A lot of fear and safety and military references throughout beyond his own POW experiences. A lot of we have to do this and we have to do that, but no specifics. He did at least repudiate Bush & Co.’s incompetence. Sort of. I did have to laugh at his talk about kicking out the lobbyists and special interests while (as ABC showed clearly in their nightly newscast piece) those very people put on the biggest parties and were given choice seats at the convention. Just coincidence that Jack Abramhoff was sentenced earlier in the day.
In short, the message seemed to be, Here’s a nice man who went through hell just so he can now get tough and use his experience to protect us from the evil Democrats while working to change everything his party has screwed up while it was in power.
Oh, and I was impressed with the chanting of “USA” when protesters (what the hell was that woman in the pink nightie around the 8 minute mark about?) interrupted. How did they ever spontaneously think of doing that?
So, what did you think? Did you like it? Fall asleep? Do you believe McCain will do what he said in last night’s speech?
Sound off!
It shored up the base. That’s what counts. That’s what a convention is for. McCain hit a solid double after Palin’s home run.
Now the work begins.
And whatever, the Republicans did NOT cut 10% from Medicare. That.Is.A.Lie. What Bush did was slow the rate of increase given to medicare. Medicare was still increased. Only not as much. THAT IS NOT A CUT.
# 20 SvenGeiss
LOL I was thinking that too. I just wish the camera stay in one position for longer and it would have made great green screen footage and blue screen at another point.
# 22 Sea Lawyer
“Yes, the whole land of milk and honey provided on the backs of somebody else will likely be pretty successful and popular this year.”
That is so weak! Most of the people at the top are there because they have been screwing the middle class in one way or another. No one feels sorry for them and no one thinks they shouldn’t kick in more to the society from which they profit. It is in our own best interest to keep society and the economy healthy because if it collapses there won’t be any more profit. There is no free lunch!!! as you Republicans like to say.
Let me tell you from experience. You reach a certain point that the government could take 60 to 75% and your lifestyle still wouldn’t change. I know this to be true. If you benefit the most, you should be contributing the most. It is a simple concept and it works. If you don’t do it that way the system will lead to collapse from being unbalanced. All you need to do is look through history to see that.
The POW stuff is reall starting to wear thin. I think McCain missed his chance 8 years ago. He’s too old, not dynamic, stuck in a rut idea-wise and looks like he might croak and leave us stuck with a small town mayor as president.
Please, not another 4 years of Republican blitzkreig on the economy and the environment – we just can’t afford the damage.
Aren’t these speeches just commercials. I honestly think that they get too much attention. But the show must go on I guess…
It was truly HORRIBLE. Another 4 years of Bush is what he promised save and except for his history of, and promise to, veto pork leglislation. Can he do that? Congress and President at permanent standstill? Maybe a good thing by total ineptness on both sides.
No energy policy.
No Health policy.
No troop withdrawal.
Tax cuts for the rich.
There is a reason he is Bush #3. His policies really are the same==disasterous.
I long for the days of the speechwriters of say John Kennedy, or even Reagan. Ay least those speeches “really” made you feel better.
I have none, zero, nada, faith either candidate will improve this country and make the changes necessary to get this country back to the forefront of technology and business. All I hear is gibberish. We are doomed if these are the best people put forward.
Federal bureaucracy, waste, pandering, pork, lobbyists…. We’re stuck in Iraq, and we’ve basically wasted the lives and the money it costs to prop up an alleged government “on vacation” who could care less of our cost of involvement. No wonder China is developing light years ahead of our business and urban infrastructure.
Gosh, I need a beer. No, the Dutch own them now, maybe I’ll switch to Jack Daniels.
McCain’s main point is that he understands sacrifice and that the Presidency is about serving the people, not special interests. His mention of him being a POW was used as his epiphany that the he isn’t what matters but that it’s his country that matters. Whether that rings with those undecided remains to be seen.
But those who want to argue that McCain gave no specifics seem not to want to realize that Obama did not either. Point is specifics aren’t given in speeches like this. Grand ideas are.
#35, we know, we know:
“from each according to his ability, to each according to his need”
we’ve heard it before.
#37 excellent point.
#35 i am in the top 5% because i am a good computer programmer and my wife is a good accountant, we are both liberals and we haven’t screwed anybody over.
seriously, cut with the class war crap, it’s tired.
