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Wow, that Zell Miller is one angry angry guy. Gothamist wondered if he was going to pop a vein during his invective, and naturally, the crowd at the Republican National Convention ate it up. The best headline is the Post's Mad as Zell. Vice President Dick Cheney also took the stage; the NY Times notes that Cheney brought "charisma" but it was the kind of charisma one associates with plush, wood paneled boardrooms that plan world domination by sucking up all the world's natural resources... actually, we're thinking the meeting rooms from Austin Powers - Dick Cheney would be an excellent Dr. Evil. Honestly, we sort of tuned out during his speech - we got ill. For anyone who also got ill, here's the text.
For his part, the President watched the festivities from Elmhurst, Queens, where he accepted the endorsement of the city's firefighters' union. Notable was the Mayor's absence, but Mayor Bloomberg begged it off saying he had lots to do. Oh, Mayor B, did something "suddenly come up"?
Tonight Governor George "See Me In 2008" Pataki will speak before President Bush. Here's the schedule. And is it just us, or have you been totally overloaded by the convention since sometime last week?
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I think 9/11 made some people (Zell, Dennis Miller, Bush) crazy as a loon.
Oh, totally overloaded here, and I haven't actually *seen* any of the convention (don't have a TV and I don't think I could stomach it anyway).
When I first heard of the RNC coming to NYC (when their plans to exploit 9/11 were much more explicit), I was naturally insulted at the prospect, but also relished a chance to protest them.
I've participated in two actions (Critical Mass and the UFPJ march), which, for me personally, went well. Some of the other actions I've read about were really creative.
But now, after all the disgraceful actions of the NYPD (mass arrests, unprovoked assaults, terrible jail conditions, improper procedures, etc), the virtual criminalization of bicycling in certain areas of the City, the stupid actions of a few unruly protestors, and reading about the vitriolic untruths coming from the RNC, I am so done with this fucking convention.
At the end of all this, I want Commissioner Kelly to apologize and to resign, I want Bloomberg to apologize and get serious about respecting bicycling in this City, I want the Democrats to get both a clue and a spine, and, most importantly, I want George W. Bush to get a new job!
Amen, brother.
I agree wholeheartedly -- using the RNC under the guise of "security" as an excuse to run exercises in martial law is...well, inexcusable.
mike - very eloquent. I totally agree.
Hey Gothamist - two non-protest/convention related posts on the main site all week?!?!?! C'mon, you guys have to kidding. You're "About" line says "Gothamist is a website about New York." I'll grant you, the convention is a big deal, but you guys must have something else to talk about.
I've enjoyed your site for a while now (a year, maybe more?), but the content has been getting worse and worse as the site gets bigger and bigger. And with all these branches and departments in other cities, I can't see it getting much better. I'm sure you don't really care but I think today was my last visit to Gothamist. Good luck Gothamist!
I am totally naming my first born male child "Zell". Finally, an elected Democrat worthy of respect.
The Kerry campaign sure is taking its sweet time responding to last night's speeches. Does he want to be president or is windsurfing on Nantucket more important? He's doing a Dukakis and as a Democrat that pisses me off more than anything the Republicans are saying.
The RNC are ratings gold! Look at the amount of comments.
However, I do agree that some dedicated sections, like Sports, are silly. Most real sports fans wouldn't read Gothamist Sports because either they know all the details already or because one paragraph isn't enough detail for a true fan. Sports covered on Gothamist should be noteworthy New York stories on their own, thus appearing on the Gothamist main page. Take for instance a weekend series with the Red Sox visiting Yankee Stadium. In the past, they were covered on the main page, as they might be of interest to non sports fans. Now, they are be relegated to the Sports section, along with things that a non sport fan care about. Does a non sport fan in New York really care that the Yankees beat the Blue Jays in Toronto? I think tien's talent is better used somewhere else on the site.
But James, to me at least, it doesn't seem as though SFist or LAist divert any of Jen's attention away from Gothamist. So that seems like a pretty empty complaint. And as evidenced by the story after this, it seems as though Jen is trying to listen to your comments about wider coverage. Which, is a whole lot better than bitching about something and not coming back to see if something was done about it.
Got to agree with James.
Gothamist has been gradually sliding from an interesting take on New York into just another run-of-the-mill left-of-center media outlet for the past few months. There are so many other places on the web that do that liberal elite news thing so much better.
I'm sure I'll find some other place somewhere on the web that can give me some insights into NYC.
Like James, I think Gothamist has just grown too big for me. Obviously you're going to be very successful with this site. Best of luck.
-Bob
Gothamist is a "run-of-the-mill left-of-center media outlet" to some, while others see a conservatively biased corporate shill that links too frequently to the NY Post and gets story ideas from company press releases. Gothamist has grown too big with too many different sections, while also being distracted by the -ist sites in other cities. This is quite the Goldilocks scenario. Damn you Jen for not getting it "just right" for all people. Keep up the good work.
To stay on topic... *cough*....
I'm sure Zell's corporate masters at Lockheed/Martin are pleased with his performance at the RNC last night, and I wish he would take his hat and leave the Democratic Party. The man has been an Elephant in Donkey's clothing for years now, and it is certainly a sign of the times that a southern democrat, particularly from Georgia (where Saxby Chambliss won an election by having that gaul to challenge Viet Nam veteran and multiple amputee Max Cleland on his 'patriotism'), would try to court his state's 'center' by pandering to the hard right.
