Speech wows TV pundits

TELEVISION commentators gushed in their first response to John Kerry’s nomination acceptance speech, while warning the address will be parsed in the weeks ahead for what wasn’t said.

“This is the best speech I have ever heard John Kerry ever make,” CBS analyst Bob Schieffer said as balloons fluttered down on the Democratic National Convention’s closing celebration on Thursday night.

On ABC, political director Mark Halperin provided an echo: “The best speech I’ve ever seen John Kerry deliver by a mile.”

“There was no Bush bashing in this speech tonight,” NBC anchor Tom Brokaw said of Mr Kerry’s performance at Boston’s FleetCenter, “but lots of lines that brought the crowd to its feet.” NBC’s Tim Russert agreed: “The campaign is in full throttle.”

Fox’s Fred Barnes said he never had seen a Democratic convention so well-staged, but he wondered whether Mr Kerry’s address lacked a big enough policy idea that will be talked about in coming weeks.