What a difference a week makes. As big a deal as Barack Obama’s acceptance speech was last week, the selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as Sen. McCain’s running mate has dominated the news cycle. From the news that her 17 year old daughter is 5 months pregnant, to coverage of the ‘troopergate’ scandal, and what Gov. Palin’s role might have been in the Alaska Independence Party, the introduction of the Republican VP candidate has piqued the public’s interest. More than 37 million viewers watched Gov. Palin give her acceptance speech last night- just a million fewer than watched Obama the week before. In case you missed it, here are some highlights:
Of course, the top of the ticket, Sen. John McCain, accepted his party’s nomination tonight. Here is a video copy of the speech:
You can also find the interactive video/transcript on the New York Times page. For this blog entry, outline what you think was the most important argument laid out by Sen. McCain, why you think it is so important, how you think Sen. Obama could respond, and what audience Sen. McCain was speaking to with that argument (not just the general audience- what group of voters would he expect to find that argument appealing). Finally, how effective was the speech, and why?
on Sep 5th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
I believe that McCain did some very important things in his speech: he set up himself as the antithesis to Obama in every issue that the American people care about and are basing their vote on; and he set up the most important argument of his speech, he let the American people know his own personal story showing that his experience has made him capable, made him “battle-scarred” and ready to deal with other countries and most importantly our own, and has made him mature enough in the world’s affairs to be president. But how he did these things is through the argument that sets him up in opposition to Obama.
The framework that McCain used to set up the beliefs behind his speech and the main reason the he shows himself to be the complete opposite of Obama is through the way he views America. McCain’s stance on America is that we are competing a global economy, and right now some Americans feel “left behind in the changing economy.” Now, McCain’s stance is have Americans forget about the jobs they had and lost in this economy and to move on to new, better, and more skilled jobs that couldn’t lose in today’s economy. This sets him up in opposition to Obama because in Obama’s speech, Obama said the economy is bad, and it is the government’s job to make it right. McCain says Americans need the tools to help themselves, like better education and school choice, double the tax exemption for children to $7000, and decreases in taxes. Basically, McCain argues that Americans do need help, but the help would be to give them the tools to compete globally; while Obama was shown to be arguing for America to fix itself at home with large help from the government before thinking about continuing to compete globally. Through McCain’s speech, McCain laid out the differences between himself and his opponent clearly and directly.
McCain also shared his personal story which showed him to be the most capable for presidency, his most important argument. Before this speech, the only thing I knew about McCain was that he was a P.O.W. After his speech, I know about his family, how many children he has, his exact experience in war, his family’s history of military service, and his strong beliefs in patriotism and America coming first. This was a smart move for McCain to make himself to personable, because now every man and woman in military service sees one of their own in this presidential candidate. He also came off as gracious by congratulating Obama and showing himself to be humble near the beginning of the speech. So, to many of Americans who had no history of McCain except for the bad publicity ads he made against Obama, McCain showed himself as a humble vet, an experienced leader, a war veteran in a family of war veterans, and someone who is the most knowledgeable about today’s economy and affairs thanks to his history and patriotism. I think this argument was mostly geared to people like me who didn’t have any previous knowledge of McCain. He was trying to show those of us who are undecided that he has the military and people who are deployed at the forefront in his mind and that a man who hasn’t been in war is in no position to lead in this time of crisis. McCain argued his patriotic persona and capability well throughout the speech.
Obama could counter this argument by attacking the “Maverick” mentality of McCain to go against the grain and disregard what other people may feel is right. Obama could argue that McCain is too war-minded, so much so that he can’t see the average American’s economic woes because he wants to throw more money into a war that Obama argues many Americans no longer believe in.
Overall, I believe McCain’s speech was effective. The green background was distracting, but throughout the speech, McCain showed himself as confident and ready to lead, even when he stumbled through some sentences. He showed himself as humble and an American first and foremost, and I know that what he wanted to get across.
on Sep 6th, 2008 at 1:29 am
So little done, so much to do.CecilRhodesCecil Rhodes
on Sep 6th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
In this speech, John McCain targeted the same voter demographic that Barack Obama did last week. Similar to Obama’s strategy, McCain explicitly related to middle-class families struggling to pay mortgage, on the brink of losing their jobs, having trouble paying for college, and even parents with special-needs children.
