It was not the best speech John McCain's ever given. And it wasn't the worst. In fact, it was pretty similar to a lot of speeches McCain has given throughout this campaign.

Which to me was the most surprising thing about the night. The so-called maverick had a chance to get "back to basics," as he put it, but he unearthed very little new ground. Both he and Sarah Palin--although her speech captivated audiences inside and outside St. Paul to a much greater degrees--spent their convention tending to the base rather than reaching out to the broader electorate.

The speech was long on biography and short on specifics--the type of speech John McCain would likely attack Barack Obama for delivering. McCain spent a lot of time talking about his time in Vietnam as a prisoner of war. A lot of media pundits thought this was the best part of the speech, but I'm guessing most Americans already know that McCain was a POW. They've heard it over and over and over. Watching last night, they were looking for something more.

And I don't think they heard it.

Whether it was the weird green background that morphed into the odd chlorinated blue background, or his continued stumbles with the teleprompter, or the opening interruptions by an Iraq war veteran, there's no way McCain's speech compared favorably to Obama's own address last Thursday night. Time magazine's Joe Klein called the speech "More a valedictory than an acceptance speech -- more the end of a career than the beginning of a presidency."

There's two possible reasons why McCain is most likely lagging behind Obama. One is that the Democratic base is more energized than the Republican base. And the other is that swing voters prefer Obama over McCain. With their convention this week, Republicans embraced the former theory, even though polls showed Republicans remarkably united behind McCain before he put Palin on the ticket. In the end, the base got their due and the rest of the country heard little they didn't know or hadn't heard before.

Comments (39)

1. I thought the green screen was gonna be for special effects. When McCain didn't transform into Captain America I felt used.....

   So let's see, pretend I'm a swing voter. Who am I gonna vote for:

   column A) brave old guy, former drinker and womanizer. Used to be a maverick (and probably drove one). Bottom 1% of his class and votes against bills he sponsor. Owns 8-10 houses with "old money", ex druggie spouse. Still has periods of lucidity but these are becoming less frequent. Pairs up with deceptively cute yet corrupt anti-science nut-job. She owns 3 houses.

   column B) kinda new guy, lofty ideals. Self-made man, top 10% of his Harvard class. Short record but mostly insightful and CORRECT decisions. Owns 1 house. Pairs up with knowledgeable veteran senator of unquestionable family values. Owns 1 house also. Net valuse of column B) picks about 1% of column A)

   Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. What to do?

   Posted by leftofcenter at 09/05/2008 @ 12:21pm

2. "There's two possible reasons why McCain is most likely lagging behind Obama."

   Why Mr Berman, haven't you heard?

   According to our local right-wingers (LVLIB, MAASCH, HAPPY, etc.)....the election is practically over and Cindy McCain can start picking out drapes for the Residence section of the WH.

   Seriously though, I think McCain shaved the fine line...but leaned more towards a replay of Bush-41's "kinder, gentler America"....he basically admitted (as he had to) that Dubya and the GOP Congress screwed up...just taking the tack that it was "not enough conservatism that was the problem".

   Which is ironic given this is the usual attack on the Left that they always say "It's just that not enough socialism was tried"....apparently the Far Right happy to take their pages from the Far Left and ignore the hypocrisy.

   But ultimately, I think Maverick John is playing a "Poppy Bush" campaign....like Bush-41 on Reagan, last night he just dissed Dubya and distanced himself....

   but he claimed that he would "get back to basics" to the base...

   but he also began his General Election campaign by talking "moderate" and how he'll "work across the aisles" even possibly use a few Democratic ideas.

   Palin isn't Agnew as somebody here claimed....she's Dan Quayle in a skirt. Red meat for the base, but unimportant (unless McCain's health comes up) and just to keep the "idiots and yahoos happy".

   If elected, McCain will be bad...but not AS bad as Dubya. He'll be more like Dubya's Dad!

   Posted by Maskdelta at 09/05/2008 @ 12:21pm

3. To think that middle-of-the-road voters would connect with a moose-burger eating, gun-toting, pitbull with lipstick was a SERIOUS MISCALCULATION by team McCain!

