Last night, I sat a few rows behind elected delegates on the floor at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul Minnesota where Senator John McCain accepted his party’s nomination for President of the United States.
In all, the night was somewhat less charged than the previous; the night that featured Governor Sarah Palin saw speeches from Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson and the Alaskan Governor herself. Last night featured a handful of moderately important senators and governors, but the speech by Cindy McCain who would be first lady sucked all of the oxygen out of the room. It nearly put me to sleep. Mrs. McCain clutched the microphone tightly with both hands and read her speech awkwardly from teleprompters telling the audience about her warm feelings about her husband. McCain ran in 2000 and had an extended run, obviously in this primary season, yet Cindy McCain is still not ready for prime time.
John McCain’s speech was direct and outlined his case for President. His record of military service and sacrifice for country is incomparable, he says, to that of the “community organizer” from Chicago.
For some time, I was confused by the McCain campaign’s lack of ability, or want, to match Barack Obama’s brilliant and attention-gathering campaign. Why was McCain not responding directly with massive rallies, trans-Atlantic trips, and buzz-generating speeches? Was it a factor of the campaign’s failure to reach voters? Perhaps. But, I think that the McCain campaign may have had a strategy of letting Obama’s star burn bright while they would sustain and build their campaign reliably and with a moderate tone. Why would they do this? I think that John McCain’s campaign did this purposefully to allow the election to become a referendum on Obama. If Obama got more attention, the question would be “is this the change we’re looking for and do we take a chance on him”. The difference in experience between Obama and McCain is striking and therefore when the ballot question has been defined, McCain is able to step in to answer the specific question they intended to shape on Barack Obama.
In my opinion, the most effective lines from McCain’s speech were:
“I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else’s. I loved it not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency; for its faith in the wisdom, justice and goodness of its people. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again. I wasn’t my own man anymore. I was my country’s.
“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.”
The speech ended using a method that caused a crescendo of applause for the Senator:
“I’m going to fight for my cause every day as your President. I’m going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I’m an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on earth, and with hard work, strong faith and a little courage, great things are always within our reach.”
crowd rises to their feet and applauds.
“Fight with me.”
louder
“Fight with me.”
almost literally says “louder”
“Fight for what’s right for our country.”
“Fight” is an action word that evokes a call to action and a sense that McCain and the crowd are doing this together.
“Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.”
Each “fight for” line enunciates values important to Republicans and to those who can put McCain over the top in November and elect him President in November.
“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”
Fight, now stand up. Literally stand up. Cheering louder.
“Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight.”
Elections are about engagement for participating in making a change that one can believe in. Each “stand up” emphasized with pause to get the crowd to get even louder and build excitement.
“Nothing is inevitable here. We’re Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.”
Message of unity and common purpose in order to act together to elect McCain.
“Thank you, and God Bless you.”
Here are some of my photos from McCain’s speech last night:
Being a non-partisan international observer of the process was still quite exciting. Americans do these events and speeches like nobody else. Barack Obama addressed a stadium of 80,000 in Denver and both racked in millions of viewers. McCain, however, had a slight edge in TV viewership.
Stephen Taylor is a scientist, political analyst and a blogger. Taylor writes here regularly and is the founder of bloggingtories.ca. Taylor has contributed to Macleans, CTV, talk radio and has been a featured speaker on new media at numerous events including the Western Standard Cruise and the Forum for Public Policy. In December 2008, Taylor organized Rally for Canada, a series of rallies held coast-to-coast to protest the proposed coalition government.
September 5th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
For 2 yrs Obama and the media has been tearing the USA down. His wife has never been a proud american. He wouldn't wear the flag pin, till forced. In 4 days the republicans have told americans it is a great country, has always been a great country, because the citizens have worked and fought for it to be great. It is ok to be a proud american. The Flag background beats the phony columns and Country First means something.
Can anyone imagine Dion in such a setting.
September 5th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Fight and stand up.
Boy, those are rallying cries Canadians could /should take up here in the True North, Strong and Free.
When you compare and contrast the two campaigns, McCain's and Obama's, one has been coming across as over-the-top, extravagant, hanging on cliches and a messianic here-I-come-to-save-the-day rhetoric while the other has been much less extravagant, down-to-earth, gracious, humble, and I'll-do-what-I-can-to-serve-my-country-not-my-party-or-myself .
Senator John S. McCain is going to let the extravagance of the Democratic campaign (what I call Obama Bling) speak for itself–and maybe run itself out. I loved the fireworks at the RNC: a light show played on the screen, not actual fireworks!
Funny, I didn't see Cindy McCain's speech, though a little long, as you did. I'm a wife. I'm a mom. I'm concerned about motherless children living in poverty and I was quite impressed with her obvious love for her husband, her kids, and her genuine concern for the downtrodden. (I know, I know, she's an heiress. But she could be living a life of pure luxury rather than going into war- and poverty-torn countries to help where she can. Bringing an Indian baby home and adopting her into her family isn't just window dressing.) I was actually surprised that she was more than a pretty face!
