McCain's Night

I voted for John McCain.  Twice.  I proudly voted for him in the New Hampshire primary in 2000.  I also proudly wrote him in as my vote for President in 2000 after he was chased from the race by scurrilous rumors and Rovian tactics by the Bush campaign.

As a veteran, I understood and appreciated his sacrifices for America and I was humbled by them.  As a person, I connected with his adherence to small government principles, a firm but respectful foreign policy, an understanding of the costs of war and his deep love of country.

The man that stands before us on that stage tonight bares little resemblance to that man for whom I once proudly voted.  He is a man who has cowed to the new fundamentalist fervor which dominates the GOP and he has compromised himself on many of the issues that made him a “maverick”.

During his speech tonight, he needs to talk to the American people and outline his plan for the country.  We know about his service and his sacrifice.  We know what he thinks about Obama.  He needs to tell the American people how he intends to address the challenges facing this nation.  Not just about the war(s) we are currently embroiled in or the war(s) we face.  He needs to talk about the economy, health care, energy and education.

I’ll keep a few notes as the evening progresses, you’ll probably note how conflicted this will come off as the evening rolls:

- I intended to watch Lindsay Graham and Tom Ridge, but baby issues got in the way.  I’ll assume they were mediocre.

- Cindy McCain’s biography video just played.  I’ll be honest, I didn’t know much about her aside from her wealth and problems.  Aside from the fact that her marital story left out the fact that John McCain cheated on his first wife with Cindy, it was well done.  Sometimes, it’s nice to see these propaganda videos and realize that there is a real person behind the pictures and soundbites.  She’s much more interesting and substantive than I assumed.  Her speech was wanting, but not everyone has the gift of oratory, especially in front of 17,000 people and a jiggly teleprompter.

- John McCain’s video just played.  His Mother is a pistol, eh?  She has to be at least 95 years old and she looks younger than her son.  A remarkable woman with great wit and character.  Hey, did you know John McCain was a POW?  Also, he’s a POW.  Fun Fact, which of the candidates was a POW?  If you guessed John McCain, you win a date with his unemployed daughter!

- A green screen?  Why in the world is he in front of a green screen?  It makes him look like an angry leprechaun.  I thought they learned their lesson on this?  They pulled the camera out to a wider angle and it appears he is standing in front of the lawn of one his seven houses.

- Laudatory words for Obama, gentlemanly even.  Response from the crowd?  <crickets>  He struggles in front of crowds this large, he’s better in the town hall setup.  What happened to that plan?  A couple of Code Pink crazies infiltrated the crowd.  Good for them and I thought he handled it well.

-  Hey, he mentioned the fact that Republicans are responsible for the huge government expansion.  That’s a surprise.  I’m with him on everything but drilling when it comes to getting our energy policy straight.

-  He seems trapped between the man he was and the man this crowd wants him to be.  He’s lost between traditional conservative principles and the new conservatism of big government and religion.  In the end, I think I pity him.  His statement on hating war and wanting to avoid it falls a little flat with this crowd, but it’s a reminder of the man I supported eight years ago.

-  Bringing Democrats and Independents into the administration?  Transparency and accountability?  They sit on their hands.  They want the anger and smarm of Palin, not the integrity of this man.

-  The solemnity of his Hanoi story just doesn’t fit with the mood of a convention.  The people dont know when to appalud and when to nod with appreciation.  It’s a beautiful and touching story, one that is intensely personal and moving.

-  This speech seems to be an attempt to reach out to former supporters like me, but the recklessness of the Palin pick prevents that from happening.  I can’t get onboard with the platform he has to adopt and the people he needs to please in order to win the office.

A good speech, with a theme of service before self and unity.  Much different from the nastiness of last night, eh?  Also, was it me or was he asking people to become community organizers there at the end?  Heh.