   She turns off more people than she attracts, which is an absolute disaster for the Republican ticket.

   Posted by Metteyya at 09/05/2008 @ 12:27pm

4. Posted by 2HAPPY at 09/05/2008 @ 12:25pm

   Poor HAPP getting shriller and shriller.

   (There, can't be sexist if I just called a Republican MAN that, can it?...heheh)

   For some "odd" reason, despite the fact that McCain was "Reaganesque" and Palin "electrified the nation", etc....

   he's not acting like somebody who's very confident? He's trying to SOUND like he's very confident...but his hysterical nature shines through.

   Hmmmmm?

   BTW, despite his constant references to David Corn....you'll notice he never posts any lengthy QUOTES from Mr Corn...does he?

   Posted by Maskdelta at 09/05/2008 @ 12:30pm

5. Posted by 2HAPPY at 09/05/2008 @ 12:25pm

   This ridiculous notion that you could put an extreme right-winger on your ticket to appeal to the right wing and then utter moderate rhetoric to fool independents is a schizophrenic strategy that pits the GOP ticket against itself.

   Way to go Rove!

   Posted by Metteyya at 09/05/2008 @ 12:32pm

6. McCain put ALL of Washington on notice, and ALL Americans, that his Presidency will unsettle quite a few.Posted by 2HAPPY at 09/05/2008 @ 12:25pm

   That's precisely what he is talking about Happy and what you refuse to see. He said his Presidency will unsettle a few and THAT'S IT. He never once said HOW it would unsettle people. He never said HOW he would fight corruption. He is doing now exactly what Obama was accused of. He isn't saying HOW he plans to do anything he is delivering rhetoric to appeal to the base. He is using buzz words like reformer and energy independent but he isn't telling you anything more than that. He is playing to the base in words only but he isn't saying how he plans to accomplish anything he says he is going to accomplish and judging by his record in the last 8 years everything he told us about being a maverick and going to Washington to shake this up is a load of BS.

   Posted by Cccomfo1 at 09/05/2008 @ 12:44pm

7. mcsame/tool '08

   Posted by tskinner at 09/05/2008 @ 1:44pm

8. Factcheck.org asked:

   Did John McCain cheat on his first wife?

   the answer: He courted his current wife, Cindy, for months before divorcing Carol Shepp in 1980. He recently called the breakup of his first marriage "my greatest moral failure."

   so is this a no, or a yes????

   if a married man/woman is courting somebody of the opposite sex with intent to marry or date long term while still married, that is called cheating or infidelity......look it up in a dictionary.....so YES mccain cheated on his wife and ditched her when she became disabled....that is "straight talk"

   Posted by jrs112 at 09/05/2008 @ 1:57pm

9. Can someone ask Frank how he feels about McCain's across the board ban on Choice when it comes to abortion. How about the fact that Palin is saying her daughters pregnancy is a private matter but then saying that it is up to the public to choose for a mother whether they can have an abortion or not?

   Posted by Cccomfo1 at 09/05/2008 @ 1:58pm

10. "Oh Melber. You really are too far gone. McCain brought Palin into the ticket to secure the base, thus freeing him to go and get the independents and democratic women. "

    Rubbish. You can't link yourself to the evangelicals by picking Palin and then go after independents. Palin isn't going to stay in purdah, she is going to be pushing her religious right agenda. McCain going to disavow his own VP selection?

    Posted by brunowe at 09/05/2008 @ 2:22pm

11. Posted by brunowe at 09/05/2008 @ 2:22pm

    Maybe if McCain was 55 he could get away with this schizophrenic strategy, but at 72, independents are going to look at his number 2 and say WE CAN'T RISK HAVING A MOOSE-BURGER EATING, GUN-TOTING, PIT BULLS WITH LIPSTICK RUNNING THIS COUNTRY!

    Posted by Metteyya at 09/05/2008 @ 2:48pm

12. brave old guy, former drinker and womanizer. Used to be a maverick (and probably drove one).

    Hey, my family had a Maverick....granted it was a beat up old used 6 cylinder that used more oil than gas. I have a hard time picturing the admiral's son driving a maverick. Maybe riding Palin in a Maverick, but not actually driving one.

