McCain Fails to Deliver Any Tropic Thunder

For all the hullabaloo about whether John McCain would match Sarah Palin's performance at the Republican convention, it wasn't even close. Where was the tropic thunder? McCain may have ended his speech with a Knute Rockne-like cry for Americans to fight and fight some more -- for what he never really said -- but most of his speech was a snooze, delivered in the tone of a kindly old uncle reminiscing about World War II before fretting about how how those pesky Russians are stirring up trouble again.

McCain's answer to America's woes seems to be a program of self-improvement -- "serve a goal greater than yourself," he suggested. But he never really explained what that goal might be. After eight years of the Bush administration running two wars without demanding an iota of sacrifice, indeed passing lavish tax cuts, McCain's exhortations could hardly have sounded more empty. In fact, to judge by McCain's talk, the only problem America seems to suffer from is that "some Republicans" -- once again, no names here -- succumbed to the temptation of "corruption." Well, yes. But it was the Bush administration's disdain for government that turned the Iraq War, among other things, into a free-for-all for contractors.

America's economic troubles barely even merited a nod, apart from vague promises to somehow emancipate America from Middle East oil. No doubt Sarah Palin will be offering some pointers in coming days about how Alaska can single-handedly solve that conundrum.

McCain clearly implied that he would like to resurrect the GOP in his own image. But so far, the only thing he has been resurrecting is the religious right by selecting Palin as his sidekick. He tried to make a virtue out of her ignorance, depicting her as a kind of freedom-fighter ignorant of Washington's corrupt ways who would help cleanse it. But for the most part, it hardly seemed like McCain's heart was even in his speech. Was tonight's more moderate version the real McCain? Maybe even he can't tell any longer.

Comments

[bamoun]

Why should we "serve a cause greater than [ourselves]" if we're just going to be ridiculed for not having any "actual responsibilities" when we do so?

[Knappsteroni]

Ultimately, when all the confetti is swept away and the chairs are folded up, what remains is one, and only one, compelling aspect about John McCain--his war story from 40 years ago. But being a prisoner of war does not qualify a person to be commander-in-chief of the United States. It’s a touching story. But a touching story won’t change the failed policies of the last eight years. Nor will the fact that John McCain loves his country. That's mediocre. We all love our country. That won't get anyone to White House.

McCain also needs to watch his words. He boasted, "I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else's." While it's got a nice ring to it, the clear implication is that before he was locked up in a box, he didn't love his country. And that implication is far more supportable that saying Michelle Obama's comment about having a renewed pride in her country means she did not have any pride before.

www.getforward.blog.com

[Fudgefase]

I don't understand why McCain was passed over last time. Listening to the cheers for this American hero, why the h3ll did you select Bush over him last time?
I don't get it.

[Indieguy]

As evidenced by his acceptance speech, John McCain is a tired and grumpy old man. He has no new ideas, only the old tired and ineffective policies that have failed the American People for the last 8 years. Let's face reality here. McCain is just too old to meet the physical and mental requirements needed to lead our country. And before someone bashes me for elder abuse, I'm 63 years old.

[luvangelHussein330]

More like snores of thunder for me...i was fighting to keep my eyes open

[IndependentTogether]

Yep. On the GOP momentum, Sarah Palin giveth, and John McCain taketh away.

[sueno]

McCain isn't the only P.O.W. that we have in this country-
and he leans on that status, as the biggest issue in his campaign.
His speech was dismal and unimaginative,
but he spoke to the war-mongering masses (many like Rove who ran from the draft)
who chanted USA, and were for the most part above the age of thirty.
Last point, what does an on-going litany of war stories about McCain
have to do with now!!!
He dosen't speak much about his record, because he's ashamed of it-

[NWGuy]

With all McCain's talk about 'crossing the aisle' and bipartisan work, doesn't anyone remember how partisan Bush's first term and half were against democrats? Unable to get to or onto committees, not allowed to add amendments, and on and on. McCain was there at the time and I don't remember him or anyone else on republican side trying to get any type of bipartisan work happening, in fact just the opposite. So, now when the dems are gaining power, he is all for bipartisan this or that. The public really needs a trip down memory lane to see how the repubs really work and how they really act with regard to being "bipartisan". The ol' "he who forgets history is doomed to repeat it" adage is real.

[DiBaskin]

When he started out appealing to Democrats with all that we are all Americans blah, blah, blah, I was like I don't think Palin got that memo because she just trashed the Democrats along with community organizers the night before. What is his agenda? Will he smile at us and put us to sleep while Palin is stabbing us in the back.

[dnels14]

i know right! it was like watching The Howling

[Scarllatti]

By John McCain's admission, "the Republican Party was sent to Washington to serve the people but WE failed them".

Need anymore evidence? The Obama campaign can lift this quote from McCain's speech last night and use it to emphasize the failure of the Republican party over these eight years.

The Republican party is a SHAMELESS party indeed. They want to be REWARDED for eight years of failure by putting old McCain forwards as an "agent of change". It all sound like putting an old wine into a new bottle. The Republican party wants to sell polar bear meat to the Eskimos.

[JennO]

Can someone explain to me the "Russia-bad" and "Georgia republics-good" part of McCain's speech? Why did the phrase "Cold War" need to be worked into the dialogue?

[christianlefty]

John McCain last night told us what a hero he is and how he endured and suffered for his country. . There are probably very few, if any americans that have not heard the McCain hero story. Well, I have no problem with that, it's all true, EXCEPT ---- 58,169 troops DIED in Vietnam at the average age of 24. They are dead, most of them didn't get a chance to marry , have children or live to the ripe old age of 72. Over 40,000 wounded and disabled. Many of them coming home without one or two of their legs. arms, or eyes, or in wheel chairs for the rest of their life. Over 4,100 have DIED in Iraq, at the average age of 21. They didn't get the opportunity to divorce their first wife, marry again, have children, or get a big fat senate check for 26 yrs. The didn't get to have more homes than they can count, or fly in private jets, or run for the presidency, they DIED!!. And so far over 30,300 have been wounded in Iraq, and thousands of them have come home without one or two of their legs, or arms, or eyes, or paralyzed. I know some of these veterans and none of them like to talk about their sacrifices because they can always tell you about someone who was worse off than themselves. They don't consider themselves "heroes", So sad that John McCain isn't like them.

[Beka13]

Im an Obama Supporter and his experience aurgument was pretty tight to be honest because people can measure it when Obama's clearly superior Judgment and temperment is Subjective­....Sarah Palin blew all this away and now he is left to try to convince the American people that someone who has been in Washington for 25 years including times when the GOP had control could NOW all the sudden do something to change it?

[Bitsko]

The way McCain back-pedelled on the community organizer thing was high-larious and so typical of him. A thousand points of light anyone?

[DiBaskin]

If this wasn't so serious I would almost feel sorry for McCain. I thought I would try to be fair and at least listen to what he had to say. When my eyes started getting heavy from complete boredom, I had to turn away. I did see the end on C-Span re-run. Why was he smiling at the end? We have to fight (Smile). What was with that plain blue back drop. Is he trying to be as boring as possible.
Also like someone said he talks about Obama not ready and lack of experience but he keeps trying to duplicate what he is doing. His actions make me even more confident of my choice to vote Obama. I pick wisdom about experience.