The most important part of McCain’s speech, though, was his plans for Iraq and other issues abroad. This seems to be his biggest concern (unlike Obama), calling for more troops in order to end the war bring back our soldiers in a speedy manner. Additionally, McCain supported off-shore drilling and made that a priority over using renewable energy sources here in the country. McCain did this effectively by using his strongest selling point: his days serving in the Vietnam War. He spent the majority of his speech conveying this to his voters and how he would use his experience in the military to develop policies abroad.
McCain called out Obama on many issues as well, issues which left room for Obama to respond to. What I found interesting about this, however, was that both actually have similar plans to improve health-care, cutting taxes, and education, but the difference was McCain saying that “his” plans would be more beneficial. For example, in order for Obama’s “affordable” health-care plan to take place, McCain said that he would have to raise taxes and force businesses to cut jobs. McCain promised that his plan would allow Americans to maintain the insurance they have (which I guess he would have to explain how he would do this in the upcoming debates).
I felt that McCain’s speech was for the most part effective. He was not as charismatic and as good a mechanical speaker as Obama was, but he was just as effective in getting across his ideals to the people. I do have some criticisms about the content of his speech. For instance, although McCain was brilliant in controlling the media about who he would select as his running mate, this back-fired a little bit because he had to dedicate a significant portion of his speech trying to sell Governor Palin. This is a risk he was willing to take because not only did we need to hear who Palin was from Palin herself, but we needed to hear who she was and why we should care about her from the man who chose her. Additionally, as I mentioned before, McCain’s military experience is his most valuable characteristic, but sometimes I feel like that is the only thing we can relate him to. From his detailed video biography to him mentioning it in his speech, I feel that he has nothing else to say but that. Hopefully during the debates we can find out more about John McCain.
on Sep 6th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
For me, as a member of the education program at UMW who intends to become a high school English teacher, I guess that it is fairly obvious what I think was one of the most important arguments in McCain’s speech: education issues. I think he’s very right when he starts out by saying that “education is the civil rights issue of this century.” This became very important to our society in 1954, with the landmark case in Education of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Since then, it has only become more on the country’s radar as more progams, such as No Child Left Behind, are being introduced into our society.
Also, as a daughter of two teachers, I know the value of a good teacher, which is what I am striving to become. We do need strong, motivated teachers in our school systems to provide the best education possible, and these people should be rewarded for their efforts instead of treated as if it is expected.
This argument actually could appeal to three or four very distinct groups of voters, which is why I think the inclusion of this section truly helped his speech become more effective. It obviously appeals to educators of many varieties of subjects, promising rewards for good teaching strategies. Another group that it would appeal to strongly woud be to the parents of school age students who maybe lost faith in the educational system, with his promises of removing barriers from the communication process and allowing parents more of a voice in the education of their kids. Then there are the children of educators, who believe in the system and in what their parents do.
I think Obama needs to respond with the difficulties of letting parents and students have the run of the school system and also what benefits his plan for education will provdie. McCain literally handed him the plate of accusations. All he has to do is answer it, explain why he thinks the way he does and what the problems with McCain’s plan might be.
As a whole, McCain’s speech seemed effective to me. He was very confident, like Kelley said, and I didn’t really find the green distracting. I thought, when they put the flag up and when we could see the flag, that that was a very smart move on the campaign’s part. This helped remind the audience subliminally that he was all about “country first” and being an American. He ad libbed well when the disruption occurred in the audience and then got right back into the speech, which I thought was very collected of him.
on Sep 7th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
I thought McCain’s speech was very well put together and did touch and influence much of the audience, but he seemed very stiff and nervous while up on stage. Obama’s speech seemed much smoother, calmer, and seemed to transition better. McCain did have more distractions than Obama, having to deal with two obnoxious protesters. I personally found McCain’s arguments and his ability to rally the republican supporters great than Obama’s, yet I believe that Obama is the better public speaker of the two. Out of all the arguments made throughout McCain’s speech, I feel that him ensuring the American people that there will be change in tax cuts. When he picked out certain people and families throughout the US to elaborate on how much he cared about them. Also when he told his story about his stay in the POW camp, I feel that it rallied all Americans that watched his speech.
on Sep 7th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Through out Sen. McCain’s speech, he made many important arguments. The one that I found the most important was about education. During Obama’s acceptance speech, the topic of education was lightly touched upon, but not to the extent that Sen. McCain talked about it. Sen. McCain believes that a child’s education is an important building block to their future and that it is vital for a child to have. McCain believes that all public schools should be at passing level and should not work for the government but rather the parents and children of that school. McCain wants to evaluate all public schools to make sure that they are working efficiently and to fire all teachers that are not working up to pare. He wants to remove the bureaucracy as the middleman and finally allow the people of the school to make effective decisions.
