Comments will start below the cut:
10:06–I wonder if anyone is going to mount a campaign declaring that a war hero really isn’t a war hero. Nah. Who’d do something like that? Anyway, I think I’ll keep a running tally of how many times he mentions the word “Vietnam.”
10:09–Anybody see the website promoting the ticket of Saul Tigh and Laura Roslin? There’s a whole website. I think I’ll get some of the buttons. It’s really amazing how much Tigh and Roslin look like McCain and Palin.
10:14–I think Bill Murray’s guys from “Stripes” are entering. I hear them.
10:15–He’s against a green screen. I can’t wait to see stuff get animated behind him.
10:16-I could swear I just saw someone holding up banner that are anti-McCain. How’d he get in there? Yeah! There it is. “McCain votes against Vets.” They’ve shown that guy three times so far; more than Palin.
10:18–Funny he doesn’t mention George HW Bush by name. And he didn’t mention George W. at all.
10:20–His mother looks amazing for her age. 96 years. Kind of undercuts the notion that McCain, at 72, is at death’s door.
10:21–He takes the high road with Obama. He can afford to considering the abundance of cheap shots his VP took the night before. A little late.
10:22–“We’re going to win this election! Because we’re giving money to the companies building the voting booths!”
10:23–They’re hauling out “pro-choice” protesters.
10:24–He’s trying to keep his temper. I’m not altogether sure the people shouting “USA” are GOP.
10:26–Does being investigated for corruption count as tackling corruption?
10:26-She’s worked with her hands and nose? Oh…with her hands and knows–… Got it.
10:27–She’s never been to Washington? Weird.
10:28–So the great McCain vision is to co-opt Obama’s campaign catchphrase of “change”? That’s forward thinking.
10:29–He’s not wearing a flag pin. I wonder if right wing pundits are going to harrangue him over that.
10:30–I think they’ve managed to throw out everyone who was protesting him.
10:31–Okay…he DOES know we haven’t won in Iraq, right? Plus the Taliban is resurging and bin Laden is still free.
10:33–Where is it written that Presidents and presidential aspirants always have to start pulling out the names of various random citizens to show they have touch with the little people?
10:35–“we have let Washington change us.” Yes. So says the one-time Centrist who has moved further right and brought on a further right VP candidate so he can get elected.
10:36-But the reason your party has strayed so far from basics is because of the policies and activities of George W. Bush, with whom you voted 90% of the time. I don’t think you can be both part of the problem AND the solution.
10:37–Now he’s hauling out the activist judges saw.
10:38–You know what? The history of Republican tropes against Democrats is kind of like synagogue, where the same thing is said over and over again and the worshippers respond exactly the same way. You can cut and paste anti-Democrat rants from 20, 30 years ago into today without a hitch.
10:41–Okay. Sounds good, finding more jobs that won’t go away. how?
10:42–So…the government is going to make up the difference in job wages while you’re training for a new job? But…if Obama put that forward, wouldn’t that be criticized by the GOP?
10:43–“GENERAL Obama?”
10:44–I like the shot of the guy yawning in the audience. Kind of sums up what I’m seeing: A flat and not especially exciting delivery of an uninspiring speech thus far.
10:46–I love how mentioning drilling brings Sarah Palin to her feet. How a governor of a naturally glorious state like Alaska can be anti-environment in her policies bewilders me.
10:48–Playing the terrorism card. Right out of the W playbook, although Bush remains unmentioned.
10:49–“But I’m not afraid of them. I just want to make YOU afraid of them.”
10:50–There’s one. But that’s not much.
10:51–Except there has been nothing in any of his various speeches or comments leading up to this that indicate he’s anything other than a hawk rather than someone interested in peace. Meanwhile Obama, who talks of negotiation and peace, is pilloried as being soft on security and on our enemies.
10:52–But don’t the Republicans bear a sizable measure of responsibility for Washington being the way it is?
10:54–Yeah, and Bush was a uniter, not a divider. We’ve already heard a GOP presidential candidate talking about working with the Democrats. Haven’t seen it happening.
10:55–Two mentions of Vietnam thus far.
10:56–It’s a compelling story; I just wish he had some different inflections in how he told it. He makes everything sound exactly the same. I feel as if he could be talking about being tortured or giving a brownie recipe, each is going to be given equal emphasis with no variation.
