McCain's speech

Looks like McCain did well tonight by speaking well. I accept he is not the best of prepared speakers but I dont think any one can be worse. Puttting the past behind and rating against his previous performances, this speech was the best according to me. He did not mention his experience ( which he did use as a key point in his first of speeches) but just told what he would do to help the people !

He said many things I agree with, and a lot of things I liked. For example, energy. While I think the Republicans are more right on it, that we need the smorgasbord of options developed, I still think they focus too much on drilling. Yes, we need more domestic drilling. The problem is that they emphasize it too much. Drilling is not a magic wand that is going to end all of our energy problems for a while so that we can defer the other options to the next generation. If you really are for everything, please show it. The Democrats similarly have a problem with emphasizing too much on alternatives and completely ignoring oil.

I also liked his attacks against his own party. Now, while the conventioneers were going wild, I think a lot were shaking their heads, because they don’t want to admit the party needs reform. McCain realizes the problem and is calling his party on it. *cough*Barack Obama could take a few lessons from McCain on this.*cough*

Another place I think conservatives, or at least some conservatives, were shaking their heads, is education reforms. McCain talked a lot about school choice, but largely framed it in terms of public school. No talk of vouchers for private schools (though he has talked about them in the past) or homeschooling. I know more than a few conservative bloggers are going to call him out on homeschooling. I don’t really have an opinion one way or another on the issue. I did public school and while it had problems, it largely worked for me. If someone wants to homeschool children, more power to them.

There was a two second moment when he mentioned all about Sarah Palin’s executive experience. So much for cringing whenever he hears someone mention it. He didn’t dwell on it, though, like some of his colleagues, which is probably a good thing. I don’t think he wants people to start making the comparisons.

Finally, defense. Here I’m a little disappointed. Just as I’ve been disappointed with Barack Obama’s “4 more years of Bush” meme, I’m disappointed with the “he puts country second” meme. But, it looks like this race will defined in those terms for the next two months. And neither candidate should let the other just get away with saying these things. They both have an excellent opportunity to say why what the other says is wrong.

On aesthetics, I liked the crowd surrounding McCain thing. He does best at town hall meetings, so trying to make it more comfortable for him is only a good thing. But, that screen! His speech was in danger of losing the speech with the puke green screen that accompanied the first part of the speech. The screen, while okay for when you’re at a huge convention hall, doesn’t work when aired on TV. I think the Republicans got it after a while, sort of. They changed to a less puke green screen, that, while still distracting somewhat, made it easier to focus on McCain.

I thought they had it down, until they changed to a screen with a flag to the right side, and sky blue on the rest! It was just as distracting! I highly expect Stephen Colbert to make a new green screen challenge tomorrow night or next week, where you can pick from your choice of green or blue chroma keying. Oh, and the “voice of God thing” and then switch to a spotlight of McCain coming out…awkward!

So, I think they speech was good, for a man who doesn’t usually do well with prepared speeches. It was pretty exciting and all. He had a tough act to follow with Gov. Palin. Do I think he surpassed it? No. It could have been somewhat better. The problem was that McCain spent a lot of time explaining things in great detail. Now, explanation is a good thing, but dwelling on a subject for too long can make your audience lose attention. Basically, he should have used this kind of stump speech at Saddleback, and that one here.

Yet, in the end, I think it was an okay end to the convention.

Watch the video here

And this is exactly what Voters feel about the speech delivered. Do check it out

"What an incredible speech. He clearly explained who he was, what he has done, and what he fights for. He seems to honestly care about the individuals of this country, not whether they belong to a blue state or red state. … I may not agree with all of his stands, but I trust the guy to make an honest decision -- and to make sure we, the American people, know why he made it."
-- Diane Murphy, 42, Sterling Heights independent

"I suppose that, if anyone was going to win based on biography alone, it'd be McCain. That story is compelling, even if it doesn't go a long way toward fixing health care or the housing crisis. And I was moved by hearing him talk about it. However, I know McCain's biography already. Tonight, I really wanted specifics about what he would do as president -- and didn't get much. The calls for bipartisanship and mutual respect were good. But they rang hollow after all the non-stop Obama bashing from the rest of the convention speakers (Palin in particular) and the tone of the McCain campaign so far. I found all the saber rattling to be disturbing. And all the yelling of ‘fight with me’ at the end was creepy. We don't need that kind of militaristic rhetoric at such a dangerous time."
-- James Melton, 45, Detroit Democrat

"Was this Palin’s vice president speaking tonight? This was not the John McCain that I have heard speak in the past; this was his speechwriter’s words and his awkward motion at delivering them. The first 20 minutes were about country and USA chants. … McCain did not address or seem to understand the fact that our pride in country also comes with bringing home a paycheck at the end of the week. McCain did not seem genuine in his speech last night, he seemed rehearsed. I think that he will lose points in the polls after this speech; McCain needs Palin to take the lead in his campaign for president."
-- Dustin Waugh, 36, Westland Democrat

"I get it, McCain wants to work for us, but I still didn’t see a substantive economic plan. He talked about education and equal opportunity but didn’t address the fact that more and more Americans are coming up short when it comes to sending their kids to college. … There is no question that he is the right guy when it comes to defense, but I think someone should remind him, it’s the economy."
-- Walter Capers, 41, Highland Republican

"I am not sure if I was watching the Republican National Convention or True Hollywood Story tonight. I had this feeling John McCain was trying to hoodwink the American people with his promises and stories of war in his speech this evening. Sure he has been through hell and back, a lovely family and the experience behind him, but I am still not certain that makes him the right choice."
-- Nicole Perry, 34, Wyandotte Democrat

McCain's grand finale speech

After all his attempts at succeeding went in vain, McCain is now trying to beat Obama at his own speciality, Speech. We all know how good a speaker , Obama is and to turn ears to himself , McCain is trying to speak better than Obama which I suppose is going to a herculean job.

