The Blog @ Spolitics

McCain Takes His Message to Independents

It wasn’t the best delivered speech, between McCain’s own limitations as a speaker, the interruptions and a few stumbles, but about halfway through he hit his stride. It also wasn’t the best received speech. But the delegates were not his real audience. McCain’s nomination acceptance speech, both in tone, content, and delivery was an appeal to the independents watching at home. Rather than shout to the crowd, he spoke quietly into their living rooms (at least until the end). This is the closest those independents came to their own convention.

It was a sincere promise to America that he will bring reform to Washington, that he will end the partisan gridlock in Congress, and that he will get the things done that this country needs.

McCain’s most effective moment was in telling his story about Vietnam. As he began, I have to admit, my first thought was “not this again.” We had heard about it from the other speakers, perhaps most emotionally from Fred Thompson. But McCain wasn’t telling the story to brag or to suggest — as some on the left have claimed — that we owed him the Presidency because of his sacrifice. He was simply telling us about a defining moment for him, the lesson he learned, and how that lesson informs who he is today. It was moving, it was powerful, and it said that he has already learned, in the most trying of circumstances, that we need to rally together and never give up our cause. The point wasn’t to tell us it’s why we should vote for him; but that it’s why we can trust him.

Some have criticized him for not being specific enough, for not offering bold new initiatives. But limited-government conservatism isn’t supposed to be about more programs. McCain wasn’t telling people that he has a program to solve their problems. He was calling on America to join him, out of love of country, to fight for a cause greater than themselves — their country; to storm Washington, their statehouses and city councils, their churches and shelters, to help build the nation they want with their own hands.

By the time he was done he had delivered a message that, if you were open to it, was moving. We’ll see soon enough how many people he moved to vote for him.