John McCain's speech at the GOP convention was a classically structured address that was more like a State of the Union speech than a campaign speech.
And we have to agree with Adam Cirucci who observed that McCain was "Patton-esque" as he strode out onto that long runway and addressed the crowd from the center of the arena. It reminded us of the quote from Teddy Roosevelt (McCain's hero) who talked about "the man in the arena." McCain is not a tall man - not a big man - but the setting and the man last night managed to convey someone who is big in spirit, big in character and full of insight, resolve and determination.
The bulk of the speech actually focused on everyday bread-and-butter issues: kitchen table issues that every American can understand. And one of the high points came with McCain's rousing call for energy independence (drill, drill, drill!).
McCain didn't really have to dice and chop his opponent too much last night because much of that work had already been done by others in the nights leading up to McCain's acceptance. And the candidate didn't have to energize the party base and the party faithful very much because he already achieved that in part through the selection of his running mate.
So, McCain wisely moved toward the center, chastising his own party (along with the Democrats) for losing its way on government spending and corruption. At the same time McCain once again reached out to Democrats and vowed to work with them.
In such a partisan environment this was classic John McCain; truly audacious.
This was a thoughtful and well-structured speech with strong, clear policy statements, vivid, mature observations and compelling life lessons -- inspiring in many ways.
The end of a speech is always the toughest part to write and the hardest part to pull off.
McCain gave us an absolutely rousing ending last night. And the ending rightly triggered a crescendo.
A Big Night for McCain and the GOP.
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