John McCain is accepting the Republican nomination for president as he is repeatedly interrupted by anti-war protesters. I'd feel bad for him but he's stood by Bush and his horrific decisions on Iraq every step of the way. Let him fake-smile his way through it.
Best part of the speech so far -- the comeback of the green screen! It's alternating with a blue screen, which from a TV fake background perspective works just as well.
UPDATE 10:32pm: So is McCain completely giving up on issues and putting all his chips on the POW-Hockey Mom narrative? I still haven't heard one policy proposal. And every time the crowd whoops he seems rattled. Should I stay awake for the rest or watch it on YouTube tomorrow?
UPDATE by Lowell: I just counted about 10 lies by McCain about Obama in less than a minute.
UPDATE #2 by Lowell: One thing's for sure, John McCain is no Teddy Roosevelt. Has anyone heard anything "maverick" yet? All I've heard so far is standard Bush Republicanism. Bleh.
UPDATE #3 by Lowell: Save the planet by drilling, drilling, and drilling some more. Yay!!!!!
UPDATE #4 by Lowell: Pray for Georgia, kick Russia's ass! Yeah, USA USA USA!!!!
UPDATE #5 by Lowell: "I hate war," which is why I sing "Bomb Bomb Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran!"
UPDATE #6 by Lowell: Bipartisan rancor! No, I mean partisan cooperation! Or something!
UPDATE #7 by Miles: 10:50 PM ... TPM Reader PT: "What are the odds Governor Palin drops McCain from the ticket? After a performance like this, it's a serious question." I mean, this is more like McCain accepting a lifetime American achievement award than making his case for the presidency, isn't it?
UPDATE #8 by Lowell: The crowd finally wakes up as McCain launches into "Fight with Me!" That part was fairly effective, I thought, at least in the room, but the rest of the speech....pretty much yawn. John McCain, you're no Sarah Palin! :)
UPDATE #9 by Lowell: "Raising McCain?" I'm suing for plagiarism! :)
UPDATE #10 by Lowell: "Barracuda?" They can't be serious - can they?!? Ha.
UPDATE #11 by Lowell: Are we back to the 1970's? I just started having flashbacks. Noooo...not the leisure suit and really wide tie!!!!
UPDATE #12 by Lowell: OK, enough of this, it's time to get back to par-tay-ing with the NRA, National Manufacturers, Polar Bear Killers of America, and Tom DeLay! Ah, Republicans, God bless 'em! :)
And he is getting some decent enthusiasm from his crowd.
of course, when he lists all the groups he fought against, the only affirmative response was when he said he fought unions.
This "we are all Americans" message is at odds with the last two nights of hatefest.
The war in Iraq bit is nothing. President Bush thinks it was a directive from God too. The most appalling thing is the statement that a natural gas pipeline in Alaska is God's will.
...Nervous laughter...
...Looking for something to say...
Billy the K - people don't put much weight on experience, so he became the reformer ... interesting race ... unpredictable...Kristol actually said one or two perceptive things.
Juan - I can't figure out exactly what his point is...Liked what McCain said about schools being the civil rights issues of our time (perhaps we just should have issued freedom vouchers to marhers in the 60s to get conservatives on board!)
Uh-oh - Juan back in the tank for McCain. "He more real than I've ever seen him."
32 were devoted to kitchen table issues
8 devoted to Obama (2 were complmentary)
What kind of analysis is this?
Wallace is asking about efforts to separate himself from GOP brand.
Rove - we lost in 2006 because people saw us as people who had become personally corrupt and because of earmarks.
Wallace now asking about backdrop. The green was apparently the lawn of a big house. What were they thinking.
Rove says that was the best speech McCain ever gave with a teleprompter, but it still wasn't very good delivery.
Uh, Brit says the lawn was from a school in Hollywood.
They've gone to break. I need a drink.
I doubt McCain will last through one term as president. Maybe their plan is to have another empty headed Bible thumping neophyte for president.
The two party conventions showcased vastly different directions for our country. Sen. Obama and Sen. Biden offered the new ideas and positive change America needs and deserves after eight years of failed Republican leadership. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin do not.After listening to all the speeches this week, I heard nothing that suggests the Republicans are ready to fix the economy for middle-class families, provide quality affordable health care for all Americans, guarantee equal pay for equal work for women, restore our nation's leadership in a complex world or tackle the myriad of challenges our country faces. So, to slightly amend my comments from Denver: NO WAY, NO HOW, NO McCAIN-PALIN.
It was a well-structured pitch -- even if McCain's policy prescriptions were re-hashed Bush policies (e.g. on insurance and school vouchers).
I can just imagine what McCain's fix of unemployment benefits is going to be like. Worker retraining too will be useless without incentives for companies that keep jobs here in the U.S. On energy policy, McCain has no credibility.
How exactly is he going to attract teachers to the profession when he guts unions and undercuts compensation for good teachers? It's impossible to square his goals with his policy prescriptions.
There is no sense to it. It is simply a collection on non-sequitors.
Seems the delegates became "frothy" over the word DRILL. Guess its all about that petroleum addiction.
Oh and I agree on the "what were thinking" when they chose to play Heart's Barracuda! Surreal! And Earth, Wind and Fire's September?
I have now heard the McCain POW story moretime than I have seen Road House.
BillyK - GOP came out of these two weeks in good shape (he is nuts. Palin helped hersef, but not the ticket). Do they think the Palin problems -- Troopergate, lies about the bridge to nowhere, more biography -- are going to stop, they are doing drugs.
Hey, wait, could that be it....
"And when they panned out to see what the audience in the convention hall saw, it was some unidentified mansion. Like maybe a house they're putting in an offer on? Weird. No idea what that was about?"
Sarah inspried me last night to make another donation to the Obama campaisn. Tonight I doubled it.
It seems the republicans, at least in the convention, have a different definition of patriotism. Patriotism does not mean chanting slogans such as "Country first", "USA", and denouncing your fellow citizens who do not agree with the republican world view as unpatriotic and labeling them by other name. Where has civil discourse gone? I hope the party that actually advances peace, prosperity, and civility wins in this election.How astute.