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Mark Udall Shines On Invesco Stage; Ritter, Not So Much

by: Colorado Pols

Fri Aug 29, 2008 at 07:21:34 AM MDT

In addition to being Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's epic moment, the final day of the Democratic National Convention at Invesco Field gave Senate candidate Mark Udall his biggest audience yet. And he didn't disappoint, as the Denver Post reports:

Rep. Mark Udall challenged the Democratic National Convention crowd Thursday, reminding them that it is their responsibility to change government for the better.
That charge, originally delivered 30 years ago by Arizona Rep. Mo Udall, still rings true today, his son said in a prime-time speech from the Invesco Field podium. Udall, of Eldorado Springs, is seeking the Senate seat of retiring Sen. Wayne Allard.
"In the spirit of the West, we can move forward, but it's going to take leaders who are strong enough to stand up for what's right, bold enough to bring new ideas and sweep away the worst of Washington's old ways," Udall said as supporters blanketed the front section of Invesco Field at Mile High with signs and the Colorado delegation cheered.
Wearing a bolo tie to pay homage to his father, Udall praised Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and running mate Joe Biden as the leaders ready to rush in a new direction for the country.
"This is our time," Udall said. "This is our moment to change the course of history."
The appearance by Udall will help his visibility, which he will need to fight Republican Bob Schaffer, said Norman Ornstein, political analyst with the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank.
"It's going to be very good for Udall for fundraising," Ornstein said. "He's got a lot of people who regularly give money to Democratic candidates." [Pols emphasis]
...Schaffer's campaign did not respond to a request for comment Thursday night.

While Udall shined, Governor Bill Ritter was a dud. Ritter had a hoarse voice which hurt his delivery, but his voice wasn't the problem - the speech may have been the most dull and uninspiring of any given last night, which was inexcusable given the setting. Ritter sounded as though he just gave a stump speech from his campaign. They really couldn't come up with anything better?

Maybe the Ritter camp spent a lot of effort and time on the speech, but it sure didn't sound like it. To have been given such a big stage to shine as the host Governor, Ritter lost a great chance to impress the pundits and the chattering class and raise his own profile. What a missed opportunity, and an embarrassing one at that.

Colorado Pols :: Mark Udall Shines On Invesco Stage; Ritter, Not So Much

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Mark Udall Shines On Invesco Stage; Ritter, Not So Much | 19 comments

Of all the speakers

Bill Ritter was the worst
Diana DeGette was the second worst and Mark Udall was not a whole lot better. Ed Perlmutter and John Salazar both gave far better speeches than either Ritter, DeGette or Udall.
As with other opportunities Udall squandered this one with a flat speech filled with cliches to a crowd that was bored.

by: Something Is Brewing @ Fri Aug 29, 2008 at 13:50:26 PM UTC

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DeGette and Ritter

Diana DeGette's voice is really grating. It's too high-pitched and it makes her sound like a little girl. She needs voice lessons so she can learn to mature the sound of her voice.

Bill Ritter was obviously losing his voice and that has as much of an impact on how he's perceived as DeGette's girly voice.

Of course, none of that should affect the message, but it does.

by: ModerateGal @ Fri Aug 29, 2008 at 14:04:07 PM UTC

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Voices matter

Reading a speech without a voice can be very different from hearing the same words.

Yes, DeGette would get further on the floor of the House probably if she had voice coaching. Heck, Hitler did it!

One reason Al Gore is such a forceful, effective speaker is his voice. Women are at a natural disadvantage, but Hillary has overcome that.

I'm a sucker for good voices, politically and with women (that used to be) in my life.

"Politics determines who has the power, not who has the truth." Paul Krugman, 9/2010

by: parsingreality @ Fri Aug 29, 2008 at 20:10:22 PM UTC

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0 fer

Ritter is now O fer 2, he was also terrible on Meet the Press. You have to seriously be slacking to be outdone by a gruff Wyoming Governor.

Good guy? Probably. Good speaker? Not at all.

by: Disinterested17 @ Fri Aug 29, 2008 at 17:39:24 PM UTC

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Seemslike

He's always hoarse or losing his voice when he speaks in public. His state of the state address this year was the same.

