McCain Accepts the Nomination...and the Challenge

John McCain is better known for his ease with the give-and-take of town hall style meetings than for giving barn-burning speeches. He was true to form tonight -- there was no barn-burning at the Xcel Center, certainly not in comparison to Sarah Palin's crowd-combusting performance the night before. (Though, in fairness, his wife's low-key introduction didn't energize the room nearly as well as Rudy Giuliani's pre-Palin red meat buffet.) The crowd rose to the occasion of the applause lines, but the electricity in the hall did not compare to what it was Wednesday.

Early in the speech, McCain nodded to the Presidents Bush (41 and 43) though he seemed to go out of his way not to mention their names. The Obama campaign has endeavored to link McCain to the Bush administration, but McCain has tried to keep his distance so he can maintain his mavericky rep.

I'm grateful to the President for leading us in those dark days following the worst attack on American soil in our history, and keeping us safe from another attack many thought was inevitable; and to the First Lady, Laura Bush, a model of grace and kindness in public and in private. And I'm grateful to the 41st President and his bride of 63 years, and for their outstanding example of honorable service to our country.

If McCain resisted mentioning the name of the person he was hoping to succeed, that wasn't the case with his running-mate. He drew a huge cheer from the crowd when he mentioned Sarah Palin. Her speech last night gave her rockstar status in this crowd, perhaps even overshadowing the guy at the top of the ticket with her popularity in the hall.

She knows where she comes from and she knows who she works for. She stands up for what's right, and she doesn't let anyone tell her to sit down. I'm very proud to have introduced our next Vice President to the country. But I can't wait until I introduce her to Washington. And let me offer an advance warning to the old, big spending, do nothing, me first, country second Washington crowd: change is coming.

McCain made his fame in the Republican Party as a self-styled maverick, risking unpopularity with the leadership in favor of standing on principle. That style has made him some enemies, though in his pursuit of the nomination he's faced accusations that he doesn't buck the party line as much as he once did. But in a year when voters are demanding change, and with a the sitting President an unpopular member of his own party, McCain is milking that rebellious reputation for all it's worth.

You know, I've been called a maverick; someone who marches to the beat of his own drum. Sometimes it's meant as a compliment and sometimes it's not. What it really means is I understand who I work for. I don't work for a party. I don't work for a special interest. I don't work for myself. I work for you.

The speech also delved into issues. The crowd booed loudly as McCain hammered Obama's tax plans. He then waxed on at length about education and school choice; put out a robust call for increased oil drilling; and then climaxed with a bold declaration on national security:

We face many threats in this dangerous world, but I'm not afraid of them. I'm prepared for them. I know how the military works, what it can do, what it can do better, and what it should not do. I know how the world works. I know the good and the evil in it. I know how to work with leaders who share our dreams of a freer, safer and more prosperous world, and how to stand up to those who don't. I know how to secure the peace.

After outlining an old-fashioned Republican policy agenda, McCain emphasized his record of bipartisanship. McCain said that despite his opponent's talk of being a uniter, he doesn't have the resume to back up his promises.

Again and again, I've worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed. That's how I will govern as President. I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again. I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not.

The last -- and most powerful -- portion of the speech dealt with McCain's five and a half years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. McCain rarely goes into the details of that ordeal on the campaign trail, but it was a major theme in almost all the convention speeches this week, as well as the subject of the video that preceded his appearance at the podium. He allowed others to present the grim details of his capture and torture, focusing his own remarks on how the experience changed him.

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.

I'm not running for president because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need. My country saved me. My country saved me, and I cannot forget it. And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath, so help me God.

The crowd gave a rousing cheer in response to McCain's final exhortation to "fight with me," for America and there was abundant good cheer in the hall as the balloons dropped, the confetti flew, and the running-mates and their families waved from the stage. But this speech was something of a missed opportunity for McCain. The crowd -- both in the convention hall and at home -- was primed after last night, and the nominee's mostly familiar-sounding speech and uninspired delivery didn't recapture his running-mate's Wednesday night magic. But then again, that was a pretty high bar.

-- Evie Stone

12:06 AM ET | 09- 5-2008 | permalink

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