John McCain embarks on his final drive for the White House Thursday night, accepting the Republican presidential nomination and addressing the party's national convention from a stage that workers hastily rebuilt to fit his "town hall" approach.

McCain checked out the setup in midafternoon, chatting on stage with his wife, Cindy, and Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. Graham speaks Thursday night; Lieberman spoke on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, on the final day of the convention, a lot of the talk was still about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the vice presidential nominee who gave her big introductory speech Wednesday night, less than a week after being chosen for the ticket.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama shrugged off the speech as a rehashing of McCain's policies and suggested Democrats would not slacken their criticism.

"I think she's got a compelling story, but I assume she wants to be treated the same way that guys want to be treated," he told reporters during a campaign stop in York, Pa. "I've been through this 19 months, she's been through it — what — four days so far?"

He said he would focus his attention on McCain and "who's got a better agenda to move this country forward."

Cindy McCain suggested in one interview that she doesn't agree with Palin's support for a nearly total ban on abortions.

And Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden declared that some news coverage of his Republican counterpart had been sexist.

Parts of the platform at the Xcel Energy Center were removed by construction workers on Thursday to bring delegates closer to where McCain will give his acceptance speech, giving the stage a T-shape. Organizers said the change reflected the town hall-type forums in which McCain has campaigned.

"The extended podium will serve as a fitting complement to John McCain's preference for direct interaction with his fellow citizens," said Maria Cino, a convention official.

Meanwhile, party leaders added two speakers to the night's lineup. Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., will speak prior to Cindy McCain. Both are close to McCain. Ridge was considered a finalist for the No. 2 spot before McCain picked the Alaska governor. And Graham has appeared frequently with McCain on the campaign trail.

Delegates will also vote Thursday night to make the convention's nomination of Palin official. And McCain himself will close out the activities with his prime-time acceptance speech.

Democrats struck back on Thursday, dismissing rave GOP reviews of Palin's speech and asserting that the Alaska governor had misrepresented Obama's record. "There wasn't one thing that she said about Obama or what he's proposing that is true," top Obama strategist David Axelrod told reporters in Pennsylvania.

Axelrod also questioned her claim to be an outsider, given her sharp attacks on the Democratic nominee. "For someone who makes that point that she's not from Washington, she looked very much like she would fit in very well there."

Biden, campaigning in Virginia, said he would challenge Palin on issues "as strongly as I can" — but would refrain from personal attacks.

"I'm not good at one-line zingers. That's not my deal," he said at a forum in Virginia Beach. He said he believed Palin was "going to be an incredibly competent debater." The two face off on Oct. 2 in St. Louis.

Obama's lead over McCain was virtually unchanged since the GOP convention began, according to a Gallup Poll. The Democrat led 49 percent to 42 percent, based on interviews conducted Monday through Wednesday. All but a few of the interviews were conducted before Palin gave her Wednesday night speech.

In a Gallup survey covering last Friday through Sunday — before the Republican gathering began — Obama led by a similar 6 percentage points.

McCain's speech was expected to provide the climax to the four-day convention. His wife, Cindy, admitted that she was nervous about addressing delegates herself.

Cindy McCain told ABC's "Good Morning America" she doesn't agree with Palin's opposition to abortion in cases of rape and incest. And they also part ways on sex education. "I don't agree with that aspect, but I do respect her for her views," she said.

Palin opposes abortion and rejects the view that pregnancies caused by rape and incest should be exceptions. The Alaska governor's only exception would be when a doctor determines that continuing a pregnancy would lead to the death of the mother. Palin has also opposed government financing of sex-education programs in Alaska. Cindy McCain told ABC that she advocated abstinence as a part of sex education at her children's school, but "I believe that it's twofold and I think all of it should be taught."

Palin and her husband, Todd, announced this week that their 17-year-old unmarried daughter was pregnant and would be marrying her boyfriend, saying they were making a private matter public because of Internet rumors.

Biden said the Democratic campaign was not criticizing Palin over her family.

"It is off limits to talk about her family," the Delaware senator said in an interview with "Fox and Friends" on Fox News Channel. "Every family has difficulty as they're raising their children. I think the way she's handled it has been absolutely exemplary."

Asked if some of the criticism aimed at Palin has been sexist, Biden said: "Yes, by you guys in the media."

The McCain camp expressed satisfaction with the generally positive reception that Palin's speech had received from the public.

"I have no doubt that Gov. Sarah Palin today is a household name," McCain campaign manager Rick Davis told reporters in a conference call.

In his acceptance speech, McCain is expected to review his career in public service — first as a Naval Academy midshipman and wartime pilot and then as a 26-year veteran of Congress — while drawing stark policy differences with Democratic candidate Barack Obama.

Democratic critics have questioned Palin's political experience as a small-town mayor and her brief tenure as Alaska's governor. Wednesday night she offered a searing, sometimes sarcastic attack on the opposing ticket.

Palin joined other Republican speakers Wednesday night in praising McCain as a man of character, a former Vietnam prisoner of war who had spent his early career in the military and had sought to change the ways of politics in Washington.

In downtown Minneapolis, police arrested 102 protesters early Thursday after a rock concert. Since Saturday, more than 400 people have been arrested for convention-related protests in both St. Paul and neighboring Minneapolis.