McCain's Speech

A few points:

One -- McCain is a very bad public speaker.

Two -- it's interesting that he's shifted his aesthetic from his old black and white "fascist" aesthetic to a new green and white Islamofascist aesthetic.

Three -- despite the general badness of his speaking manner, McCain does have highs and lows. You can tell that he gets excited, personally, when talking in a generic way about how America is awesome. But when he waxes about reforming government institutions, it's obvious that McCain is bored and not at all the kind of person who's inclined to immerse himself in the details of these kind of issues.

Four -- even McCain's audience doesn't seem to like this speech.

Comments

Fifth, sweat is pouring down the left side of his face. It's almost like he's melting under the bright lights.

Posted by phil | June 3, 2008 8:52 PM

The broad generalizations about Obama's platform wouldn't be nearly as annoying if he'd drop that awkward grin-and-chuckle every time he takes a cheap shot.

Posted by Angry Sam | June 3, 2008 8:52 PM

Six - he has yellow teeth and they look awful when he launches that phony smile.

Posted by doug | June 3, 2008 8:53 PM

I'm waiting for them to chant "4 more years", "4 more years"

Posted by Galois | June 3, 2008 8:56 PM

I'm waiting for them to chant "4 more years", "4 more years"

Posted by Galois | June 3, 2008 8:58 PM

As is my experience with most early-boomer and silent-generation people, McCain genuinely gets excited about American progress. It's one of his more attractive features.

However, at the end of the day, he's not that charismatic and comes across as a scold when talking about the war, and he doesn't talk about pulling out, which is what Americans want. And he's fallen into the rut of "Democrats don't trust the American people, whereas Republicans will support policies that just make the problem worse" that has been the Republican mantra which screwed Bush pretty badly.

Six - he has yellow teeth and they look awful when he launches that phony smile.

If TV hurt Nixon in '60, HDTV will hurt McCain, badly, in 2008.

Posted by Tyro | June 3, 2008 8:58 PM

7. His suit did not fit!

Posted by centrist | June 3, 2008 9:00 PM

mccain delivers "that's not change we can believe in" like it's an ironic catch phrase from a bad saturday night live sketch. you expect it to be followed by WAH WAH WAH WAAAAAAH.

Posted by Skyhook | June 3, 2008 9:03 PM

You're wrong, Matt. It was the best speech McCain has given during this campaign. A powerful speech.

Harold Ford told me so.

Posted by cityyear95 | June 3, 2008 9:14 PM

Who knew that John McCain isn't a native born English-speaker...? Is it possible America will soon nostalgically yearn for the oratory of 'ol w?

Posted by berger | June 3, 2008 9:21 PM

"Six - he has yellow teeth and they look awful when he launches that phony smile."

What's up with that? Any Thai prostitute worth her/his/other salt can afford to have white teeth. You'd think a guy with eight houses and a private lake could get decent dental care. Hell, I'm a smoker and can can my teeth pearly white for at least a week after professional care.

Posted by fostert | June 3, 2008 9:30 PM

"Hell, I'm a smoker and can can my teeth pearly white for at least a week after professional care."

That should be "can keep my teeth..." I'm giving Matt a run for his money on bad spelling and grammar.

Posted by fostert | June 3, 2008 9:35 PM

Dude, you're not even kidding. As a young voter who, on the issues, probably would take McCain over Obama, it's just embarassing how much inferior he is in public speaking... management skills... intellect... temperment...

Sigh.

Obama takes it in a landslide (assuming he doesn't take Hillary as VP).

Posted by BushVoter | June 3, 2008 9:59 PM

Unfortunately, I'm with you guys. I couldn't get over the whine in his voice. It's like he's pleading with us. I'll be voting for him, but probably not campaigning for him. I'd like to, but I can't work up the enthusiasm.
This is the most fascinating political campaign I've ever experienced, and I'm sure I'm not alone.
I see more testerone on the Demo side than I do with McCain (from BOTH of them!!)
This doesn't look good. But, tomorrow is another day.

