Thursday, September 04, 2008

Failure

John McCain gave a disappointing speech tonight. He seemed to lack energy, vitality, and even a commitment to the words slipping from his lips. A very wise, observant (if young) witness to his speech reviewed it for me before I actually saw it, because I was at a launch party for my company in Redwood City.

Once I saw a rerun, on CNN, I realized my advisor had nailed it -- John McCain blew his big chance to convince the American people he has anything to offer beyond the corrupt Bush program that has bankrupted this nation, destroyed our reputation worldwide, and left the least among us standing on their roofs in a flooded city, abandoned, ignored, even despised by the likes of Sarah Palin and the other evangelical Christian rightists who once again have hijacked the Republican Party.

What a shameful performance!

Assuming the common people of this nation still possess any sense of decency and a commitment to democracy, Barack Obama has a lock on the Presidency. If not, I shudder to think what our nation would be like should President McCain die, leaving a small-town attack dog as President.

Her hand on the nuclear button? That is the most frightening prospect in my lifetime. Honestly, if Palin becomes President, I will have to leave my country, as much as I love it. She is the scariest political figure in modern American history. A monster hiding in a mother's uniform.

Luckily, according to all the initial polls, most Americans have already recognized what a terrible leader she would make. All the polls are moving to Obama, and given McCain's awful performance tonight, within a week or so, both the projected electoral and popular votes will indicate a massive Democratic victory in November.

-30-

1 comment:

DanogramUSA said...

For shear excitement, Sarah's speech from the night before was almost impossible to out do, even for our most gifted orators. I think it would have been unseemly to try.

The most stirring part of McCain's speech to me was his reference to the “blessing” that his indescribable hell of 5-1/2 years as a POW was for him. He has not talked of this often in public (though, of course, it is published in his book). As we all know, he led the effort to normalize relations with Vietnam and has repeatedly demonstrated no malice toward the Vietnamese people for what he was made to endure. He did not talk of his “courage”, nor his “magnanimous” character, nor did he dwell on the horrors of the experience. These were not his objective.

He simply explained why he has been called a “maverick” for so many years, a euphemism for the bitter names he has often evoked, particularly from his own party. That explanation rang true to me, as it had never before. The experience, for him, was the basis for his growth as an individual to become a servant to his country. His refusal to put party before country has long been a thorn in the side of the many politicians who came to accept the comfort of towing the line to promote their own interests.

The “small town attack dog” has a compelling life story to offer, complete with testimonials from many who have known her all her life. Reflect for just a moment that Obama does not offer such openness – he doesn't have anyone of a life long friendship he can afford to be associated with now. A huge red flag to me.