    Posted by Wolfgang1 at 09/05/2008 @ 3:37pm

13. Now, if you want to call his base, all freedom-loving, patriotic Americans, you win......and I concede!

    Posted by 2HAPPY at 09/05/2008 @ 12:25pm

    Blow yourself Happy. That will do two things. 1) It will make you happy. 2) It will keep you crap off these threads.

    Posted by Wolfgang1 at 09/05/2008 @ 3:39pm

14. Does anyone else find it odd that the vocal "Country First" party is always asking for a tax return first?

    Posted by HunterGatherer at 09/05/2008 @ 4:05pm

15. Don't you even realize that McCain was speaking to a rabid republican base last night and he practically told them that they were fuck-ups.-----Posted by frankgrits at 09/05/2008 @ 1:37pm

    Paying attention, LVLIB?

    Posted by Maskdelta at 09/05/2008 @ 5:01pm

16. MASK,

    It looks like they are not going to allow Palin to talk to the press:

    Newsweek's Howard Fineman has reported that after a brief run on the campaign trail, Palin will go back to Alaska and stay away from the national media. That report, combined with comments from McCain adviser Nicole Wallace about Palin's failure to take questions from the press, has liberal bloggers questioning Palin's VP readiness and urging traditional media to "get thee to Alaska!"

    Posted by Metteyya at 09/05/2008 @ 6:40pm

17. I'm finding it to be idiotic,beyond words,that republicans are whining because Palin's family was looked at.A Republican,who runs as a family values candidate and who says that they are more moral than you is inviting you in to look at their family in order to see if they really do have better values and morals and it is not the fault of the press or democrats that her family did not live up to the family values PR.Nor is it the fault of the media or democrats that she exposed her daughter to that scrutiny.You cannot claim to be a family values candidate who preaches a particular moral philosophy and then turn around and say that your family is off limits because you just invited everyone in to look at your family.If you don't want your family looked at then don't push nonsense about family values.

    Posted by i'm nobody at 09/05/2008 @ 7:23pm

18. It is funny,however,how republicans say that they have better family values and then follow that up with a-Please,don't look at my family.

    Posted by i'm nobody at 09/05/2008 @ 7:32pm

19. "Change is Coming"

    Figures just released show US unemployment at the highest level in a decade. 9.2% of US homeowners are late or in foreclosure on mortgages. The US dollar has been tanking and the rift between the very rich, and everyone else is getting wider and deeper.

    Yessirree .... "Change is Coming" to a pocket near you!

    Oh, and BTW: even though the oil in AK is a US resource, Alaskans get a "piece of the pie" as a portion of the profits .. not all Americans, just Alaskans. You can thank Palin for that. Her family got $22,000 from it last year. How much did you get?

    http://www.kansas.com/203/story/518397.html

    Posted by leftofcenter at 09/05/2008 @ 7:45pm

20. "...and he practically told them that they were fuck-ups."

    Posted by frankgrits at 09/05/2008 @ 1:37pm

    ...and the silence was deafening. I guess the field of green behind McSame was to express the virtual vomiting of the Repiglican base?

    Posted by leftofcenter at 09/05/2008 @ 7:48pm

21. I was just wondering, what do you "progressives" think of Obama's admitting that the surge was successful "beyond our wildest dreams"? Was he speaking directly to McCain's base. You know, that kooky base who've elected 8 of the last 11 presidents...

    And, I'm Noboby, what's up with your saying the "republicans are whining because Palin's family was looked at"? Haha, looked at?! C'mon, even people as partisan in our respective camps as you and I have to smile and wink over that one. Looked at? Try broom-sticked. And you know it. Obama is getting some pretty rough treatment and it is going to get even more pronounced on both sides.

    Isn't that part of the fun here?

    Posted by freiheit1 at 09/05/2008 @ 7:53pm

22. freiheitz-Where did you get the idea that I'm partisan?I have a history of voting for as many republicans as democrats.In fact,I think I've voted for more republicans if one looks at the local level.While Palin was broom-sticked the family wasn't,although that does make for good propaganda.I'm very much an independent who has a very basic distrust of all politicians.I won't even be voting for Obama.