I like Bill's ideas, and his policies, but I wouldn't put him in front of a microphone at a large public event any time in the near future.

by: redstateblues @ Fri Aug 29, 2008 at 17:51:18 PM UTC

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Lots of people were hoarse at the DNC

Andrea Mitchell, Stephen Colbert, Bill Ritter... Maybe something's going around at the parties.

(And yes, I know Colbert just has a Denver backdrop, but still, maybe it's got Denver germs on it.)

"Have a Bobby bar! My dad made them." --Jon Huntsman Jr.

by: sxp151 @ Fri Aug 29, 2008 at 18:51:16 PM UTC

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Did you see

one of the PBS heads, don't know his name, talk about how dirty and germ-filled Denver is? I nearly spit out my rocky mountain oysters.

by: redstateblues @ Fri Aug 29, 2008 at 18:53:24 PM UTC

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Tech problems

Give Ritter a break. His teleprompter went out. True fact.

by: St. Patrick @ Fri Aug 29, 2008 at 22:05:59 PM UTC

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Really?

Can you show me some proof of that? Because if that's true, then it's understandable why he was so awful.

by: redstateblues @ Fri Aug 29, 2008 at 22:08:01 PM UTC

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Well...

I can't show you proof, but I was sitting behind the stage in Sec 124.

About halfway into Ritter's speech the teleprompter went berserk. It scrolled rapidly and had nothing but gibberish. When they finally got it to settle down, they had Perlmutter's speech up.

Ritter did an amazing job staying calm given this (still, it wasn't his best performance).

"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge." --ChuckieD, 1871

by: ardy39 @ Fri Aug 29, 2008 at 23:23:42 PM UTC

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Again, it's not the delivery

It's the remarks themselves. If you just read the text of the speech, it's terribly boring.

by: Colorado Pols @ Fri Aug 29, 2008 at 22:15:02 PM UTC

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The remarks themselves

Here's a link to Ritter's prepared speech.

by: RedGreen @ Sat Aug 30, 2008 at 01:09:30 AM UTC

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A bad teleprompter...

...doesn't cause one to speak quieter.

I missed all of the Colo delegation speaking but I do remember Ritter at the state convention and he was very good there.

Where all the cool kids will be on Saturday - Code War!

by: DavidThi808 @ Sat Aug 30, 2008 at 04:34:21 AM UTC

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His voice was blown

But Pols is right, the content of the speech was lacking.

Non impediti ratione cogitationis.

BTW, I "adduced" this all by myself, you total fucking assclown.
-Laughing Boy

by: ThillyWabbit @ Sat Aug 30, 2008 at 15:07:21 PM UTC

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Which could of course

be related to the teleprompter troubles. If it's true that it went schizoid, then I'd say Ritter did great, and it's not surprising if it went a little flat. I don't care who you are, talking to 50,000+ people is a nerve-wracking experience. Only Bill Clinton and Barack Obama could have pulled off a speech that was just as good if not better than with a teleprompter.

I would probably have run of the stage crying like a baby, or possible passed out and ended up a quivering mass on the floor as the paramedics ran up with smelling salts.

Non impediti ratione cogitationis.

BTW, I "adduced" this all by myself, you total fucking assclown.
-Laughing Boy

by: ThillyWabbit @ Sat Aug 30, 2008 at 15:18:17 PM UTC

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Amen Thilly

I had to speak to 2,000 people once and it was stressful.

"To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead". - Thomas Paine

by: Fidel's dirt nap @ Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 03:24:06 AM UTC

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I wasn't that impressed with Udall's speech

would have really liked to see Besty Markey speak, she's great and it could have boosted her campaign. Anyone know what the deal was?

by: DUDem @ Sat Aug 30, 2008 at 01:32:44 AM UTC

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That was my big question

Out of everyone in Colorado - I'd say she is the one that should have been given the best spot - she's in the closest race.

Where all the cool kids will be on Saturday - Code War!

by: DavidThi808 @ Sat Aug 30, 2008 at 03:36:25 AM UTC

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Candidates didn't get speeches

Sitting members of Congress did.

Non impediti ratione cogitationis.

BTW, I "adduced" this all by myself, you total fucking assclown.
-Laughing Boy

by: ThillyWabbit @ Sat Aug 30, 2008 at 15:06:29 PM UTC

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Mark Udall Shines On Invesco Stage; Ritter, Not So Much | 19 comments