FOX's Barone said Kerry audience was "silent" on military-strength line -- but they cheered

Following FOX News Channel's live coverage of Senator John Kerry's (D-MA) acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention on July 29, U.S. News and World Report senior writer and FOX News Channel political contributor Michael Barone, who was reporting from the convention floor, asserted that during the speech "they cheered when he [Kerry] zinged Bush and when he called for military strength, they were silent."

In fact, the crowd repeatedly cheered when Kerry appealed to military strength and national security. Barone's "observation" came moments after a remark, previously noted by Media Matters for America, that "hatred of [President] George W. Bush" is "what is motivating these people" at the convention.

From FOX News Channel's live coverage on July 29:

BARONE: One of the things that interested me about this speech ... is that the parts of it that the Kerry people wanted to get out to the general public -- this man is a strong leader who will defend the country and that you can trust him to do this, and therefore if you want to get rid of George W. Bush, this guy is fine -- those sentiments were almost totally not cheered by this crowd. That's not why they're for him here in the Democratic Party. They cheered when he zinged Bush and when he called for military strength, they were silent.

A Media Matters for America review of the speech reveals that while the crowd cheered at virtually everything Kerry said, his appeals for military strength and an aggressive national security policy were received with particular enthusiasm. The transcript of FOX News Channel's broadcast of Kerry's speech -- which notes when the crowd interrupted Kerry with applause -- also belies Barone's observation. Here is a selection of lines in Kerry's speech that provoked applause from the crowd.

KERRY: Our band of brothers doesn't march together because of who we are as veterans, but because of what we learned as soldiers.

We fought for this nation because we loved it, and we came back with the deep belief that every day is extra. We may be a little older, we may be a little grayer, but we still know how to fight for our country.

[applause]

KERRY: I defended this country as a young man, and I will defend it as president.

[applause]

KERRY: We need to lead a global effort against nuclear proliferation, to keep the most dangerous weapons in the world out of the most dangerous hands in the world.

[applause]

KERRY: We need a strong military and we need to lead strong alliances.

[applause]

—G.W.