John McCain Takes His Case to the RNC
The view from this blog contrasts some of what was heard from Shields and Brooks on PBS with Jim Lehrer and Judy Woodruff. You may wonder why someone with conservative views would tune in to PBS for RNC coverage on McCain’s night to shine. Let’s just call it this way. Shields, pretty much left leaning with a mixture of objective and subjective analysis and commentary. Brooks, largely conservative and some may say more often right leaning than objective yet in fact he is as balanced or more so than Shields.
Tonight was a good example for bearing out the judgment above. Both columnists agreed that their impression of McCain’s reform theme sounded like throw the bums out and that the base offered a tepid response to that part of the speech. Is this blog the only place that gets it? Country first, not party first as well as a reform agenda reaching across the aisle for any reasonable solutions to the issues we face. He mentioned BOTH parties failed to accomplish the necessary objectives for the American people and it needs to be corrected. If it is throw the bums out it is throw the bums from both parties that ‘work for themselves’ rather than work for ‘the people’. Why neither Shields or Brooks or anyone else on the PBS coverage did not get that defies logic.
What would have made more sense is to be honest and say some past ‘bipartisan’ efforts by Senator McCain were not successful. McCain/Feingold and McCain/Kennedy would be two of the more notorious examples. Even assuming McCain participated with the best of intentions, most accounts say the campaign finance law was a failure but with due respect to McCain the Supreme Court handled a free speech exception that was one of the items that doomed the stated intent of the legislation. And to his credit Senator McCain admitted he learned his lesson from the American people on McCain/Kennedy but still holds with the idea that the American people are compassionate and will embrace amnesty after the borders are secure. With the GOP platform supporting the rule of law on immigration and the sound thrashing Congress received last summer on McCain/Kennedy there is reason to believe amnesty is dead. But one never can be too sure.
It is well known that John McCain is not an orator. With that in mind, ignoring minor stumbles and earlier reports of teleprompter errors, McCain’s overall performance on his address to the RNC this evening was above average. Sarah Palin’s rousing performance was a tough act to follow on speech making. But for all the criticism McCain endures of his references to his military service and POW experience, together with the finale of the speech it was moving, obviously heart felt and passionate. Rather compelling testimony from a Presidential candidate seeking to convince the public he has the country’s well being at the center of his efforts. His lifelong service to country and a brief review of that history should satisfy most viewers that he is genuine and honestly interested and capable to discharge responsibilities of the Office of President of the United States.
With reports that Obama/Biden’s lead in the polls is all but disappeared, beyond an RNC bounce it may indicate that the country is getting it. Part of the message from McCain/Palin these last few days expressed the notion that we won’t all agree all the time but will be able to work through problems and do what is best for the country. That means not every item on everyone’s wish list will be accommodated. To be realistic we must all take some bad with any good. And to this point the most promising chance for what is best for this country lies with McCain/Palin.
McCain Accepts Republican Nomination, Pledges to Reform Washington
John McCain’s RNC Address Sept 4, 2008 (transcript)
Stanford Matthews
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