"Put McCain's speech against Obama's - and this was a wipe-out."
by DemFromCT
Wed Jun 04, 2008
McCain's speech was slammed Left and Right (except by Harold Ford).
Obama's
was given his due, even by those who don't like him.
Andrew Sullivan:
Put McCain's speech against Obama's - and this was a wipe-out. Not a
victory. A wipe-out. Rhetorically, they are simply not in the same league.
And if the contrast tonight between McCain and Obama holds for the rest of
the campaign, McCain is facing a defeat of historic pro****tions.
One more thing: with McCain's and Clinton's speeches, you could not
forget
the politics of it. With Obama, you forgot about that at times. You
actually
lifted your eyes a little and believed a little and hoped a little.
Yes, he can. And anyone who under-estimates that will regret it.
Rolling Stone
Worst. Speech. Ever.
6/3/08, 9:25 pm EST
Good God, John McCain gives bad podium.
It's like watching the out-takes from an Andy Rooney kvetch.
UPDATE:
The cruel reviews are coming in even from Fox:
MORT KONDRACKE: Well, John McCain had better start working on his
speechmaking and learn how to use a teleprompter. I mean, the gap, the
rhetorical gap between this speech and...Oratorical gap between this
speech
and John McCain's was vast. John McCain sounded old. This sounded fresh
and
new and exciting and visionary. And he was enlisting the country to join
him
in a great cause. This is our moment, all of that.
National Review Online
McCain's Speech [Amy Holmes]
McCain's speech was creaky, ungracious, and unnecessary. I never
understand why politicians don't take the op****tunity, when so easily
presented, to simply be gracious and hold their fire. Watching McCain, I
couldn't help but think of the astoni****ng contrast Barack's triumphant
speech to a massive and adoring crowd will be. It was not a comparison
McCain should have invited.
It would have been more statesmanlike < precisely the profile McCain is
attempting to craft < to acknowledge this historic moment in American
politics. A major party is on the cusp of selecting an African American to
be their nominee for President of the United States. It's a tribute to
America that we've come this far. It would have been magnanimous to leave
it
at that, and wait until tomorrow to declare with enthusiasm and relish,
"It's on!"
NRO [Lisa Schiffren]
Bill Kristol was totally explicit about it: "If the election is about
speeches, Obama wins. If it's about a record of service, McCain wins."
(paraphrase) It will be interesting, and painful to watch voters pick
their
way through that - assuming that McCain doesn't become a more compelling
speaker before the next round.
Marc Ambinder
Thoughts About Obama's Speech
03 Jun 2008 10:20 pm
What a different emotional register from John McCain's; Obama seems on
the
verge of tears; the enormous crowd in the Xcel center seems ready to lift
Obama on its shoulders; the much smaller audience for McCain's speech
interrupted his remarks with stilted cheers. (Note: there was a large
overflow crowd for McCain's speech, and he repeated his remarks for them
later in the evening.)
McCain appealed to Clinton sup****ters based on their resentments,
pointing
out that the pundits and party elders seemingly anointed Clinton; Obama
appeals to them based on their hopes, promising that Clinton would play a
major role in securing universal health care.
Obama thanked his grandmother above all else; without her, he said, none
of this would have been possible. She is white, of course. The explicit
message is obvious. The implicit message: this thing, this event, is much
more than just a step for racial equality.
National Post (CA)
McCain's description of Obama an foolishly naive on foreign policy will
be
a theme repeated over and over in the upcoming weeks, as will his
****trayal
of the Illinois senator as a big government liberal who thinks he knows
more
than ordinary Americans.
But some advice for McCain. Find a new image consultant. The Arizona
senator kicked off the general election campaign standing alone in front
of
a green backdrop, barely drawing applause from a crowd that one can only
presume was very small and half asleep.
Obama, by contrast, did what Obama does best. There were 20,000 people
out
to hear him speak, at the same St. Paul, Minn. convention center where
Republicans will hold the national convention this September.
He broke new ground and offered no new promises. But the place had
energy.
For all his problems - and heaven knows, Obama's got plenty - his campaign
on this night seemed like the only one with the heartbeat.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/6/4/0037/43403/935/528924
Reading it won't be the same...
You have to watch McCain smile uncomfortably at odd times and sneer
sadistically at other times to get the real sense of how bad the speech
was.
It lacked grace and seemed pointless considering the moment that was
approaching.
On a technical note, was his campaign really thinking that running a
speech that was assured of being interrupted at the top of the hour when
the
polls closed would be a good idea? Did they think that the speech
wouldn't
be interrupted and that McCain would steal Obama's thunder?
John McCain needs to learn how to read a teleprompter and give a speech.
He fumbled through it and its tone was mean instead of feisty (don't know
which he was going for).
The visual contrast of McCain's speech in what looked like a senior
citizen's home rec room versus Obama's rousing stadium full of
enthusiastic
sup****ters was stunning.
If it's going to be like this, I am very hopeful that our next president
is not going to be the guy who graduated fifth from the bottom of his
class.
Look at the difference between Obama and McCain.
Just watching these two speeches given on the same night tells
volumes...
Obama is calm and collected and thoughtful...
McCain appears to be battling internal demons the whole time...the words
he says seems to surprise him...his body seems barely under is own control
When Obama smiles it jumps out as almost joyous, effortless...it almost
seems to catch him by surprise...it is an almost childlike moment for
him...and it is endearing
When McCain smiles I hide my children...it is possibly the worst smile
ever...so insecure, so forced. it is like watching an alien who knows
nothing of joy trying to force a smile as they think it will make them fit
in with the humans...It makes him look insane
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