McCain’s Speech, and His Approach
Transcript is here; video is here. I’m still looking for video I can save to the hard drive.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen the guy more relaxed, yet determined.
This isn’t the somewhat unsettling guy I saw in South Carolina in 2000.
Unspoken, but I think important: McCain, and everyone else, thought that his presidential aspirations were over in 2001 as a result of health issues that he thought would prevent him from having the strength to campaign. When he was later given the all-clear, I believe he did a top-to-bottom re-examination of himself, and came out stronger.
The 2007-2008 McCain did something I don’t think the 2000 McCain would have done: He risked it all –
And when the pundits said — when the pundits said my campaign was finished, I said I’d rather lose an election than see my country lose a war.
He also doesn’t care what his unprincipled critics think. He’ll kick and scream a bit, but he will, eventually, listen to his principled ones. But those principled critics will have to labor to be heard.
So make no mistake: McCain’s will be a high-maintenance presidency, and he will infuriate from time to time. But there is no doubt that he is committed to doing the right thing, and, unlike 2000, he realizes that he doesn’t have all the answers. He doesn’t necessarily like it, and he’ll resist, but he’ll recognize it when he needs to.
His opponent, perhaps the most unvetted presidential nominee of a major political party in US history, doesn’t “think” he has all the answers. He “knows” it. Yet his ignorance of so many very basic things continues to stun and amaze. He reinforces my months-ago conclusion that he is objectively unfit in so many ways for the most powerful elected office on earth on an almost-daily basis.
He thinks campaigning, and looking good while doing it, is an accomplishment. It’s understandable, though. It’s all he has, all he can cling to.
I like McCain’s approach better:
I’m not running for president because I think I’m blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need.
My country saved me. My country saved me, and I cannot forget it. And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath, so help me God.
I agree on the high maintenance part, which people need to consider even if they still dislike McCain, he is movable if properly prodded. Back in February: http://conservablogs.com/publiusforum/2008/02/07/sock-puppet-for-president/
The proper prodding:
http://conservablogs.com/publiusforum/2008/08/30/john-mccain-and-the-gop-base/
Comment by dscott — September 5, 2008 @ 12:57 pm
I heard the speech over the radio last night. The speech struck me as a typical McCain speech. It reminded me very much of his fine CPAC speech a day or two after Super Tuesday. The man is serious and determined. I could not deny his deep and profound love for his country.
Comment by sgoldsworth — September 5, 2008 @ 5:49 pm
John McCain gave a very nice speech. We need Mr. McCain as our next president. He is already a leader. He will keep taxes lower, create jobs, try to cut wasteful goverment spending, defend our country and protect freedom. He will appoint judges who believe the constitution and uphold it and judges who will not make laws from the bench as many liberal judges are doing now. We need our country to be led by a man who has moral’s, idea’s for the economy, energy security and who will not be weak when tough issue’s come up. We need a man who has a sense that God is the ultimate authority. We need John McCain.
Comment by Charlie — September 7, 2008 @ 7:48 am