McCain's performance

[novillero]

No one???

I'll start. I thought he did well. His personal story, as told through him, was pretty emotional. really brings things into perspective.

McCain is not known as a good public speaker, so expectations were lowered. He did alright with the rest of the speech... but once again, the foreign policy is not my foreign policy. the domestic policy I like, the compare and contrast though between republicans and the democrats was pro forma...

i really liked the part abuot pork - vetos!!! and he'll make sure that every american knows who is trying to get this pork through... I liked that.

I just hope that he can live up to his words.

[adefonzo]

I would have jumped in there first, Novillero, but today was a busy day here on the job...and since I want to get going on my way home, I'll try to be brief (though for me, that is often difficult)

Anyhow, I thought his speech was very good overall, with parts of it just downright fantastic.

As mentioned, McCain is not an Obama type of talker, so I was not expecting anything that would be getting replayed 50 years from now as somehow still motivational.

Although, like I said, there were some parts that I thought were fantastic. First of all, I really loved the part where he said he would not only veto any bill with pork barrel earmarks, but he would let the American public know who was trying to pull that extra money out of our pockets. Talk about good old fashioned hutzpah!!! (sorry to my Jewish friends, I know I butchered that spelling)

Along those same ideals, he had a line last night that I have not heard anyone talking about yet. There was a point where he said he would save the American Taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars by stopping foreign aid to those countries that we don't count as our allies. Again...I LOVED THAT!!!! I get sick when I hear countries and leaders who continue to bash America all the while taking millions upon billions of our dollars to help bolster their own economies. Honestly...screw 'em!!! America's such a bad place? Well, you certainly don't want any of our dirty money then, so you'll get none!! Yeah...that line really got me fired up!!

Of course his story about his time as a POW was amazing. To be completely honest, once he started to get into the story, I said, "Oh god...here we go again". Not to diminish in any way what he went through, but watching three nights of speeches in which every single speaker went through the same story, I had heard it enough. But, of course, having actually lived it, he had a different way to tell it. As he talked about being a cocky young man who didn't think anyone could touch him, and then still trying to stand tall while in prison to show that he was a tough guy...when he spoke about the code of "first one in, first one out"...when he admitted that after some of the really severe beatings, the Vietnamese had finally broken him, only to have his soul and faith rescued by a fellow soldier in the box next to his...at then end of that portion of the speech...I felt a hole within myself...though it sounds a bit strange, I actually felt envy towards John McCain. I was jealous that he is able to have so much more strength, courage, heart, honor, valor, spirit, and hope than I could ever even hope to have...especially considering all that he had been through. I truly felt almost hollow inside...it was really amazing and extremely humbling.

Then, of course, there was the "rousing moment" of the speech towards the end where he went on with the "fight with us for America, fight with us for your safety" etc etc. This was great for a couple of reasons. First, just the whole moment worked out perfectly, with the rising applause continuing in the background as he continued to call for everyone us to join them in the fight. But what was more impressive to me was the wording he used, "fight with us for America". Too often you hear politicians telling us how they will fight for us...McCain made it clear that he wants us to join the fight with him...and I loved that.

It's almost obvious that such an idea would come from such a man. This is a man who believes everyone should try and find a way to get involved somehow. He even mentioned it earlier in his speech (help the needy, become a pastor, run for public office). This is a man who has been a active participant in his country for essentially his whole life...and I think he believes (as I do) that an active citizenship is what's really needed to take this country back from the lobbyists, special interests, bureaucrats, and dead weight politicians who have brought us to where we are today.

In this town, we know all about apathy...and most of us know that it exists even more on the federal level. Sure...people show up to vote for the President every 4 years...but then we go back to just whining and complaining about the government rather than going out and actually doing something about it. John McCain and Sarah Palin (and also Barack Obama and Joe Biden for that matter) can only do so much to really get any change in this country...it's up to us...the people...we are the ones who truly have the power...we've just forgotten how to use it.

I honestly believe that an active citizenship will be one that doesn't rely so heavily on government to take care of so many aspects of their lives (which is a standard Liberal ideal - big government to take care of more and more of the people's lives). An active citizenship, I believe, makes us stronger as individuals, stronger as communities, and stronger as a country...and that, I believe, is what John McCain is calling on us for.

I had a tremendous amount of respect for John McCain before last night, as a man and as a leader. I can't even put into words where that level of respect has escalated to...I can only quote Buzz Lightyear from the movie "Toy Story" and say, "TO INFINITY...AND BEYOND!!!"