John McCain said tonight: "America doesn't hide from history. America makes its history."
This perhaps is the truest statement in McCain's genteel, polite, and fairly unambitious speech tonight. America has in its past focused on major problems and figured out strategies to overcome them.
But while I liked John McCain's manner tonight -- for the most part -- though there were lots of veiled references to Obama being a self-seduced believer in his own indispensability which I didn't like -- McCain gave us a roster of things he'd do which are clearly part of today's incrementalism and an inertia of the past.
There were some odd moments, including talking about helping individuals who had lost their home in the subprime crisis and others who were working long hours and multiple jobs or who had become economic victims of corporate off-shoring. For the most part, McCain's policy response to these sorts of problems have been tax cuts -- not focused efforts that would help those who have been squished in today's poorly regulated and turbo-charged global financial turbulence.
On health care, he spoke about helping more people but not all. How can he explain not trying to put a plan in place that would move those least well off into some sort of safety net? He didn't touch that.
Compared to Barack Obama's speech, there was a lot more policy detail -- a lot of it actually. But taken as a whole, the package of proposals seemed anachronistic, tied to a past way of doing things -- not jumping forward into a new world of institutional arrangements abroad and at home, a new social contract if you will here in America as well as a new global social contract with other nations.
But John McCain tonight sold his ability to work across the aisle -- which Obama can do as well -- but he also sold his POW experience and his toughness and competency in dealing with national security issues.
But here again, McCain didn't give us Eisenhower, or Teddy Roosevelt, or Truman (I know. . .a Dem -- but he did drop the bomb), or even Nixon. He gave us a big dose of Ronald Reagan's national greatness flourish in a dignified, genteel and pleasant manner. In fact, now that I think about it, his speaking style reminded me a lot of Reagan -- without the memorable lines. The ending of the speech was good though -- and probably memorable.
But this was mostly about war and defining America through conflicts and unfinished wars and occupations. Though he said he wanted to build a lasting, enduring peace -- McCain gave the outlines of a neoconservative national security agenda fashioned by Fred and Robert Kagan, Bill Kristol, Randy Scheunemann, and others that I feel will further undermine's America's global standing and position. His long time aide and alter-ego Mark Salter wrote the speech, but while Salter is a strong national security advocate, he's not yet a part of the most inner sanctum of neoconservative thinking and designs.
McCain tried to portray a deep calm and was reserved, in sober control to assuage those who think his irritability and temper will define him in moments of crisis. He reminded people that though he is 72, his 96 year old mother is still in top form. He made a case that he was a regular, self-indulgent military officer who placed himself and his fun and needs before his nation -- before he was captured and tortured in Vietnam. Now, he says -- he works for the people and the nation.
I won't rip into John McCain for this commitment to service. I've spent some time with him and his closest aides -- and I know that he and they are sincere.
I just don't believe he understands how important it is to see that this is a major moment of historical discontinuity for the world and for the United States. To preserve America's constructive global role and to offset more calamity at home and abroad -- we need to talk about more than drilling off the coast, and keeping down taxes (while oddly continuing to beef up the US military and its obligations without regard to receipts to pay for this).
McCain's program, his manifesto tonight, and his VP running mate choice of Sarah Palin -- seem not about "shaking up" the substance of policy but rather about shaking up the optics of politics.
At the Democratic Convention, I was very taken by Senator John Kerry's speech in Denver which outlined the large gap between positions taken by Senator John McCain vs. presidential candidate John McCain.
I think McCain is trying to be both about continuity and change -- and that's a tough thing to do.
I give him credit for his civility tonight. He has attack dogs now all around him -- Sarah Palin, Lindsey Graham, Joe Lieberman, and others -- and know McCain is going to try to be about hope and change in sort of an Obamaesque way we think.
Fascinating and less fiery ending than I expected after two weeks of conventions.
-- Steve Clemons publishes the popular political blog, The Washington Note
http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/09/mccain_tv_ratings_beat_obama_i.php
To heck with Obamamania. The MSM got this guys elected based on the inane mantra Hope - Change.
I want to support him but there are 60 days left. Obama needs to get specific on issues. How is he going to pay for universal healthcare? How is that going to work exactly? How will the tax rebates work for 95% of tax payers. Is that paid for? What about domestic drilling for oil? I need him to explain why this option is off the table. Give me a reason to vote for you Obama. My patience is wearing thin. And don't give me that "Change we can beleive in stuff"!
With an Obama victory and a possible 60 seat democrat senate, we may well be on our way to just such a state. Utopia may be around the corner.
But as a Texan on the border watching billions of dollars flow into the hands of people who never paid a dollar in taxes, you have to ask yourself this question. How may people are going to be riding in the waggon and how many people are going to be pulling it?
Every other industrial country has figured out that a national health care system leads to healthier citizens -- who also have more income in their pocket. Yes, they pay taxes that go towards health care, but they DON'T pay insurance premiums and they don't pay non-deductible expenses, and they don't go into bankruptcy because they can't pay their medical bills (as is common in the U.S.).
I want my tax dollars to be well spent on well managed programs. When Republicans are in charge, lower taxes make some sense -- because they have demonstrated over 20 years that they are incompetent at running the government. They try to excuse their incompetence by saying that its impossible to have good government. Bull.
The closest McSame came to a specific proposal was at the end of his speech when he said we should all try to do something for our country. His phrasing of that call to duty was appealling, but there were no specifics.
all i can suggest is to take another look at the speech again:
http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=1981
he did offer a number of specific proposals. I don't think that his package of proposals that he ran through offer the kind of vision that would satisfy me -- but he did go into some detail.
best regards,
Steve Clemons
but I do think Repubs missed a great opportunity on him
anyone else see him on Jon Stewart show last night?
the guy is shockingly honest and likable
Don't worry, I imagine he'll have a cabinet position. In the spirit of 'reaching out' I think it would be great if President McCain gave Obama a cabinet position as well. Department of Community Organizing. Schweet!
The thing that struck me was his ability to criticize his own party.
And that is exactly what he needed to do in my mind. That takes courage.
Of thoses 57, or 15%, have been deleted.
Do others have the same problem?
May spend my time elsewhere.
Yeah, can we kill this Great Communicator/bipartisan hero/ender of the Cold War pack of lies? Reagan would have been worse than Bush if he hadn't had to start from a somewhat center-left (for America anyway) position, instead of the hard-right playing field Reagan created for Bush, from which Bush merely had to jump to the fringe and beyond.
You said: "I give him credit for his civility tonight. He has attack dogs now all around him -- Sarah Palin, Lindsey Graham, Joe Lieberman, and others -- and know McCain is going to try to be about hope and change in sort of an Obamaesque way we think."
I agree with that; however, this old man, and I intend no disprespect as I hope to live that long myself, standing there two thumbs up in the midst of a pack of undisciplined snarling packdogs, is also part of the current atmosphere and administration at the Executive level.
He simply isn't the man he may once have been. That's Life.
Part of what so drew me to Obama (even tho' I would have supported Clinton had she prevailed) was that calm and determined purpose of the entire campaign and EVERYONE involved--at all levels. It takes monumenal strength of character and discipline to accomplish this over the length of time these campaigns (primary and general) have continued.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmt0rLtgmK0
And the Rethugs had the nerve to question Barack's patriotism because sometimes he didn't wear a freaking FLAG PIN????!!!! Give me a break!! If a video like this had come out that involved Barack, the Rethuglicans would be having a field day. You will notice the sound of crickets when it comes to them owning the truth about their own candidate!!
I guess these people are not aware of the fact that we now have something called video.