. The genuine affection, obviously his legacy at stake, and when he said there's never been anyone, not man or woman, not me, not Bill, as qualified to be president of the United States, he passed that baton. He did it with such — such generosity, as I say, when he invoked the audacity of hope, all of the spirit, all of the creativity of his own brilliant speech writing and conferred that upon her. Of course, the challenge now is for her to follow this and I don't think anyone could — perhaps no one expects that she will. That is not her gift. His gift is unique. I don't think we've ever had a President save Lincoln, who is as great a speechwriter as this man. – Andrea Mitchell just before midnight on MSNBC.
Among the runners-up is CBS anchorman Scott Pelley, who sits in the midst of a gathering of atheists and secularizers and drags out churchy metaphors, which only works if the object of worship is Obama himself. (Joy Reid also strangely talked of a secular "liturgy" of inclusion on MSNBC.)
“Barack Obama in full Sunday meeting mode, preaching to a choir which sang a chorus of amens. The first African-American president challenging Democrats to make history again. The biggest difference in this election, he said, is the very meaning of our democracy.” – CBS anchorman Scott Pelley.
“Republicans hate Hillary Clinton. I don't think there's a better word for their chemistry-like dislike for her. It's pure. They hate her. I don't think Democrats hate Donald Trump. It's not like that. It's something like he appalls them. He appalls them, the idea that he could be a candidate for of either party, that he could presume to lead this country. There's some — I'm going to find that word, but it's not hatred. These people are happy when somebody puts down Trump. They're not angry, they're thrilled. When people put down Hillary Clinton, they're angry. It shows in their faces. They're not happy people.” – MSNBC host Chris Matthews.
“For people who have been saying elections didn't offer a real choice, it is kind of a real choice. Right? “Hillary is going to fight for you.” “Hillary is going to murder you.” “How do we welcome immigrants?” “How many can we fit in a boxcar?” A diverse coalition of races. Old white people in stupid hats. You know? Just very different.” – Bill Maher on HBO.