>> Sparky said, on September 5th, 2008 at 7:13 am
>> I was greatly amused by the gaffe involving the backdrop picture that was shown of Walter Reed High School. It was supposed to be a picture of Walter Reed Medical Center.
> Is that for real? Sounds a little urban mythy > to me. Could his staff really be that stupid?
Must be a Summa Cum Laude from Regency University!
# 40 Sea Lawyer
““from each according to his ability, to each according to his need”
we’ve heard it before.”
NO NOT AT ALL!!!!!
I would call it paying the piper. You can’t draw blood from a turnip. If the rest of society is poor or suffering you can’t increase your profit from them because they have nothing more to give. So in your greed you have dried up the well and now you will die of thirst. OR you will die because the lower classes have decided enough is enough and the cut off your head!
I am smart enough to realize I am going to pay one way or another so why not pay it now while the interest is still low? The penalty for late payment are very very high. The ramifications for a failed society go far beyond economics and most Republicans are too stupid to realize that.
I forget now who I heard say it==on Charlie Rose I think==”the class war has been fought and the rich won.”
Some day the poor will wise up and perhaps an honest contest can be had. After all, its only “fair” that 47 Million suffer now and then for lack of preventative healthcare because thats the only way to maintain the worlds best healthcare==defined by the care given to the very rich as overall the USA ranks 17th?
So yea, lets not talk about class warefare, its not American!!! In fact, lets not talk at all except to sing God Bless.
# 43 grog
“#35 i am in the top 5% because i am a good computer programmer and my wife is a good accountant, we are both liberals and we haven’t screwed anybody over.”
First. MOST! Did I say all? No!
Second if you are a computer programmer and your wife is an accountant you are not in the top 5% of earners in this country. I would go so far as to bet I make more in one week than you make in a year. Perhaps you should look into the shifting of capital in this country so you know better where you fit in.
My guess is you and your wife combined make less than $250,000 a year. Which means you would do better under Obama’s tax plan.
#47–J==I’m proud of you. Way to lay it on!
Hah, hah!!!
Most of his speech I either liked but didn’t believe or believed but didn’t like.
The rest were things I respect, but aren’t nearly enough to vote for.
I really truly wish I could vote for a republican, but the party is currently owned by groups that will fight to their last breath to continue the current divisive political situation. The democrats are less (note I didn’t say “not”) tied to these groups.
I believe that the best government concentrates the governing as close to the governed as possible. This keeps things more accountable to the people. I believe in fiscal responsibility and HATE pork-barrel politics. I think that war is the last option when it comes to international policy, but sometimes it is necessary. When it is you need to put your money where your mouth is and support the military to accomplish the mission as quickly as possible.
These are the core values of the Republican party I would join and support. Unfortunately that party no longer exists.
The only difference I have with the traditional Republican is I believe in a heavy emphasis on education in order to keep the country competitive globally. This emphasis starts with early childhood education and goes through college. And, yes, you need to keep the educational system accountable for the quality of the education it provides, but I haven’t yet seen a way to do that that makes any sense. You can’t cut funding for a bad school and expect things to improve. Nor are standardized tests an adequate reflection of the quality of a school because standardized tests are extremely culturally biased putting schools with large minority population at an enormous disadvantage.
In this, the Democrats are closer to what I’d like to see.
I also think that getting people at a grass-roots level more involved in the political system would be a good thing. That kind of involvement can only help keep government honest. The more people there are looking over the government’s shoulders the better. An Obama presidency would do this much more than a McCain one. Obama has a larger, more committed “fan base” involving more people that are critical of the current system. This means if things don’t go their way, they will make sure that people know how things are going. There is also more of a sense that the people backing Democrats are much less likely to support their candidate “no matter what” than Republicans. This tends to make it much harder for Democrats to win elections, but means elected Democrats are less likely to get away with anything.
Some of the stuff I’ve heard come out of the republican talking heads has been stupid beyond belief. I mean, claiming Sarah Palin has international relations experience because Alaska is next to Russia??? Yeah, I’m sure that Alaska-Siberia relations are a hotbed of political action… Why not throw Canada into the mix too? If both Canada and Sibera declared war on the US she could end up fighting a two front war!…
# 49 awollangk
Well said!