    Posted by i'm nobody at 09/05/2008 @ 7:58pm

23. Frei.....he was referring mainly in the decrease in violence which was part "boots on the ground" and part "the Sunni awakening"(which was coincidental with the surge and not a part of it per se.)

    However, if you look at what the Surge was predicated on doing with respect to the consideration of "success" (that being making room for political negotiation) that has still failed miserably. In fact it has only been very, very recently that the Iraqis have taken any responsibility for their own security ... after 6 years.

    Does this sound like success to you?

    Posted by leftofcenter at 09/05/2008 @ 8:19pm

24. Posted by Metteyya at 09/05/2008 @ 6:40pm

    METTE, I don't know what you THOUGHT you heard...

    but the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate can NOT just "run back to Alaska" and stay out of the spotlight.

    There's this thing called "campaigning"...and a noticeable absence of that is...well....noticeable!

    Posted by Maskdelta at 09/05/2008 @ 8:46pm

25. BTW, again....I just can't post this enough-

    http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184086

    Posted by Maskdelta at 09/05/2008 @ 8:58pm

26. Posted by Maskdelta at 09/05/2008 @ 8:58pm

    LOL ... classic!

    Posted by leftofcenter at 09/05/2008 @ 9:54pm

27. Posted by leftofcenter at 09/05/2008 @ 9:54pm

    Plus the newest one with Palin's contact with Rev. Kroon, who sound EXACTLY like a white Religious Right...

    Jeremiah Wright!

    I think with that and the Alaska secessionist thing...

    she has officially taken EVERY right-wing attack on Obama...off the table!

    Posted by Maskdelta at 09/05/2008 @ 10:36pm

28. there aren't ANY centrists

    Posted by 2HAPPY at 09/05/2008 @ 11:32pm

    this is correct.

    there is also no such thing as the "status quo".

    everything is in flux.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 09/06/2008 @ 12:21am

29. there aren't ANY centrists

    Posted by 2HAPPY at 09/05/2008 @ 11:32pm

    perhaps centrist or "independent" are terms used by people who just don't care about politics.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 09/06/2008 @ 12:22am

30. well,

    if he wins,

    "McCain Sticks It To The Base"

    Posted by frosty zoom at 09/06/2008 @ 01:38am

31. If you want to see the shifting views of McSame .. check this out. (the last 3 minutes especially)

    Seems that McSame borrowed a bit from Dumbos 2000 speech.

    http://tinyurl.com/6g7voa

    Posted by leftofcenter at 09/06/2008 @ 08:15am

32. Face the fact, there aren't ANY centrists or non-partisans here......he/she wouldn't be able to stand it here...total waste of time! Posted by 2HAPPY at 09/05/2008 @ 11:32pm

    Thrawn?

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 09/06/2008 @ 10:47am

33. ..The US dollar has been tanking..

    Posted by leftofcenter at 09/05/2008 @ 7:45pm

    Welcome to the rest of the world "insular" American.

    28 July 2008 @ 10:15 pm EST AUD USD is in a range between 0,9525 and 0,9600 About 2 months ago it hit 0.99 cents.

    Here's what it's worth today: One Australian dollar / U.S. dollar = 0.8094

    So whom are we blame for a rising USD,- GW or young Sarah or even our own Centre-Left PM Kevin Rudd who seems to be stuffing up, as much as the markets will allow, most of our 9 months ago brilliant economic indicators?

    The German economy is starting to tank while yours still seems to be expanding. Then I just noticed this.

    France May Have to Revise Down Growth Forecasts

    The French economy contracted for the first time in more than five years in the second quarter as exports declined and companies cut spending. Gross domestic product of the euro- region's second-largest economy fell 0.3 percent from the first quarter, when it rose 0.4 percent, the Paris-based national statistics office Insee said Aug. 14.

    Europeans' confidence fell more than forecast last month as the economy teetered on the brink of a recession. An index of executive and consumer sentiment in the economic outlook dropped to 88.8 from 89.5 in July, the European Commission in Brussels said on Aug. 29.

