Apologies for the shortage of posts, but today is my first day of classes and I’m still in the process of getting organized. I’ll start posting regularly again in the very near future.
But I would like to take this time to applaud Keith Olbermann for completely self-destructing at MSNBC. Keith, I always had confidence you could do it.
The Convention has ended, and it was a success by any measure. And while John McCain’s speech may not have had the historic quality that Sarah Palin’s address did last night, I think he can rest assured that his mission was accomplished.
John McCain is not an orator. He doesn’t possess the natural skills that made men like Reagan and Clinton great communicators. Fortunately, he didn’t reach for the stars with his rhetoric. Instead he did what he does best – he spoke directly to the American people. His speech was characteristically McCain, and it had a few qualities in particular that struck me.
First, it was oddly specific. McCain took great pains to lay out his tax plan, his energy plan, his education plan, and his view of the American economy. National security was touched on, but it wasn’t the focus. This was a kitchen table speech, all meat and potatoes.
Second, it was strikingly personal. McCain laid bare his soul for America to see. I have read his book and was familiar with some of what he was saying, but I never expected to hear the words “And they broke me” spoken to a national audience. It was a shocking disclosure, and one that has been widely known for some time, but was stunning in the moment for its candor. And yet he tied his lowest point into a greater narrative about the transformative effect that his experiences had on his character.
Third, McCain did something that Obama has failed to do in this campaign – he called a nation to service. The theme “Country First” has suddenly become clear. McCain showed the world that he is a man who lives that belief, and he called on us all to join him in putting our country first. The theme of the speech, and indeed of McCain’s candidacy, was revealed in what I believe was as close to a “Thousand Points of Light” moment as we got:
I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else’s. I loved it not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency; for its faith in the wisdom, justice and goodness of its people. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again. I wasn’t my own man anymore. I was my country’s.
That’s powerful. That is a glimpse into the soul of a man who truly has given his life to a cause greater than himself.
Finally, the end of the speech. It was impossible to hear live because of the roar of the crowd, and I think McCain did the right thing by going ahead and plowing through the cheers. Inaudible though they were, his words should become a rallying cry for all Americans.
Fight with me. Fight with me. Fight for what’s right for our country.
Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.
Fight for our children’s future.
Fight for justice and opportunity for all.
Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.
Stand up for each other; for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America.
Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. Nothing is inevitable here. We’re Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.
Tonight John McCain articulated clearly his vision for this country and gave a powerful testimony to America’s inherent greatness. As I said, he is not an orator, and his words didn’t flow perfectly, but his emotion was genuine and his intentions clear. McCain intends to lead, and he knows exactly where he wants to lead us.
This is not a speech that will be inscribed on monuments or taught in classrooms. But its content was genuine, moving, and utterly American. We couldn’t have asked for more.
And now the campaign begins in earnest, and I can say honestly that for the first time during the cycle, the Republican Party is confident from top to bottom.
And to quote that great philosopher Chuck Berry: “Go, Johnny, Go!”
Win or lose, I think it’s obvious that John McCain is going to be the last major presidential candidate of his generation. Republicans and Democrats alike are at a turning point, awaiting the next generation of leaders to step up and take the reigns of this nation. But as I pointed out in a post this past June, the Democrats’ bench is looking a little thin these days.
Democrats seem to only now be considering the very real possibility that Barack Obama is going to lose this election. If that happens, to whom do they turn? The obvious choice is Hillary Clinton, but in the Sarah Palin world of politics, Hillary’s tired old feminist schtick has lost much of its potency, and despite her deep connections within the Democratic Party, I wonder if some of the guys at the top of the food chain aren’t a little wary of giving back to the Clinton’s what they worked so hard to take away from them. The alternative, one supposes, is Mark Warner. He’s a business leader and a successful governor, but he’s also a moderate and a tax-cutter. In order to make the Warner pick palatable, the Democrats would have to finally silence their Leftist fringe and say goodbye to the Kossacks, and I don’t think they have the fortitude to do that.
Regardless, there aren’t many people beyond Warner ready to step up. Maybe Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota? Possibly Evan Bayh of Indiana, who the Radical Left has already turned on? Perhaps Tim Kaine of Virginia, if he could ever prove he can do something besides ride Warner’s coattails? Maybe Jim Webb, if he can survive his reelection campaign against someone more competant than George Allen? As Sarah Palin (and Barack Obama before her) has proven, a political superstar can be born almost overnight, but conversely such superstars are born once in a generation. Even then, forget superstars – there are very few Democrats ready to step up if Barack Obama loses.
Republicans, by contrast, have a deep bench. Much like how the early 1980s and then the early 1990s brought a wave of young conservatives to the public’s attention, there are now many young Republicans ready to step up and take their place in the spotlight. By virtue of her selection as McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin has become the most prominent among them. By virtue of his leadership during the recent crisis in the gulf states, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana is clearly next in line behind her. Tim Pawlenty, who was reportedly McCain’s number two choice for the vice presidency, rounds out the trio of governors – all of them under fifty – who will lead the party on an executive level for the next several years.
But on a legislative level Republicans also have an advantage. In the House, the “Young Guns” of the GOP, including Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan, and Kevin McCarthy, have been working hard in the spirit of Newt Gingrich to bring committed young conservatives to Washington and restore fiscal discipline to our country. Adam Putnam, Mike Pence, and Michelle Bachmann have been supporting them strongly and taking leadership positions to bring energy independence to this country. And again, all six of these leaders – at least one of which will be Minority Leader and quite possibly Speaker one day soon – are under fifty.