11::00-“I wasn’t my own man; I was my country’s.” Took 50 minutes, but he finally got to the sound bite.
11:02–“nothing brings greater happiness than to serve a cause greater than yourself.” Nice line.
11:04–Ðámņ. I was so hoping he’d say “Never give up, never surrender.”
Same dámņëd thing as Obama. He started to get on a roll and then, boom, that was it.
As a speechmaker he still can’t touch Obama. But speeches have never been his strength. He does far better with town hall formats or being folksy during discussions, which Obama still hasn’t got the hang of. The next few months should be…interesting.
And Bush was never mentioned.
• 
McCain is definitely giving a vastly better speech than the infamous green screen speech. He’s still not a great speaker, but he’s not dragging things down like I expected.
I don’t know about “vastly better”, but it’s certainly a stronger speech than many he’s given. This is just not his strong suit, though.
Right it’s the small businesses who are sending jobs overseas
10:41 Is it me, or could this crowd’s tempo use a bit of work, insofar as where to interject a “Boo!”?? Every time they do that, it happens in a part in his speech where he feels the need to pause suddenly, causing me to wonder if more people are being hauled away.
So far he’s just hitting a lot of standard GOP talking points. It’s pretty vague. I hope he gets more specifics in soon.
10:40 “A government that allows you to make more choices for yourself as long as they’re choices that toe our line.”
There. Fixed it.
The camera cut to Sarah Palin when McCain said, “Culture of life.” Just in case anyone didn’t realise he was talking about abortion.
Sarah Palin had an abortion? What? 🙂
No, gay rights are the civil rights issue of this century.
10:46 “I want schools to answer to parents and students!”
Uh-huh. And if those parents and students want to learn about the birds and bees, is that okay with you and your running mate?
You know what? I do NOT want schools to answer to parents and students. Not in the way that McCain means the term. We are not their employees in the normal business sense. As soon as the hard right stops talking about abolishing public education and LETS US DO OUR ÐÃMN JOBS, then I’ll believe they’re serious about reforming education.
So exactly how does not sending $700 billion over to Iraq jibe with us possibly being there another 100 years?
We’ll drill them now!!!
Won’t do jack squat though.
“Drill baby drill.” This year’s “burn baby burn,” and every bit as disquieting.
Peter DavidL: 10:43 “GENERAL Obama?”
Luigi Novi: Sure. First Obama was a Muslim. Now he’s a general. Tune in tomorrow, and he’ll be Napoleon.
I really liked Vinick the first time around. This just seems like a pale immitation of a bad copy of a good t.v. show.
I’d like it if he was more specific, but I thought that about Obama’s acceptance speech, too.
There’s something very hesitant about McCain’s speaking style. Even when he’s supposed to sound really fired up, he’s kind of missing it. I’m thinking he’s just not an emotionally demonstative person by nature.
10:42–So…the government is going to make up the difference in job wages while you’re training for a new job? But…if Obama put that forward, wouldn’t that be criticized by the GOP?
Oh, but you see, an Obama administration would do something like that while adjusting the tax structure accordingly. Whereas, a McCain administration would pay for a program like that with borrowed money, so we wouldn’t need to see where it was coming from. It’d just be one more thing for our grandkids to pay back.
10:43–“GENERAL Obama?”
Oh, please tell me that was a goof. If he said it accidentally, he’s cracked but I can let it go. If he did it deliberately, he’s out of his freaking gourd.
Nothing original so far. Just cliches
Education is. The plan he mentions isn’t the way to get it. Putting out comprehensive and equal curricula is, along with teaching critical thinking.
I don’t think politicians want us thinking critically.
He’ll establish better relations with Russia? Lately he’s been doing the opposite. He’s one of the ones who egged Georgia on and told them the US would support them.
I’m thinking England, 1939, Neville Chamberlain.
I’m not thrilled with Obama in the least, but at least he can kind of inspire with his speeches. This is just sad. If this guy is giving it the best he’s got these days then he really needs to shut up now and let others talk for him.
10:49–“But I’m not afraid of them. I just want to make YOU afraid of them.”
He wants to make us afraid of WHOM, exactly? I’m not watching the speech; someone fill me in, please?