    A 27 percent drop in oil prices from a July 11 record of $147.27 a barrel leaves companies with more money to spend just as a weaker euro underpins exports. The dollar this week rose to the highest this year against the euro.

    ``The fact that the dollar is strengthening against the euro is not bad either,'' the minister said.

    ``Clearly, it will help those European enterprises that export outside the euro zone to be more competitive.''

    Bloomberg 6 Sept 2008

    Posted by lrjones4 at 09/06/2008 @ 9:20pm

34. LRJ.... I'm not as insulated as you presume. Our big Daddy Dumbya has basically sold our souls to the Chineseto finance his Desert Debacle and gasoline for our bloated SUVs.

    http://tinyurl.com/6muah9

    Posted by leftofcenter at 09/06/2008 @ 10:30pm

35. Bloomberg 6 Sept 2008

    Posted by lrjones4 at 09/06/2008 @ 9:20pm

    our dollars going dowwwwwwwwwnnnnn⬇

    ain't nobody buyin' potash....

    Posted by frosty zoom at 09/06/2008 @ 10:31pm

36. ain't nobody buyin' potash....

    Posted by frosty zoom at 09/06/2008 @ 10:31pm

    Posted by leftofcenter at 09/06/2008 @ 10:30pm

    Read your bit about how many dollars to buy a hamburger as a measure of the USD it is probably marginal bullshit measure but the rest is OK.

    In a deregulated money market in which no currencies have a fixed value, the value of the USD as in any other market depends on how much foreigners want and how much they are willing to pay for it. That of course depends on things like how secure its backing is and taking a risk on its short, medium and long term relative value.

    It has been claimed that the AUD's dramatic decline over the last couple of weeks was due to the Japanese selling it and buying into the USD.

    Australia's Reserve Bank, which aims to keep the inflation below 3%, has increased interest rates 12 times over the last 6 or 7 years. The trigger for the sell off was the first 25 point decrease (1/4%) in official interest rates to just below 7%. That was enough to send investors racing back to the USD even though it would not give the same yield as the AUD.

    So the USD is still THE currency everyone wants when the chips are down.

    My bullshit conspiracy theory is that the G8 and China and perhaps others manipulate the USD upwards when it gets too low for them to compete on their international export markets. It is certainly not in their interests to have a low USD because your economy is powerful enough to stuff up their agricultural as well as manufactured goods exports markets.

    The lower USD has enabled your export industries to boom in recent years and the rest of the advanced economies will do their best to force up your dollar by buying it up.

    A low USD is not all bad for the little man except when on overseas holidays.

    Posted by lrjones4 at 09/07/2008 @ 02:48am

37. Ran out of space but I notice that some Americans are worried about China and others being de facto bankers to the US and the fear that they might withdraw their support for the economy by precipitously selling off the USD and US bonds. As you can see, from the above, that is about the best way to destroy their economies so it's very unlikely to happen except in a very orderly manner.

    Which reminds me of a conversation I had some years ago with a friend. I asked him if he was not worried about the large loan, in terms of his assets and earnings that he had from a bank. He said: Why should I worry? It's the bank that should be worried.

    And that really is the attitude Americans should have toward China and others who invest in American bonds, stocks and currency. It is after all a "buyer beware" situation where all risk is with those foreign governments that buy into these instruments. They obviously make risk assessments and keep coming back to buy American investments such as the USD.

    Posted by lrjones4 at 09/07/2008 @ 10:14am

38. Posted by 2HAPPY at 09/07/2008 @ 12:00pm

    Hi Happy. Up a bit late/early. 2.25am Mon here just got rid of some hard to get rid of mates celebrating a footy win.

    Looks like your Sarah is winning hearts and minds out on the campaign trail. She looks like a real winner for McCain.

    Off to the cot for me. See ya.

    Posted by lrjones4 at 09/07/2008 @ 12:22pm

39. McCain sticks to the base!? Hell he doubled down on George and nominated a Twinky to share the nuclear trigger with him and Joe Lieberman. And all of this to the screeching adoration of "the base".

    Posted by lachatte at 09/07/2008 @ 4:38pm