Everyone talks about shoring up the base, but I see him shoring up the campaign. He now has two themes – experience which is slam dunk and now combating government incompetence. That can pit him against Republicans (maverick) as well as Democrats (Pelosi and Reed). With congress’s approval ratings below Bush’s that could work. Bush will be gone reguardless, but running pictures of all of those old Dem’s (Frank, Rangle, Bird) will give him the argument that they shouldn’t control both branches of government. An argument that has sit well with voters in the past.
#49–awollanglc==yes, well said. Not well analyzed, but well said.
Maybe Obama changing even more than he has so far once he gets into office will get you to see that the Federal Government is not “responsive” to the people and the people do not “look over the shoulder.”
The American President is not a servant of the people, or even of congress, but rather is an Emperor for his elected term. Congress is pretty much the same too. Look at the re-election of incumbents.
We’ve lost control of government and it is taking us away. IF any President really would veto all pork, that would be something. It would be a monster step towards potentially large changes. But change for the good or bad?
McCain is promising a third Bush Term, Obama a lot of new social programs that really aren’t paid for so, sounds nice but not really.
Like the devaluation of the dollar, I’m afraid the only change that will come to America will be dictated by outside forces and not from any source within the system making tough choices.
I was most impressed by his words on education at the beginning. He has declared outright war on the teachers unions. It also means he’s not conceding the black vote to Barack Obama, who would keep their kids in failing schools.
Now if McCain would flipflop on amnesty a little, he could really go after Obama as a race traitor.
I think that there is no comparison between McCain and Obama. One is experienced, clear headed, and reliable. Obama, on the other hand, has his head in the clouds, and it is all about him. The addition of a practical, honest woman as the future president enhances the ticket. It is an easy choice to choose McCain, unless you are a lifelong leftist Hollywood radical.
1. I always have to laugh at a rep of a state that is a net receiver of federal tax dollars going on and on about pork-barrel projects. Arizona gets $1.30 back for every $1 they send to Washington.
2. It is indeed Walter Reid High School in North Hollywood, Calif. I drive by it every so often.
3. I didn’t realize that McCain has 7 children. Between him and Sarah, they ARE the cause of global warming!
4. I’m surprised that everyone wasn’t up in arms that he had nice things to day about the “child of an immigrant worker”. It seems that the general feeling here in the USA is to eliminate them.
5. Apparently, McCain has never had an employer other than the federal government. Hummmmmm.
6. His wife needs a new fashion consultant. Ugly colors!
#47, according to wikipedia, the top 3% starts at under 200k.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Income-curve-$10k.png
I thought the more important speech last night was Obama’s. He said that no one predicted the surge would be as successful as it has been.
Of course many people did, and what he meant to say was I didn’t think the surge would do so well.
Bobbo, that rank of #17 comes mainly because they measure based on how ‘equal’ is the health care coverage. So it’s a circular argument.
People keep taking about 47 million without health care. The actual relevant numbers are much smaller. Just looking at Census data you can see that the number is influenced by illegal immigrants. Start at Mexico and work your way inward. When you get to the Northeast, you find that people have more health insurance.
On top of that you have healthy people who are eligible for Medicaid, but won’t sign up til they’re sick.
The real number is closer to about 10 million.
Mike, I agree the numbers look worse because of illegal immigrants. Still, there is no healthcare for too many (Emergency Room Stabilization is EMERGENCY healthcare, not healthcare)in america. Everyone should have basic services provided with private pay for those wanting more.
I don’t think the rankings are as circular as you suggest. More based on life expectancy, waiting times, early childhood deaths etc. I’m sure the definition varies but to your circular argument, when a large percentage of the population have NO coverage, of course the group results will suffer.
As to the surge working?==NO IT HAS NOT. Deaths are down for a variety of reasons but here is the key: the Iraqi’s that fled the country and became beggers outside of its borders still refuse to return home. The country is too violent for those not segregated into the right camps. Its also not working when USA continues to hemorage 10-15 Billion per month. Its not working when our troops cannot return home.
>There is also more of a sense that the people backing Democrats are much less likely to support their candidate “no matter what” than Republicans.
Then you’re being delusional. Look how many corrupt Republicans get thrown out, sometimes by their own party vs the Democrats. For every Ted Stevens the Republicans keep, you get people like William Jefferson, Jack Murtha, and of course Bill Clinton, not to mention Ted Kennedy.
#55, “I didn’t realize that McCain has 7 children. Between him and Sarah, they ARE the cause of global warming! “
Three of them are adopted.
What the hell is a “Race Traitor”?