I loved John McCain's unabashed patriotism. We need more love of country north of the 49th parallel. I hope the Republicans are re-elected. McCain and Palin are a great team, and it won't be business as usual if the two of them are Presidenta and Vice President. I want McCain with all of his experience, especially his military experience, at the helm of the most powerful country in the world given the volatility of our position here in the West vis a vis the terrorist threat, which is very real.
I was heartened to hear a pundit on WNED last night say that Barack Obama has the fight of his life ahead of him.
September 5th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Americans who will be voting for Obama must really hate America and the politicians in Washington D.C. Obama talks about 'hope' and 'audacity' .. but all he really represents is the hate-filled American Left …. the Angry Left ….!!!
If Obama-Biden get elected to the White House, you can bet their protectionism will destroy the Canadian economy, particularly in Ontario … and yet Liberals in Canada are supporters of Obama. Talk about stupidity …!!!
September 6th, 2008 at 6:10 am
McCain ties may upset abortion foes
By RYAN GRIM | 9/5/08 3:53 PM EST Text Size:
John McCain’s wife has held ownership interests in two Arizona medical buildings that rent space to companies involved in the destruction of human embryos found to have genetic defects — a practice some anti-abortion activists say amounts to the taking of human life.
McCain’s financial disclosure forms show that Cindy McCain has invested more than $65,000 in Estrella Medical Plaza I. Estrella rents space to Arizona Reproductive Medicine Specialists and Sonora Quest Laboratories. Dr. Kimball Pomeroy of ARMS said that if his firm discovers that an embryo was affected by a serious disease, “in most cases, it would be discarded.” A brochure for Sonora Quest says that “if a birth defect is found, your doctor or a genetic counselor will help you make decisions in the best interest of you, your family and your baby.”
McCain’s disclosure forms also show that, until recently, Cindy McCain had at least a $100,000 investment in Princess Medical Center, which rents to Arizona Associates for Reproductive Health. An AARH employee confirmed that the firm discards embryos if its clients ask it do so
……it doesn't take much to fool you folks does it. Now, Palin has consistently lied – and McCain is a scuzz.
September 6th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Why does Canada need more patriotism? That's a question I asked myself after my last comment.
It's because love of country ensures that you are concerned about others, not just yourself. If you love your country—which is more than just a chunk of geography—its history, its heritage, its hard-won battles, its democratic institutions, its forebears who sacrificed for future generations, you can't, by definition, be concerned for only yourself. You understand that, put in proper context, the individual is part of a much larger whole, is a citizen of a much larger community which precludes pure self-interest. Self-centredness doesn't work in this configuration.
The “me generation,” the perpetually entitled, self-referential cohort we now have entering the workforce and politics needs a wake-up call. They need to understand that all of the benefits they have, everything that has made their lives affluent and comfortable, has been bought at a price by the generations that came before them.
That's what patriotism is: an appreciation of the shoulders upon which the present generation is standing.
That's what I love about Americans and what I regret about being Canadian: Americans have a highly developed (some would say too highly developed!) sense of how fortunate they are to live in the U.S.A., while Canadians tend to denigrate and belittle the great benefits bestowed upon us by our forefathers and mothers and TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED.
Americans KNOW their history and celebrate it. Canadians are suffering from historical amnesia: We neither know our history nor celebrate it. We have rewritten it and live in a commensurate revisionist haze. That, sadly, is Pierre Elliott Trudeau and his party's legacy to Canada.
We need to stand up and fight to get our country back from the minimalist, monochrome revisionism we are suffering from now.
September 12th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
You guys realize that McCain isn't what america needs right?
I prefer a swing to the left down there then for them to stay as they've been.
Vote Conservative up here vote Obama down there. simple as pie.
Harper and Obama are both becoming sophisticated enough to realize the raw ideas that the internet has been able to generate to deal with the worlds problems. They are the best suited candidates to refine such ideas and put them to use especially given the other options which are steeped in Leftwing/Rightwing rhetoric and thinking.
Extreme is Dion and 4 years of Palin.
The moderates are Harper and Obama and I can say such things with the utmost certainty.
Anyone who still feels McCain is right for the job should take a look at this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEtZlR3zp4c
If you still support him than you can't be help. You don't have to vote obama but you shouldn't vote McCain.
Not all republicans are bad but they should consider distancing themselves away from both their candidate and their party and perhaps go independent. future campaign financing be damned! If they're are really fit for office they'd be able to manage on their own fine enough through good fiscal policies and common sense.
PS to all those hardcore “Liberal” canadians reading this, you should realize that there are Conservatives in the democratic party too. Just as their are NDP like folk and radicals but they don't decide the final policy breakdown since it is a Big Tent party and a moderate consensus has to be reached first. Works the same for the Conservatives up here, only the Canadian conservatives do it better. And are a lot less dated.
April 6th, 2009 at 3:03 am
I'm thankful that President Obama prevailed, I'm pro-life and I don't think that'll change. I can't imagine a world where abortion is legal, it's just horrible.
April 6th, 2009 at 10:03 am
I’m thankful that President Obama prevailed, I’m pro-life and I don’t think that’ll change. I can’t imagine a world where abortion is legal, it’s just horrible.