Bob CollinsListening to the political insiders on MPR’s Daily Circuit this morning insist that the national political conventions are not boring and really are important, got me thinking about the best convention speeches in history that were not made by the nominee.
I’m soliciting your nominations for an eventually NewsCut vote, but here are some of my favorites in no particular order.
Zell Miller at the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York…
The GOP, by the way, is hoping lightning strikes twice when another Democrat-turned-Republican — Artur Davis — speaks at the Tampa convention.
Bill Clinton at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. He wouldn’t shut up and the delegates started booing.
Mario Cuomo, 1984. Considered one of the best speeches ever given at a convention.
Your turn.
Ann Richards, 1988. This was the famous “poor George” speech, though the rhetorical flourishes throughout the speech were lost because of the one line. But the Bush family got the last laugh. She was defeated later in her career by George W. Bush.
