I sat down and watched Sen. John McCain's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night, Sept. 4. Truth be told, I wasn't expecting much from the Republican candidate. After all, public speaking has never been his strong suit. That's why I was pleasantly surprised.
McCain did exactly what he needed to do Thursday night. He kept his shots at Obama above the belt. Instead of taking useless personal shots at Obama, he contrasted himself with the Democratic candidate. Instead of mocking him, he told people what to expect from a Democratic administration vs. a Republican administration. He showed a lot of class, and earned a measure of respect from me.
What I liked about McCain's speech is that he separated himself from the Bush administration. He showed a good measure of the independence that made him such an attractive candidate in the first place. The question is, now that he's the man, will he continue to show that independence, or will he pander to the hard-right Republican base?
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
A star is born?
On Wednesday night, I took time to listen to Sarah Palin address the Republican National Convention. I went in with an open mind, knowing next to nothing about the candidate for vice president. I have to admit, I was impressed.
Palin delivered a heck of a speech. She was warm and engaging, and she began to fill in some of the blanks about who she was and what she believed. She did an excellent job painting herself as a small-town girl who rose from humble beginnings to become mayor of her hometown, governor of her home state, and now a nominee for vice president. She showed herself to be a woman of accomplishment, a polished speaker and no one to be trifled with.
If I had one complaint about her speech, it's that she spent a little too much time bashing Obama. On one hand, I suppose you could make the argument that this is her job. But I contend her job is to boost her candidate. Can this not be done without taking pot shots at Obama? I think her job Wednesday night was to boost McCain while introducing herself to America and allaying people's fears that she wasn't qualified. She did a good job of introducing herself. I just wish she had stuck to that.
Palin delivered a heck of a speech. She was warm and engaging, and she began to fill in some of the blanks about who she was and what she believed. She did an excellent job painting herself as a small-town girl who rose from humble beginnings to become mayor of her hometown, governor of her home state, and now a nominee for vice president. She showed herself to be a woman of accomplishment, a polished speaker and no one to be trifled with.
If I had one complaint about her speech, it's that she spent a little too much time bashing Obama. On one hand, I suppose you could make the argument that this is her job. But I contend her job is to boost her candidate. Can this not be done without taking pot shots at Obama? I think her job Wednesday night was to boost McCain while introducing herself to America and allaying people's fears that she wasn't qualified. She did a good job of introducing herself. I just wish she had stuck to that.
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