Well, here in the blogosphere this morning, and on talk radio, of course, and MSNBC to boot, because of the Matthews/Miller dust-up, coverage of Zell Miller’s keynote address at the 2004 Republican National Convention is considered, er, news. Rather front page news, in fact. Here’s Glenn Reynolds, Hugh Hewitt, and Jim Geraghty in NRO, and you can navigate around from there. We’ll quote a few lines from the only keynote address in US history for a major political party given by a sitting senator from the other political party, and a stemwinder at that:

Listing all the weapon systems that Senator Kerry tried his best to shut down sounds like an auctioneer selling off our national security but Americans need to know the facts.

The B-1 bomber, that Senator Kerry opposed, dropped 40% of the bombs in the first six months of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The B-2 bomber, that Senator Kerry opposed, delivered air strikes against the Taliban in Afghanistan and Hussein’s command post in Iraq.

The F-14A Tomcats, that Senator Kerry opposed, shot down Khadafi’s Libyan MIGs over the Gulf of Sidra. The modernized F-14D, that Senator Kerry opposed, delivered missile strikes against Tora Bora.

The Apache helicopter, that Senator Kerry opposed, took out those Republican Guard tanks in Kuwait in the Gulf War. The F-15 Eagles, that Senator Kerry opposed, flew cover over our Nation’s Capital and this very city after 9/11.

I could go on and on and on: Against the Patriot Missile that shot down Saddam Hussein’s Scud missiles over Israel, against the Aegis air-defense cruiser, against the Strategic Defense Initiative, against the Trident missile, against, against, against.

This is the man who wants to be the commander in-chief of our U.S. Armed Forces? U.S. forces armed with what? Spitballs?

Question: would a Republican senator’s keynote address at the Democratic Party convention be considered news by the NYT? Question: did the major papers cover the Democrat keynote speaker as a front page story this year? Question: did the major papers cover keynote addresses as page one stories in prior years? I’m going to do some research on these questions, but I’m pretty sure that that the answer is that Barack Obama was covered pretty darn well, if this American Spectator piece is any indication.

And here is in fact how the New York Times introduced Barack Obama on July 26, 2004:

NATIONAL DESK | July 26, 2004, Monday

THE SPEAKER; A Surprise Senate Contender Reaches His Biggest Stage Yet

By MONICA DAVEY (NYT) words
Late Edition – Final , Section A , Page 1 , Column 1

DISPLAYING FIRST 50 OF WORDS – Barack Obama’s Senate campaign office in Springfield is a steamy, dimly lit room with a desk, a phone, a fan and a box of tissues. A storefront in the state capital, with a broken sign outside and a monthly rent of less than $600, it reminds visitors just how recently…

That’s the pre-game show at the NYT. Here’s the post-game wrap-up:

NATIONAL DESK | July 28, 2004, Wednesday

THE CONSTITUENCIES: AFRICAN-AMERICANS; Senate Nominee Speaks of Encompassing Unity

By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE; BRIAN WINGFIELD AND JONATHAN P. HICKS CONTRIBUTED REPORTING FOR THIS ARTICLE. (NYT) words
Late Edition – Final , Section P , Page 1 , Column 3

DISPLAYING FIRST 50 OF WORDS – Barack Obama took the dais as the keynote speaker at the Democratic convention here on Tuesday and told a classic American story of immigration, hope, striving and opportunity. He did not speak of race or civil rights or a struggle for equality. He did not speak, as the Rev. Jesse…

Now here’s a look at today’s NYT cover (internet edition, circa 11am EDT):

By contrast (not much, really), the Washington Post still tries to put some news in newspaper:

And here’s the hometown coverage. I insert this partially out of nostalgia. We Rhode Islanders were so proud that our Democratic senator, John O. Pastore, gave the keynote address to the 1964 Democratic Convention in Atlantic City, that I just had to find out how the Atlanta Journal-Constitution covered Miller on its front page. Pretty well, it seems.

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