This part of the speech is mainly for the parents of the United States. Parents truly understand how important the education of their children is and that it is the governments job to take action when the education of a child is in jeopardy.
If Sen. Obama was to argue against Sen. McCain’s proposed ideas on education he could argue that although the schools many need tweaking, they are not failing as Mc Cain has stated. He could also argue that although the education child is important, the money he would use to improve schools should be used to instead feed hungry children in the United States.
All in all I felt that McCain’s speech was effective and respectful. He was smart enough to congratulate Obama in his speech. He was able to explain all of his ideas on the most important issues in this election, as well as share personal experiences with the people about his time in the army and the treatment he received while captured. He showed how much he loved his country and how far he was willing to go to fight for her. The only thing that distracted me during his speech was the protestor. If they had not rudely started chanting while he was giving his speech, his speech would have gone smoother.
on Sep 7th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
McCain did a very good job in the delivery of his speech. It was very well put together and he seemed very comfortable and confident in his delivery of the speech. The background was a bit distracting and not well planned, but overrall I believe that McCain’s speech was effective.
I believe that the most important argument that McCain made was that he is more experienced and has seen many aspects of the government from his military service to becoming senator. McCain touched on his past work of fighting corruption, big spenders, lobbyists, tobacco companies, drug companies and a few of his other accomplishments. McCain was very deliberate in pointing out that Obama does not possess the same level of experience that he has. McCain also gave a personal recap of his time in Vietnam. I believe that it was very affective in letting the people know that he is a real person and has been through a lot. Also, by relaying his personal hardships in times of war people with family members currently at war are more apt to trust a man that knows what it’s like. McCain seemed to be addressing the upper middle class throughout his whole speech. He kept talking about small business owners and that you should use your opportunities that are given to you. This came off as if you’re born into a wealthy, good family then it’s going to be easier for you to prosper in this country then if you are born into a poor family.
Obama could respond to McCain by once again pointing out that all of McCain’s experience is with the same political party that so many Americans are unhappy with. Obama could argue that the changes McCain is saying he’d like to make are not as dissimilar as the current policies under the current republican government and that if people really want to see a change then they should vote for the Democratic candidate.
on Sep 7th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
I think the most important thing of McCain’s speech was about his experience in the war. He tried to connect that experience with politics and his capability that shows he can lead this country in the very right way based on the experience entering war. Also, he showed some pictures before his speech began and it seemed like he wanted to appeal to the people in the United States based on that. However, I don’t think that strategy worked very well because his speech seemed like he rarely touched the economy that is the most important issue in very this time of many U.S people. He kept saying that he would boost the economy if he were the president while Obama would not and could not, but I think he didn’t straighten out how he could solve the difficulties of economy. He just extremely compared him to Obama saying the typical wishes that any president candidates could say to the people in his speech.
and I also think he intended to give his speech to the people who share the similar experience with him like military and war.
so I think his speech was not much effective especially compared with Obama.
I think Obama could respond to McCain’s speech by using the problem that I mentioned like Obama could appeal to working class by telling McCain’s speech that seemed kind of ignorant of the economy with working class.
on Sep 7th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
1. what I think was the most important, and why:
Argument to change Washington: First, it allows Maccain to escape from a trap of Republican Party that some people regard as the center of ineffective policies. As a result, some voters would not expect him to repeat what last administration did wrong. Second, it responds to Obama’s speech last week. Obama says Maccain will keep spoiling America with Bush, but he vaguely denies it by mentioning change firmly. Third, because it is about promise as he becomes a president, it is most related to voter’s interests and concern.
