Let’s start local. Here’s what Doug at Bogus Gold had to say about the speech:
Ummm…. (pause) … ummm… (pause) …. Well he was never really known for his great speech making in the first place, was he? And isn’t “dull” a nice step up from “Oh God please don’t say something completely embarrassing by mistake” which we’ve got in the current president? …. Ummm… Say, about that Sarah Palin…
Michael Gerson, acclaimed Republican speechwriter, didn’t like it either:
The policy in the speech was rather typical for a Republican. Pretty disappointing. It didn’t do a lot of outreach to moderates and independents on issues that they care about. It talked, about issues like drilling and school choice which was really speaking to the converted. I think that was a missed opportunity. Many Americans needed to hear from this speech something they have never heard from Republicans before. And in reality, a lot of the policy they’ve heard from Republicans before.
David Gergen, who has worked for both Republicans and Democrats, was also not a fan:
I did not think that the substantive part of the speech worked very well. It was mostly a rerun, retread of a lot of old Republican ideas that have brought us to where we are now. I think the country is looking for fresh answers. It’s hard to separate yourself out from President Bush when you essentially have the same economic policies as President Bush. I thought that the policy presentation was a little thin.”
But the worst review comes from Jeff Toobin of CNN (I don’t think he’s a Republican, but I couldn’t resist this one):
I thought it was the worst speech by a nominee that I’ve heard since Jimmy Carter in 1980.
I thought it was disorganized, themeless, I thought it was very, very boring until the end when he started talking about his personal story, which is, of course, remarkable and always important to hear. I personally cannot remember a single policy proposal that he made because they had nothing connecting them. I found it shockingly bad.
That’s gotta sting. I guess the positive piece of this for the GOP is that more people watched Palin than McCain.
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McCain was NOT WEARING A FLAG PIN!!!!!! Why does John McCain hate America?
Republicons are hoping that McCain will die before the election - then the beloved Sarah Palin, who they will keep locked in a closet so she doesn’t have to speak to the press, will be the presidential nominee and all the adoring right wing nut cases can vote for their heroin, oops, I mean heroine.
Heh. That was as bad as Obama’s speech was good.
Not a great speech, I agree. I don’t expect great speeches from McCain, unfortunately. It was refreshing, though, to hear him acknowledge the Republicans mistakes in the past 8 years. I was also encouraged that he committed to having Democrats and Independents in his adminstration. I don’t believe I heard that kind of goodwill from Obama and Biden, but I may be wrong.
He needed to show that he will not be 8 more years of Bush. Now, let’s all be realistic — he wasn’t going to do that by going out there an espousing a liberal platform. He is a Republican, after all. But I agree with Gergen that, to the untrained ear, he wasn’t as convincing on that point as he wanted to be.
People looking for a motivational speaker won’t vote for McCain. It is as simple as that. He needs to convince people that the most important aspects of a President’s job is to do the right thing during those working hours at his desk in the Oval Office. If American’s decide they want that he may win. If Americans decide they want to be motivated, he loses.
Bsaed on the media buzz and the image he’s managed to build, Obama should be leading by double digits.
I would just add that the most moving part of the speech was where he told of his Grandfather who came home from the war exhausted and died the next day, and how he himself spent his time being beaten as a POW, and then said:
“I hate war. It is terrible beyond imagination. I’m running for President to keep the country I love safe, and prevent other families from risking their loved ones in war as my family has.”
When John McCain says he hates war, you know that he knows exactly what he is talking about, beyond what most of us could ever know.
He might hate war, DTM, but he voted for it. And he voted for the WRONG WAR. He should have stood stronger for staying in Afghanistan and getting rid of Bin Ladin and his thugs.
If he REALLY wanted to prove that he would have people with alternative viewpoints in his administration (like Bill Clinton did) then he could have started by picking a Democrat or Independent as a running mate, or giving us an example of who he would select for cabinet positions.
Instead, he caved in to the extreme base of his party. If he can’t stand up to party pressure now, how in the world will he stand up later? Do you really believe that the current GOP controllers will allow him to do what he really thinks is right????? They didn’t even allow him to pick the running mate he really wanted.
Hmmm… Based on Peggy Noonan’s comments, I think the establishment preferred someone other than Palin.
A true outsider. I’m on board.
Shorter McCain… Don’t trust those damn Republicans that screwed everything up. Trust us Republicans who will fix everything those other Republicans screwed up by doing pretty much all the same things those bad Republicans did. Vote Republican to fix Republican errors. Did I mention I was a prisoner of war and Governor Palin is a rightwing whackjob.
Republicans, the other White Party.
I hate to say it, but from an objective view, McCain gave a good speech - for him. He made an appealing case to moderates and independents, at the expense of the base.
I - of course - ain’t fallin’ for it; but I will give credit for givin’ a speech that serves his purpose.
A true outsider. I’m on board.
If by “true outsider” you mean “just another lying right wing extremist” you would be accurate.
And now they are shipping Palin back home to Alaska to “train” her. Thought she was fully qualified and ready to serve….the Clampetts just keep coming to mind.
“A true outsider. I’m on board.”
I think that actually means that Palin is far more corrupt and dishonest than the average Republican.
I actually thought McCain’s speech was ok, which means the Republicans did this right. Palin brings in the nutjobs who couldn’t care less about her lies and hypocrisy, and McCain brings in the independents by pretending he’s a uniter, not a divider.
I agree with Toobin on this one. The only part of his speech that was interesting was his personal story, and that was only interesting (even though we’ve heard it before) because the rest of the speech was so horrible. He did not sound genuine when he needed to be, and there were so many other things that were distracting. What’s with that freaking screen behind him? Lime green, then bright blue? The violence against a credentialed demonstrator was a nice touch. I just can’t believe people were dumb enough to yank on something hanging around her neck!
I’m afraid the demonstrators in pink simply reinforced peoples’ perceptions of how the far left approaches an exchange of ideas. It was unfortunate for McCain that he had to be interrupted (and for Palin the night before) but he played through it well. I hope mainstream Dems don’t endorse that type of behavior during a formal speech regardless of who the speaker is.
Hey DTM, first of all, mainstream DEMS don’t support any of the illegal or rude behaviors that were exhibited this week by protesters. A bit of clarification here though — those code pink people were in the hall with authentic credentials — given to them by disgruntled GOP delegates. Since their names would be on those credentials, perhaps the upset GOP should find those delegates and ask them why they would do such a thing as allow protesters into their own convention?!
On another note DTM, my daughter just asked me what makes DAN THE MAN? What are your credentials to BE THE MAN? And does that mean that every time someone says DOWN WITH THE MAN, they really mean DOWN WITH DAN THE MAN? She wants to know if you have been around since the stone age……:-)
“I hope mainstream Dems don’t endorse that type of behavior during a formal speech regardless of who the speaker is.”
Well, I sure don’t endorse that. But I do find it ironic that reports are that p.o.’d GOPers gave ‘em the credentials to get in…
Glad to know you all don’t endorse that. I didn’t think you would?
What makes me Dantheman? Hell, I don’t know. I just used the nickname one day while surfing the net, and have since posted on this blog way way more than I ever thought I would. And it sounds alot better than Daniel the Spaniel.
Daniel the Spaniel,
Thanks for the chuckle!
LOL@ danielthespaniel.
If code pink had legit credentials, I don’t see anything wrong with raising a fuss in the convention. Hell…before they did, it wasn’t an “exchange of ideas” at all.
Now, if they broke in, that’s another matter.
BOW WOW DANIEL THE SPANIEL — my daughter is laughing out loud :-)