LiveBlogging McCain's Speech (Continual Updates)
Yeesh. I cannot imagine that tonight is going to be stellar, especially as they have pegged the duration of the speech at 50 minutes, but every now and then you have to take one for the team.
8:41 pm - Cindy is yammering. Sorry, not really listening. She is spooky and on something. Look at the eyes. Nobody home. Eeek.
I would guess that, as he plans to do a 'Townhall' type bit, that McCain hopes to be the anti-Obama. He will stalk the stage, microphone in hand, and attempt to show that he has some kind of connection to the average voter, as opposed to Obama's grand theatre of last week. Its all foolish nonsense, of course, because tonight is as produced and scripted as last Thursday. The sets may be different, but the stage management is the same. The problem is rather simple, though, he will not be as specific, nor as forward looking as Barack Obama.
John McCain will tell us about being a POW, being a Maverick, and all assorted nonsense and knavery that you can expect. How many times will he actually mention something that even remotely resembles a plan, an agenda, a strategy? Not often, I would bet.
8:59 pm - Nice yawns in the crowd. Could be a long night. Others are happy-clappy old white folks trying to show that they have rhythm.
Talking-heads are trying to say that McCain is going to morph back into a moderate tonight. Please.
9:04 - McCain movie starts - Did you know that McCain was a POW? Nope, never knew. Oh, by the way, lousy production values.
9:07 - And they mock Obama as the One? Honestly.
9:08 - Neat trick, he returns from the war and they don't mention that he ditched his first wife. Hmm, why is that? Oh, thats right, Family Values.
9:11 - Yep, the Republicans want to elect McCain because he was a POW. Not because he is wise, nor intelligent, nor forward thinking, not because he has plans, a solid agenda, a single idea in that head of his. John McCain of 2000, where have you gone?
9:15 - My god, the green screen is back. Oh, its just grass. Still, the green screen is not good.
9:20 - I like McCain's Mom, she should run. She acts younger.
9:24 - A good number of war protesters. They should ignore them, but they keep giving them the oxygen the need. As people watch the convention, they will begin to ask why it is that the Democrats did not have such protesters, even in a crowd of 80,000.
Mr. McCain, you are going to change Washington? Haven't the Republicans been in charge over the last eight years? Haven't you sold your soul to the radical right-wing over the last few years? How can you be the agent of change?
"Get off my lawn!" Sorry, no idea what he just said, but he started waving his hands and arms and bleating at me.
9:34 - The Daddy Party! The Daddy Party! They are going to keep us safe from our enemies. Whoever they may be.
9:35 - Not the most effective speaker in the world. I just noticed, he bagged the town-hall concept. Hmm. Wonder why that is? Of course, it seems strange that I didn't notice until now.
9:36 - Nothing specific yet. Except of course banging away at folks who 'legislate from the bench'.
Honestly, this is the worst form of boiler-plate nonsense.
9:44 - Teacher's Unions foolishness. Check. Isolationism. Check. Drill baby drill. Check. Oh, yes, quite the Mavericky Maverick.
On another, rather more methodological or meta point - my goodness, what an atrocious speaker. He could read the Gettysburg Address and blow it, spectacularly.
Ah, now it is fear, fear, fear, fear, fear, fear.
Wait for it, 9-11 will be mentioned soon.
Oh, good lord, the Manichean World View. Yeesh.
9:53 - Accountability? Republicans?
9:55 - Back to POW-speak. Honestly.
Yes, you suffered, but that is all you really talk about. This is all that he has to offer.
John McCain is Mel Gibson. He only really soars when he is talking about his own suffering. But he has nothing else to offer.
10:04 - McCain has just stepped all over his conclusion. Who knows what he said at the end. I certainly don't.
Cindy still looks stoned.
Palin looks like she just steered John McCain around the stage like he was in a Nursing Home.
10:09 - Chris Matthews is having McCaingasms. Really? What utter nonsense. McCain has sold out, and no matter what Matthews says, McCain is tied to Bush.
Its over for the night, and not a moment to soon. I will have more to say tomorrow, after I have had the opportunity to digest McCain's failed attempt to reclaim the center, to reclaim his Maverick role. Unfortunately, he was deadly dull, lifeless, and provided no clue as to what he actually would do as President.
Good night, dear Friends.





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