It still boggles my mind that he’s selling himself as an agent of change when he’s largely going to continue the policies of the last 8 years. Not sure yet if it’s really ballsy or really stupid.
I’ll ask Democrats and independents to serve with me. and his name is Joe Lieberman
10:57 “And I won’t care who gets the credit!”
Sure. You’re running for President, an activity that requires you to list and emphasize your accomplishments, but you’re not going to do this at the next election if you win this one? C’mon Senator. My boots just don’t go up that far.
And here comes the P.O.W. story again.
Wish to hëll he’d stop mentioning his scars… like they somehow qualify him for the presidency.
Who the hëll coordinated this convention?
The democrats had Hillary and Bill and Joe rev up the crowd, then gave the video of Obama being raised in a single-parent household, then showed Obama eliciting cheers for 30-45 minutes.
The republican highlights had Thompson drive home McCain’s imprisonment, Palin drove home Obama’s inexperience. All they had to do was have something like McCain parachuting into the hall, or talk for 20 minutes on not backing off the war on terror, or both, and then leave before cheering fatigues the crowd. He shouldn’t have spent more than 5 minutes talking about all the other crap like school-vouchers. ennnhhh…
Not only a general, but an Iranian general. Haven’t you heard?
And now comes the POW story again. I do respect what he’s done, I really do — but when the POW card is played this often as a reason why he should be president, it’s getting ridiculous. Anyone with a drinking game here is probably already suffering from liver failure.
The “because every day they fought for me” seems to be one of the first really genuine emotional moments of the speech. Kudos for it, and him.
I agree, playing the POW card this much is getting ridiculous. Hey, McCain — can you give us an example of something you’ve done SINCE Vietnam that warrants you being elected President?
He keeps hitting on the idea of fixing Washington and taking it back from what it has become to great applause. Are he and these people just too stupid to realize that the man speaking has been there for decades and he and the Republican majority and then majority and President are the reasons that we are so much more messed up than we were eight years ago?
He’s like the guys who set a house on fire just so that they can play hero and claim that they’ve arrived to put the fire out.
I think some of the veterans in the audience are going through some real emotional stuff listening to him. I wish he hadn’t overused the P.O.W. story up until this point, but this is something he legitimately shares with them. The emotions they’re going through in memory right now are definitely worth honoring.
Aw, keeerist. Another gratuitious Obama-as-messiah slam. Senator, you’ve got a compelling story; you do not need to belittle others with lies in the process.
The formula goes: {insert noun}, {insert verb}, {Vietnam POW}
Y/Y?
“If you’re disspointed in our government, join our ranks and change it!”
Well, yeah. That’s what Obama is doing.
I like the call to public service.
“I’m not running for president because…”
Yeah, we know why you’re running, John. You told us why in your book. It’s not for service or patriotism. It’s because it’s your ambition to be president. You know, kind of the thing you claimed Obama was doing it for and insulted him over it.
Mavrick? I just saw a sign spelled maverik. That’s so very sad.
If you want to serve something greater than yourself … how about becoming, oh, a community organizer?
11:02 – stand up and shout “I’m mad as hëll and I’m not going to take it anymore!”
Ha, I love the music at the end of the speech. “Raisin’ the cain.” Cause he’s John McCain, get it? Get it?
Yeah, I like puns. It’s a sickness.
The last 5-10 minutes were pretty decent; the rest was less than compelling.
Off to bed!
Even shouting over the timed-excitement of the crowd, I imagine McCain sounding more excited when he wins at bingo.
Well, overall I’m very underwhelmed. His delivery never varied much, and he stayed away from any real specifics throughout. If he doesn’t manage to match Obama’s energy level in the debates, he’s toast.
Is it too late to get a really good 3rd party option up and running?
11:02–“nothing brings greater happiness than to serve a cause greater than yourself.” Nice line.
*sighs* Finally, he says something that doesn’t make me want to hide. I’ve heard him mention the Peace Corps as a way to serve, and I appreciated that. Now my mom, meanwhile, was rather nonplussed to hear him bring it up in the same breath as the military, and I know what she means, but I know what McCain is getting at, too, and that much, at least, I can respect.
Sigh it would have been better if I could misspell Maverick the same way twice
Well, it’s over, and I can’t help but remember what George Carlin once said. The main difference between him and I is that when I’m done jerkin’ off, I got something to show for it.