And in the Senate we have a group of older-but-not-old statesmen ready to take over for Mitch McConnell, John Warner, and company. Their ranks include Tom Coburn, who since joining the Senate in 2005 has earned a reputation as one of the great fiscal conservatives of modern times; John Thune, who knocked off Tom Daschle in 2004 and is held in high regard for his stances on social issues; Jim DeMint, who is a staunch proponent of free speech and low taxes; and Richard Burr, one of the chief architects of the 2008 Republican Platform. All four are first-term Senators who have become increasingly prominent as the McConnell-Warner generation has begun to ride into the sunset.
Democrats like to claim that they are the party of the future, but they have bet everything they have on one man who is notable for his consistent inability to close the deal with voters. If Obama lose this fall, his party will have to deal with the consequences for years to come.
Last night was a late one. I got back to the room at about 4 after attending a party hosted by former RNC Chair Ken Mehlman. It was, needless to say, full of people far more important than myself. When it was done I went back to the hotel bar with Eric, Todd, and Cyrus and had my first Wasp Sting – that’s Guinness and orange juice layered like a black & tan. Fantastic.
Morning thoughts…
Everyone is raving about Sarah Palin’s speech from last night. The only criticism I’ve heard: her hair isn’t distinctly modern. Oh, and Harry Reid called her shrill. Hmm…
Oh, as if we needed further confirmation on Palin’s awesomeness: her teleprompter was malfunctioning throughout her speech. That would have been enough to earn several minutes worth of “Uhs” and “Ums” from Obama, but Palin handled it like a pro.
With Palin having done her part for the week, the spotlight now turns to John McCain. McCain isn’t great when reading from a teleprompter, which is why I hope he will, as rumored, walk away from the podium at certain points during the speech. McCain doesn’t need to match Obama or Palin in rhetoric, but what he does need to do is deliver a Thousand Points of Light-style address. For McCain, a little eloquence will go a long way.
Does anyone find it odd that while McCain took great pains to keep the Palin pick under wraps so as not to step on Obama’s toes, and even went so far as to air an ad congratulating Obama on his big night, the Illinois Senator has chosen to spend the night of McCain’s acceptance speech doing a highly-publicized interview with Bill O’Reilly?
Quote of the Morning:
“Possibly the most depressed liberal in the country today (other than Obama) is Hillary Clinton. She has been dogged, patient. She has spent years preparing to win the presidency. She’s weathered public humiliation. She was planning to be the frontrunner for 2012. But last night she saw the future and she’s not in it.”
- Peter Kirsanow, National Review
Perhaps the most amazing thing about the Palin pick is this: everyone has thought from the beginning that this election was about Barack Obama. If Americans were comfortable with Obama, they’d elect him. If not, well, there was John McCain. McCain was the fall-back. But with Palin on the ticket, the election isn’t about Obama anymore. It’s about bringing real reform to Washington and which ticket is more qualified to do that. It’s easy to see why Republicans are so excited this morning.
We’ve heard since the beginning of this campaign how the Democrats have been making history. Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, I was privileged to be a part of a different kind of history. I am proud to be able to say that I was there when Sarah Palin changed the world of American politics.
But first…
It really struck me how the speakers throughout the night established a narrative that built to Palin’s address. First we heard from small businessmen, city council members, state senators, and concerned citizens. Then we were privileged to hear from two successful female business leaders – Meg Whitman of eBay fame, and Carly Fiorina of Hewlett-Packard. The storyline was established: Republicans are the party of average Americans and strong women.
Then the superstars hit. Michael Steele, the former Lieutenant Governor from Maryland and the most prominent African-American in our party gave a speech in which he coined a new catchphrase for proponents of energy independence – “Drill, Baby, Drill.” Mitt Romney brought the crowd to its feet with talk about… business? I actually clapped for Mike Huckabee, who was magnificent. And Rudy… well, he was the Rudy of old tonight.
But none was the star of the evening.
Whether John McCain wins or loses this election, the speech that Sarah Palin gave tonight will be long remembered. In a way that no woman – and yes, I am including Hillary Clinton – no woman has ever done, Sarah Palin has fundamentally changed American politics with her address tonight. As she took the stage, the room was euphoric, but the joy was tempered with caution. After all, our only exposure to Palin had been her well-delivered but not outstanding speech last Friday. Could she stand on stage with the big boys?
The question has been answered.
The answer is a resounding yes.
We all held our breath for a minute, but when she leaned into the mic, cracked the first joke, and smiled that beauty queen smile, we all fell in love with her. She grabbed the bull by the horns and never let go. The crowd loved her. The pundits are raving. The critics are silent.
Tomorrow it’ll start again in earnest, because the liberals of this country now have no reason to doubt that Sarah Palin is an immediate threat to their left-wing vision of the future. The attacks will get slimier. The reporting will get shoddier. They will do all they can to destroy Sarah Palin and everything she stands for.
And the Governor will smile and America will applaud.
I overheard someone at the Convention say something as he pinned a McCain-Palin button to his shirt. He told his friend, “I’m voting for Palin. I guess I’ll take McCain, but I’m voting for Palin.”
I think it’s safe to say that he’s not alone.