2. How I think Obama could respond
2.1 Obama can be sarcastic Maccain’s attack to him without foundation. For example, people can notice Maccain condemns Obama only by saying “I will keep taxes low, but he will raise it.” I couldn’t find out why Obama will raise taxes. It was his first slogan that makes him differentiate from Maccain.
2.2 Obama can suggest the limitation in the Republican Party. Even though Maccain is likely to change Washington regardless of parties, because of unchanged characteristics of Republican Party, he might be able to stick with the rules of it.
2.3 Maccain states Obama’s the deficiency of experience. However, Obama can re-respond his out of dated experiences. Thing has changed. Nowadays could not be the era of real war any more.
3. What audience Maccain was speaking
3.1 Soldiers, elderly people over 70 years old: He stresses his experience in the war time and be grateful to people who sacrificed their lives for America. (People over 70 might have experienced or witnessed the Vietnam War and Korean War etc.)
3.2 People whose income is lower than middle-class or people: This is because he says that he will fight for those people who have struggled just to live.
3.3 Immigrate workers: He also mentions all the workers are same and equal to American.
3.4 Unemployed workers: He promises to renew the old policy for unemployed workers.
4. How effective was the speech, and why?
4.1 Audience can feel involved: he calls them as ‘friends’ and uses ‘we’ when he refers to them.
4.2 Audience can try to understand him: his attitude is humble.
4.3 He says his hardship: it is effective not only because audience can sympathize him but also because it stresses his experience which is likely to be required to be a great president.
4.4 His last part of speech is astonishing: going one step forward, he urges Americans to fight for their country with him not just to let him fight for them. The audience can be motivated to do something with him. It can be novel for them to present motivation instead of just promise.
on Sep 7th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Similar to what I said for Obama’s speech, I think the most important argument he made wasn’t any stance on a specific issue, but the way that he summed his stances up as a whole. Obama summed everything he said he’d do up as working toward the “promise of America.” McCain summed all his causes up as all being a part of his fight for what’s good for the “common man,” which is, of course, the demographic he was aiming the speech at. By doing this (and by citing specific hard-working ordinary Americans by name and saying he admires what they do), he conveys the idea that he really wants to win the election for *you* personally. And, therefore, if everything he’s doing is supposed to be for the good of the ordinary citizen, it stands to reason that it is the right thing to do. An additional powerful argument he made was for his stance on the Iraq war and war in general when he backed it up with the story of his and his male relatives’ negative experiences serving at war to underscore his belief that war is terrible. This therefore makes his stance on war come across as one belonging to someone who truly personally knows the horrors of war and wants to avoid visiting them on the common man he says he is fighting for.
Another good move on McCain’s part was that for many stances he took on an issue, he pointed out that Obama takes the opposite (and undesirable) position, thereby making it seem that Obama is not fighting for the common man as McCain says he is.
As a whole, I believe the speech was relatively effective. McCain is not as naturally powerful a speaker as Obama is, but he came across as very sincere, which is a very important component to an effective speech. As mentioned by another person, he was able to ad-lib some through the course of the speech, and this helped him because it made it seem that the speech was not so much a carefully rehearsed piece designed to make him sound good, but an actual talk about his ideas and beliefs, almost as if it were off-the-cuff and candid.
on Sep 7th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
I feel the best argument McCain laid out in this speech was his plan for the economy and specifically unemployment. He addressed the largest problem with the current system is it fails to train for the new economy. I feel he attacked Obama effectively on this issue by saying rather than recreating the old jobs people have already lost, he will help people find new jobs they can keep. I liked that he went into specifics about helping people finding temporary lower paying jobs while training for new ones. I feel that the emphases he places on training makes his plan not only to those unemployed but to tax payers who want to see welfare money go to help people find new jobs not just pay people who don’t have them. I don’t know how Obama could respond to this other than agreeing that training people for the new economy is important and he will work to create more which can help them in the short term.
