At Dem Convention, Dan Rather Remembers the ‘Magic’ of ‘Slugger’ Obama

July 26th, 2016 10:14 PM

Though Dan Rather has been reduced to uploading Facebook videos, don’t think he’s lost his liberal bias. The disgraced ex-CBS News journalist reported live from the 2016 Democratic National Convention and on Tuesday and reminisced about the greatness of Barack Obama. Flashing back to the Democrat’s 2004 debut, he began, “Hello Facebook followers... [Conventions] are pageant. But sometimes, there are... moments of pure magic, when somebody makes an address or somebody does something that really cracks through and becomes historic or near historic.” 

He continued, “With that in mind, my mind goes back to 2004 at the Fleet Center in Boston when a young state senator from Illinois, who was running for the United States Senate, gave a keynote address.” 

Rather gushed, “I recall vividly, immediately after that address, I was working for CBS News...  I did an interview with him after he made that speech. He was calm, confident, humble and modest, but he had the look, the posture, the stand, if you will, of a slugger who was rounding the bases, knowing he had just hit an upper deck home run.” 

Of course, after 2004, Rather would not be working for CBS. It was revealed that he used fake documents for 60 Minutes in a hit piece against George W. Bush. 

Rather also appeared on Tuesday’s Access Hollywood. Talking to the tabloid show’s reporters about Michelle Obama, the journalist praised "one of the best speeches made at any convention at any time in my experience.” 

Later, Rather offered some nice words to Trump, saying he has “touched a nerve” with the American people. However, he also said the candidate’s voters are “fearful, angry, resentful.” 

A transcript of Rather’s July 26 Facebook video is below: 

DAN RATHER ON FACEBOOK VIDEO: Hello, Facebook followers. Dan Rather, Facebook, here at the — on the floor at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. You know, these presidential nominating conventions are spectacle. They are pageant. But sometimes, they are, when they achieve moments of pure magic, when somebody makes an address or somebody does something that really cracks through and becomes historic or near historic. With that in mind, my mind goes back to 2004 at the Fleet Center in Boston when a young state senator from Illinois, who was running for the United States Senate, gave a keynote address. It electrified the convention and immediately thrust that young state senator into a national spotlight.

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His name was, of course, was Barack Obama. And I recall vividly, immediately after that address, I was working for CBS News then, he came to a broadcast spot just about where I am standing in this particular hall and I did an interview with him after he made that speech. He was calm, confident, humble and modest. But he had the look, the posture, the stand, if you will, of a slugger who was rounding the bases, knowing he had just hit an upper deck home run.

Tell the Truth 2016