Thanks for the coverage Gothamist-- you've made these long days-- spent clutching my knees to my chest, rocking back and forth and praying for it all to end-- bearable.
I think Gothamist has been offering more political coverage because political posts generate the most comments. It's as simple as that.
Mike - you couldn't have said it better. Everyone involved has proven themselves unfit to lead and have done this city a huge disservice. Pink slips all around. And, on the bicycle thing - I was nearly arrested last night for obeying traffic laws and was grabbed and yelled at by a cop before another cop stepped in and asked him to back off. I can deal with nasty traffic, but I can't deal with getting harrassed needlessly.
Joe: The Kerry campaign isn't responding to any of the RNC speeches because there's always been an informal gentlemen's agreement between the two parties that the one won't do any campaigning while the other is having its convention. The same thing happened during the DNC.
Considering that the RNC (and the corresponding protesting) has taken over NYC this week (if not the month/summer), I'm surprised someone would bother to complain about the percentage of political-related posts.
Tim and Joe: Actually the fact is Kerry is campaigning right now and the Democrats are disputing the GOP's claims, and so technically the "gentleman's agreement" has been broken though it isn't getting played up that way in the media.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/02/politics/campaign/02kerry.html
As for why the campaign hasn't responded to specific speeches from the convention I don't know that this agreement applies. Why not check their website?
http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/
I'm a Democrat but I have to wonder what would've happened if the Republicans had campaigned during the DNC. How would that story have been spun and wouldn't Kerry's campaign have made a very big deal out of it?
Stop whining about what is posted here on gothamist - if you don't like it, get your own damn weblog - they are free for god's sake! The convention has taken over all facets of life here in the city, there is just no way around it. Not only is it on everyone's mind, but we have to fucking live with it here. It isn't just some media event going on over there, it is all around us. Yesterday, because of the President, the G/F/E trains were stopped because he was meeting with firefighters - that affects Brooklyn and Queens (not even the outer boroughs can escape). I'm sorry if you think coverage has been left leaning - but dammit - this is fucking New York City. Get a freaking clue.
Oh, and the GOP did campaign during the DNC - on every damn station after the speeches Ed Gillespie was on hem hawing about the Dems. Has Terry McAuliffe been allowed on any stations? Nope.
Well-put into perspective, plemeljr.
I agree with plemeljr. The RNC is rather unavoidable. I'm not quite sure how one could get through their day without being reminded of it...unless you were in a coma. I like the updates. It's a way of reading about what other people are experiencing-- especially the photoblog roundups. Besides, the convention will be over soon enough. Then we can all go back to talking about the Olsen twins and all of the other triviality that we often engage in on a daily basis.
Yes, of course you're right plemeljr, sorry but I mispoke. What I meant to say is that if Bush himself had actually gone out on the road and campaigned as Kerry has done.
make no mistake: Zell is frightning.
take that photo, put a black hooded cloak on him and shoot Force lightning out of his fingertips. Zell is channeling the Emperor in the most insane way.
http://www.starwars.com/databank/character/palpatine/index.html
the New York Daily News articles says that only about 20 people were arrested last night, but if you were down at the 110th precinct in Queens last night, you'd have seen how crazy it was.
how do i know? because my boyfriend was arrested for accidentally biking through an area of Queens Boulevard that was blocked off. (if anyone's interested, the story is here: http://www.livejournal.com/users/zvuv/83961.html?nc=10).
On the Daily Show, when asked about it, I Think John McCain put it best:
"I think he [John Kerry] Shot his [Zell's] Dog"
The Text of Zell Millers speech can be seen here. It's a little, Um, Thick with Odd rhetoric for my taste. methinks he's jumping on the Far-Right-Wing-Sells-*MY*-book Bandwagon.
On related Note: Apparently Gov. Schwarzenegger got a little Liberal with history...
Sterling: Are you sure naming your first-born after a segregationist is a good idea?
according to moveon.org, "several bloggers have discovered much of miller's speech was cribbed from a long circulating (and false) email chain letter.'" click here for more details: http://martinirepublic.com/item/481
really horrifying.
i wish the main stream media would pick up on this story. along with the one where bush has tried to get his crony on the florida election board: www.misleader.org
They won't as They report, You decide.
OMG! Did I just Parrot Fox News?!?!?!
;)
Nice Catch!
The Republican leaders have been described as like "gun slingers." That seems right to me. They appeal to the type of American (whether they have advanced degrees of not) that craves the simple answers and simple violence of westerns. Unfortunatley, a lot of the gun slingers were secretly immoral and unable to comprehend any long term consequences of their actions. Unfortunately for America, the world is more complicated than the scenarios in the westerns.
hehe That must be why Clinton watched High Noon more times than any other president ever.
As for Schwarz and history, iirc, the man said "race", not "debate".
Also, I loved Zell. He did the white version of what a lot of black politicians do: bring the oratory style of the pulpit to politics.
Luogo grande! Grande giusto! I miei riguardi migliori al proprietario:)