DENVER — To hear Democrats around the Pepsi Center tell it, a new superstar has emerged and he wears a bolo tie and cowboy boots.
"That Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer has been the real surprise,'' enthused Louisiana state Rep. Herbert Dixon. "His speech really nailed it, and he got the crowd on their feet fired up for Hillary."
The folksy first-term governor proved his stuff again Wednesday morning, when he prodded Florida Democratic delegates to bark like dogs after predicting Barack Obama would win Montana.
"Florida is a big dog. Are you going to let a tail like Montana wag the dog? Or are you going to stand up and bark?'' he challenged.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!" responded the delegates.
Aside from the big headliners like the Clintons, Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama, Schweitzer has been the clear standout among dozens of featured speakers. Others getting high marks for unexpectedly strong speeches include Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.; Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey.
The reviews for Virginia Gov. Mark Warner's keynote speech? Not so hot. And Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a vice presidential finalist? Let's just say she didn't command the attention of the crowd.
Schweitzer, 52, is an infectiously enthusiastic rancher who prefers jeans and cowboy boots to business suits, but he's no hayseed. He has a master's degree, worked for years developing irrigation systems in Europe, Asia and South America, and he speaks Arabic.
He told the Florida delegates that when you're governor of a state with a population as small as Montana's, you jump at every speaking offer that comes up. He said he's a regular on the eighth-grade speech circuit.
"This is the pinnacle of my career,'' he said during the delegation breakfast at the Red Lion Hotel. "This is the state that decides elections. And you've been doing a damn poor job lately!"
Adam C. Smith can be reached at asmith@sptimes.com or (727)893-8241.
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