Barack Obama's soaring oratory sends listeners into the sky. The gravitas of John McCain brings them back to earth. That's where people belong. John McCain gave an excellent, substantive speech on Thursday night. He stressed that he was just the maverick to take on Washington. He attacked his own party for abandoning its small-government principles. The shout-outs to average Americans placed in the audience--a fallen veteran's family, a struggling couple from Michigan, the parents of an impaired child--was presidential, in a state-of-the-union kind of way. McCain exuded decency in praising Obama and attacking his record. Just as the visual of Sara Palin's normally abnormal family attracted rather than repulsed, the sight of narcissistic hecklers provided made-for-TV visuals of the ugly people who hate McCain. Whose side are you on? He reminded us of the mettle he is made of by retelling his dramatic capture and torture at the hands of the Vietnamese Communists. He reassured that as a man who has known the horrors of war that he wants peace. A man who no one would claim is unusually blessed in the charisma department ended his address with a rousing call to action straight out of a Huey Long speech. After sixteen years of government-by-adolescent boys, John McCain arrives to return a grown-up to the Oval Office.
"I'm going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank god" John McCain
So much for a separation of church and state. If i'm voting for a president to lead me to the pearly gates I know whose got my vote...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnxB7mFAXjw
"He reassured that as a man whose known the horrors of war that he wants peace"
McCain did well. I also have a hard time believing, that with knowing war like he does and Palin having a military son, either will be going around the world looking for dragons to slay.
I am not totally convinced myself but I don't think he is the warmonger that some make McCain out to be.
You have to be a paranoid to think that a statement like "I'm going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank god" constitutes a threat of church-state entanglement. No, that wasn't the problem at all.
The problem with that statement is worse: First, it suggests that we don't currently have reason to be thankful, and yet we are repeatedly exhorted in Scripture to give thanks at all times and for all things. And we certainly already have reason to be grateful to our gracious Creator. Second, and relatedly, the statement perpetuates that greatest idolatry of the age: statism, and the view of the state and its leaders as the messiah to the people. All hail the ever more-beneficent State!!!
Obama suffers from a messianic complex. But McCain is by rights the anointed One who can and will deliver the goods. I shudder.
We've separated church and state and only accomplished turning the granite walls of the Federal seat of power into our temple.
Not nary a mention of Immigration control or border security by McCain, Palin, Huckster or Guiliani at the convention. Sad.
Eric, without having seen/heard/read the speech, I don't know the context in which McCain's "thank god" statement was said. That being said, I concur with your assessment regarding d.k.'s paranoid response.
That being said, and again, not knowing the full context, McCain's statement could merely mean he'll give us ANOTHER reason to thank God. Furthermore, if McCain were to dramatically reduce the size and role of the Federal government, would that not be a reason to thank God, either literally or figuratively? Do I expect him to do so? No. But your premise that his statement perpetuates statism is not necessarily valid, unless of course the remainder of his speach made it obvious he was speaking of a classic statism approach.
Given that this was their candidate's big speech I was surprised by the relatively lukewarm reception the repubs gave the speech. He struck out at them a little, and I think it grated on many. Lots of people not smiling and not clapping during the speech. This made me happier with McCain.
I'll never find a candidate I'll support 100%, so I'll take McCain for his judicial picks, his intentions regarding economy and government spending, his service, and for not being a socialist.
What is her Lebonnon policy? What is her Darfur policy? What is her Pakistan policy? What is her Russian policy? What is her Korean policy? What is her Iran policy? What is her Hatian policy? Her EU policy, her UN policy, her Kyoto policy, her global nuclear disarmament policy, her Sri Lanka policy, her Dubai policy, her plan to sit down with various Sheikdoms... Does she even know how many countries are in Africa or South America? Can she find Oman on a map? Here is a classic, what is the name of the Russian president?
From someone who said, "First someone has to tell me what the VP does" and "Surge, what surge?" I don't believe she has her own opinion on any of those subjects. She is now a puppet of the party.
Couple O' comments.......
Rudy sounded like he was having a stroke.
Romney should have been the guy introducing Palin.
Palin was HUGE and her presence highlights her as the red meat of the candidates in this election. Particularly impressed with the strength she demonstrated giving the most important speech of her career with the pressure on. Outstanding!
McNasty gave decent speech but, I agree that the giver and the recipients were lukewarm in general.
Those questions might be asked of your man O.
It would be interesting to hear from a guy who thinks we have 57 states and hasn't a clue when life begins to see what he knows about those topics.
DirtBagJack,
I heard much of his speech, including the context of that comment, and it horrified me.
"...if McCain were to dramatically reduce the size and role of the Federal government..."
A huge IF - ain't gonna happen. He doesn't really even say he will do that, and the fact is that his plans will expand the size of the Federal government by at least $68.5 billion dollars.
Eric, are you insinuating that McNasty might pee down your back and tell you it's raining? Come on now, you have to be more gullible than that. ;-)
BTW, the President of Russia is Alexander Bortnikov.
I think one of the best speeches of the whole convention was delivered by Fred Thompson.
I especially liked his take on O’s plan to tax “businesses”. He says "So, unless you buy something from a business, like groceries or clothes or gasoline or unless you get a paycheck from a business, a big business or a small business, don't worry, it's not going to affect you!
Classic, unbreakable logic.
"What is her Lebonnon policy? What is her Darfur policy? What is her Pakistan policy? What is her Russian policy? What is her Korean policy? What is her Iran policy? What is her Hatian policy? Her EU policy, her UN policy, her Kyoto policy, her global nuclear disarmament policy, her Sri Lanka policy, her Dubai policy, her plan to sit down with various Sheikdoms... Does she even know how many countries are in Africa or South America? Can she find Oman on a map? Here is a classic, what is the name of the Russian president? "
Replace she with he and let me know please where Obama stands on any of this. I have watched and tried to find some shred of evidence that he has an opinion on anything other than not wanting more time under Pres. Bush.
And I hope everyone remembers who really runs Russia. Homer was right making a funny like that too.
''I have watched and tried to find some shred of evidence that he has an opinion on anything other than not wanting more time under Pres. Bush."
Exactamundo Mike. And, as is pretty much usual, Homer hits it.
From the American Thinker:
Nobody is saying they are unpatriotic...
Thomas Lifson
Actions do speak louder than words. Democrats tossed 12,000 American flags in the garbage following their convention. This sort of thing takes the breath away. How much do you have to hate America to do such a thing? Have they never heard of the fine people of the VFW and American Legion who proudly help dispose of worn and otherwise useless flags with dignity?
To bad Obama does know where Oman and Haiti are on the map.
Your 'celebrity' needs to go back to what she does best, being a puppet and reading what people tell her to say (http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/908790/)
OH WAIT! She's already doing that, and really well too!
As far as Obama having a policy on said topics: He is pro-Isreal, anti-mugabi, pro-democratic terrorism free pakistan, pro taking N. Korea off the international terror list after nuke disarment, anti-invasion of Iran, pro-Kyoto, pro-all of our treaties (unlike W.), etc.
He actually knows what a shiekdom is. Does she have those same elite qualifications as mr. I was the president of one of the world's most intensive law schools and taught constitutional law at one of the best universities in the world, but I'm not qualified to serve the constitution.
"I was the president of one of the world's most intensive law schools and taught constitutional law at one of the best universities in the world, but I'm not qualified to serve the constitution."
WTF are you talking about doofus?
And if being able to read a telprompter effectivly disqualifies someone from political office then Obama needs to quit now. I really like the uh's and um's he throws into his not supervised speeches.