Posted by Cindy | June 3, 2008 11:00 PM

To Matt's 3rd point, Bush has the same speaking style. Bush is most likely to verbally stumble when he's talking about things he doesn't really give a shit about (or more likely, can't relate to): i.e. 'it's hard to put food on your children'. 'man & fish can co-exist', 'is our children learning', etc. But when it comes to war (or "how awesome America is"), he soars to rhetorical heights with nary a stumble to be had.

Words matter, but in some ways, their delivery matters more. Words without passion rarely translate into action. Take that into account over the following months.

Posted by raff | June 3, 2008 11:48 PM

Well I said fuck it and went to the 9:30 Club -- and I'm 48 for God's sake. But the idea of McCain deciding to give a speech the same night as Obama just seemed so inherently preposterous I thought I'd check out an Irish band and see how many different beers I could drink.

McCain bad puiblic speaker -- not to mention small, gimpy and really fucking old.

Posted by Sir Charles | June 4, 2008 12:05 AM

Well I said fuck it and went to the 9:30 Club -- and I'm 48 for God's sake. But the idea of McCain deciding to give a speech on the same night as Obama just seemed so inherently preposterous I thought I'd check out an Irish band and see how many different beers I could drink.

McCain is just a bad public speaker -- not to mention small, gimpy and really fucking old.

Posted by Sir Charles | June 4, 2008 12:06 AM

John McCain won only 70% of his own party's vote this evening in South Dakota...a reliably Red state in Presidential politics.

It's better than either Dem did in tha tstate tonight...but they were actively campaigning against each other.

He's got to win hiw own base and indies. Looks kinda tough.

Posted by Ralph W | June 4, 2008 12:38 AM

McCain speaks in a hushed, cheery voice, as if he's telling a story to little children. A buillshit story about three little pigs.

Posted by putnam | June 4, 2008 12:48 AM

I was so relieved when the news channel i was watching this speech on cut in with the announcement that Obama had won the Demo nomination. If a bad actor screwed a used car salesman, this speech is their love-child. Personally i look forward to the day when i don't feel embarrassed as an american every time our president opens his mouth. I shall call it Obamaday.

Posted by Reaper12bravo | June 4, 2008 1:18 AM

Hello:

I thought the speech was the worst I have even seen.

1. His delivery is downright painful to watch. The way he fumbled with the repetitive 'thats not change we can believe in' lines over and over was almost sad. Like he kept forgetting the lines were coming up the teleprompter.

2. Also, I don't see how someone who has been in DC so long can run as some agent of 'real' change. Where have you been the last 25 years? Where were these ideas?

3. Whoever was in charge is the setting should be fired. How many people were there? 10? The reactions were almost as pitiful as the delivery.

4. It takes guts to go to Louisiana and criticize the Katrina response when you were one of the people in power who did nothing much to help. Again, see number 2 above.

5. Finally, now that the real campaign is on we see him run as fast as he can from Bush. I don't think he will have much success there. Forget the voting record, I just kept picturing that disturbing photo of him trying to hug Bush.

Posted by Splotto | June 4, 2008 9:33 AM

When I saw that terrible visual presentation, I must admit the thought crossed my mind that McCain is actually in the tank and throwing the election for the Democrats.

I know its not true, but on a night like last night, when the nation is watching, and HRC and Obama have these throngs of thousands of enthusiastic supporters enveloping them in rapturous love....and McCain is painfully reading in front of an ugly green wall to semi-concious supporters. Heckuva job!

Posted by Andruw | June 4, 2008 9:51 AM

What's with the smiles at the end of what sounded like a serious point? Did someone hold up a cue card that said "SMILE". That smile gives me the creeps.

Posted by Dave | June 4, 2008 4:36 PM

It was interesting the difference between McCain and both Obama and Clinton speeches. The settings, the crowds, it was as though McCain was speaking at a grange hall with a handful of supporters. I listened to all three speeches lastnight. McCain gave a speech worthy of a opening act for a headliner.

