Thursday, September 4, 2008

How to Xcel in Politics

Some quick hits on John McCain's acceptance speech. And, since we need to start somewhere, first the bad: 

He absolutely needs to remove the phrase "My friends" from any future public remarks. Way too many. Speechwriter needs to be beaten a little.

His delivery won't win any awards and the crowd's response reminded me a lot of the singing in a Catholic church. Everyone in the Xcel Center knew the words and when to sing them, but it just lacked a little...omph. 

The line "Every American is going to thank God as I thank him." Really? The same way you do John? A three on the disturb-o-meter. 

The crowd was also overwhelming white. Not a very good cross section of America.

I still don't like Sarah Palin. She represents the total whack-job demographic of the GOP. 

That said, it was a pretty good speech, especially the end. 

The speech sounded a bit like the old McCain, pushing back at the GOP and reasserting his maverick cred. We'll see how this works for him. 

He made it very clear he has more experience, "I know how the world works," than Barrack Obama. I don't think that was ever a question.

Can he stop the partisan infighting?? "I've worked with members of both parties." Probably not. The two sides hate each other too much. We need a third party in the middle to fix the problems, but that's something for another time.

McCain's recollections about his time in Hanoi were touching. 

"I wasn't my own man anymore, I was my country's." 

"My country saved me and I will fight for her as long as I draw breath. So help me God."

"Nothing brings greater happiness in life than to serve a cause greater than yourself."

If you want to know more about his time in a POW camp, pick up "The Nightingale's Song" by Robert Timberg. Absolutely one of the best books I've ever read.

And McCain's closing comments, "We're Americans, we never give up. We never quit and we never hide from history. We make history," was pretty inspiring. I always respected McCain, until he started running waaaayy to the right. Perhaps, this evening, he backed up a bit.  (But probably not. He can't win that way).

Ohh, also liked Cindy's pins. Especially the USMC one. Great fashion sense from the beer baroness.

2 comments:

Capitol Hill 20210 said...

Pat Buchanan is just as far to the right if not more so then Sarah Palin.

FoggyDew said...

Hey Zip, you're absolutely correct. I cannot explain my apparent agreement with many of the things PJB says.

Perhaps it's destine to remain one of the galaxy's little mysteries.