ST. PAUL, Minn.--My insta-reaction to John McCain's acceptance speech here in St. Paul tonight: it did what it had to do--nothing more, nothing less. McCain told his tale of tragedy, sacrifice and triumph as a Vietnam POW in humble, human tones that will appeal to those who haven't yet heard it (not everyone is a political junkie, believe it or not). He tied the oft-repeated theme of the convention--"Putting Country First"--to both his biography (the past) and his hopes for the future ("I don’t work for a party. I don’t work for a special interest. I don’t work for myself. I work for you."). He shifted--with a little help from Sarah Palin--from a message of readiness to a message of reform, outlining a handful of relevant policy proposals (school choice, energy independence) while reaching out to Americans who "have been left behind in the changing economy." He barely mentioned Republicans; he didn't mention George W. Bush. And he drew a several broad-stroke contrasts with opponent Barack Obama--without sounding strident.
There were marks that McCain missed. The speech lacked an overarching message--"country first" is a rather spacious umbrella--and tended to lapse at times into laundry list territory. Some of McCain's attacks on Obama were misleading, and tomorrow's inevitable fact-checking will cloud his message. Moreover, I agree with NEWSWEEK contributor and former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson that "the policy in the speech was rather typical for a Republican." By not doing "a lot of outreach to moderates and independents on issues that they care about"--and instead "talk[ing] about issues like drilling and school choice which was really speaking to the converted"--I think McCain may have "missed [an] opportunity" to distance himself philosophically from the Bush era. Finally, the senator's studious tone--a "more in sorrow than in anger" lilt that was meant, I'm assuming, to cover for McCain's typical teleprompter-induced tension--seemed to dampen his delivery and sap much of the urgency from Mark Salter's otherwise graceful prose.
That said, I suspect McCain's speech will play more positively with the public than with the press (which has heard a lot of this stuff before). The reason? Only about 35 million of the 180 million people expected to vote on Nov. 4 actually watched tonight's broadcast. The rest of America will see a clip tomorrow on the morning news, or read a quote in their local newspaper, or click on an excerpt on YouTube or hear about it from a friend. And the part that will persist is the peroration--the section at the end. Agree with his policies or not, McCain undoubtedly concluded the convention on a high note, as the crowd's cheering nearly overwhelmed the final movement:
If you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you’re disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and work to correct them. Enlist in our armed forces. Become a teacher. Enter the ministry. Run for public office. Feed a hungry child. Teach an illiterate adult to read. Comfort the afflicted. Defend the rights of the oppressed. Our country will be the better, and you will be the happier. Because nothing brings greater happiness in life than to serve a cause greater than yourself. I’m going to fight for my cause every day as your president... Fight with me. Fight with me. Fight for what’s right for our country. Fight for the ideals and character of a free people. Fight for our children’s future. Fight for justice and opportunity for all. Stand up to defend our country from its enemies. Stand up for each other; for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America. Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. Nothing is inevitable here. We’re Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.
McCain's remarks may read as melodramatic on the page, but by replacing the small-minded mockery of Palin's speech with an open-hearted, affirmative call to service, the nominee probably reminded many viewers why they liked him in the first place. It was a welcome departure at a convention that seemed more concerned with defending McCain's veep and ridiculing his rival than making a convincing, coherent case for his own candidacy. In the end, America wants optimism--not sarcasm--in the Oval Office. Tonight, McCain reminded us that he can deliver a little uplift.
Overall? A good--but not great--performance. Still, there was only one thought on my mind as the balloons floated down from the rafters: "This one's gonna be close."