It was some what befitting of the night as Clinton followed McCain as if leading up to the headline act, from start to finish her speech was powerful. Not what a lot of people wanted to hear, but undeniably more powerful than McCain could hope to be.

Obama I fealt was a little slow to start with the thanking this person and that, but when he start the actual speech, it was like perfection. If you have taken a speech class, that is how they want you to deliver.

I am not going into the messages that were delivered, that is for someone else, but McCain is completely out of his league when it comes to this type of venue. The only thing I could say is that if Clinton and Obama were to be on the same ticket, Good luck to McCain on finding anyone to join his campaign that could move an audience like either Clinton or Obama.

Ratings:(1 worst - 10 Best)

McCain - 3.5 - I have heard worse, just cant think of any at the moment

Clinton - 8

Obama - 9

jG

Please take no offense to anyones Candidates, I am excited that we live in a time that people are being so involved with the political arena.

Posted by Jeff G | June 4, 2008 6:06 PM

McCain’s speech was remarkable in the extent to which he criticized the Bush administration – mostly without naming names. He vacuously criticized Obama by saying that Barack always finds his solutions in discredited Democratic policies from the past. McCain promised to bring the truly new to strategic planning. The closest he came to grounding this claim was to insinuate that the strategy of General Petraeus was originally his own. He further claims, “We are not people who believe only in the survival of the fittest,” but he gives no clear indication of what his core values are. Can they be other than the dual Republican themes of authoritarian government (to control ordinary citizens) and “let market forces decide?” Does he believe that society has any function other than to control the common man and provide a suitable medium from which the right people can harvest their billions of dollars? If he truly does, he needs to be clear about his principles. If the rule is not “the survival of the fittest,” then what is it?

Posted by P0M | June 6, 2008 3:29 AM

The contrast between the democrats and John McCain was stunning. Who in their right minds advised this guy to give a speech on the same night as one of the most gifted speaker in modern american history is speaking is of course insane. Are these the same people that were advising Bush? Do me a favor, don't ever roll this guy during dinner time again, it made my stomach turn watching this guy search for his cue. You have to wonder, if you can't master this process, how can you lead a nation. Practice man, practice.

Posted by Mike | June 6, 2008 4:25 PM

The speech was dismal. His smile is creepy.
But more disturbing to me is how he never seems to know what he actually voted for when questioned. I get the impression that he isn't the guy who would actually read a Bill that comes his way for a vote - preferring to get the synopsis from others. I don't get the impression he is much of a deep thinker, or necessarily a long term consequences kind of guy -- and that seems scarily too much like the guy we have now.
Add that to the number of stupid and crass comments/jokes that either he has made - "bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" - "why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly - Janet Reno is her father", "I hate the Gooks" OR his response to others crass jokes such as "how do we beat the bitch? (Hillary Clinton)".
AND that's what he says with an audience and a camera rolling - what he is really like when the camera is off and he can really say what he things?

Posted by Susa | June 7, 2008 8:02 AM

"i believe in giving bottled hot water to dehydrated babies!!!!"

what is up with that line in the speech? did anyone else catch that? did we really have dehydrated babies during Katrina that needed hot bottled water?

Posted by dehydrated baby | June 7, 2008 7:07 PM

Are you kidding? That speech was one of the worst speeches i have ever seen. "that's not change"....whoever wrote that should be taken out and shot in the foot. Also.....why does McCain look like he's about to peel off his skin and expose an alien being. The guy is a mutant.

Posted by michuel | June 11, 2008 1:03 PM

Are you kidding? That speech was one of the worst speeches i have ever seen. "that's not change"....whoever wrote that should be taken out and shot in the foot. Also.....why does McCain look like he's about to peel off his skin and expose an alien being. The guy is a mutant.

Posted by michuel | June 11, 2008 1:04 PM