Overall I felt, as I did with Obama, that this was an effective speech. I felt that at points McCain could have been a little more specific with how he was planing on accomplishing his goals, if elected president, however most of the time he did mange to do this. I also feel that the end of McCain speech was far more effective than Obama. Surprisingly, I felt McCain did a much better job of inspiring and rallying his supporters than Obama. The end of McCain’s speech was more heart felt and polished than Obama’s ending. I think it was interesting how much McCain separated himself from Republicans and will be fascinated to see how this plays out in the rest of the campaign.
on Sep 7th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
McCain’s strongest argument came when he spoke about education. This is a great area in which to make a strong argument because of the intense feelings most Americans have about our education system and the state in which we find it today. McCain speaks about the possibility of Americans being able to choose their children’s schools, and the necessity of having schools which are right for the needs of the students. This argument will go over well in particular with Republicans, for whom the values of the traditional family are very important. Republican parents will, I believe, support the idea of having a greater hand in choosing where their child gets his or her education, rather than relying on geographical location. This argument will also resonate with those who are childless or whose children are grown- they may support this in hopes that their grandchildren will benefit or because they realize the need for properly educating the next generation. The lovely thing about this argument is that the driving force behind it is the need to educate children and give them the best chance in life and that is something that nobody, Democrat or Republican, can be against. Obama will need to counteract this argument and one way that he could do this is by laying out his criteria for assessing the effectiveness of schools, something he did not do in his own speech. He would need to have a firm plan for holding schools accountable as well as making sure that each child has access to an approved school.
Overall, this can be counted as an effective speech. McCain, as in his campaign ad which aired prior to Obama’s acceptance speech, speaks of unity and praises his opponents for putting up a good fight, and for working hard. He speaks of their love for the country, instead of immediately attacking them, and he praises their supporters for their dedication and patriotism. Another thing McCain does is speak critically of the Bush administration, insinuating, when he urges voters to “Make this country start working for you again” that the Bush administration has not been working adequately on issues here at home. He also puts himself in a good light by telling those present that, “Americans want us to stop yelling at each other”. He handles the disruption early on very well, referring to it as “ground noise” and “static” and making a joke about it instead of pointing it out in order to make his opponent look bad.
on Sep 7th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
While his stage presence does not pack the punch of Obama’s, John McCain’s acceptance speech worked in a number of ways. Following his commercial that aired after Obama’s speech, McCain has worked to establish himself as the gracious opponent, a stand up man that the general public can relate to. He drew upon his many years of experience and involvement and previous war experience to show he is up for any challenge.
In many ways, his speech was a mirror opposite of Obama’s. Where Obama attacked the current government, McCain made a point of showing his support for George W. Bush early on. Where Obama stressed the need for new sources of energy immediately and called for an end to foreign oil, McCain’s impassioned words were: “Drill them now!”
That being said, he employed many clever tactics to evoke sympathy and support from viewers. He portrayed himself as the family man, including a special mention to his 96 year old mother. It was also a strategic move to include the names of families he addressed. By talking about their various needs and mentioning them by name, he establishes the sense that he really knows you individually and wants to fight for the things you need.
If Obama’s central theme revolved around change, McCain’s was “we are all Americans.” He was able to humanize himself while discussing his experiences as a prisoner of war, and that will gain him a lot of empathy from fellow veterans. That is why I felt one of the most effective arguments of his speech concerned the war. It’s an interesting one to play up, as Obama was so forcefully opposed to its continuation. While Obama shines in new and innovative thinking, especially regarding the economy, McCain really takes the stage when it comes to military involvement and experience. The safest bet for Obama would be to lay low and focus on the issues that really draw in his supporters.
When McCain discussed the war, it was clear he was reaching out to fellow veterans and the modern day patriots who truly believe in fighting for your country at any cost. He made several powerful statements, including “I would rather lose an election than see my country lose a war,” and his tone when he spoke of his country was always one of reverence and pride. It was clear whom he was speaking to based on the camera shots of audience members holding banners promoting “veterans for McCain!” He turned the war into an issue of pride, and uniting as Americans to defend our country. Even when addressing Obama directly, he said that their association as fellow Americans was, for him, paramount to any other.
I can see this strategy being really effective for older voters, but in order to really make an impact, in the coming weeks McCain should start addressing the issues and concerns of younger voters.
on Sep 7th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Senator McCain delivered a very effective speech on September 4. He covered a multitude of issues, ranging from his VP decision of Sarah Palin, to education. Granted he is not as talented of a public speaker as his opponent, McCain incited enthusiasm in the audience and was more personal than ever.
McCain’s most important argument regarded the economy. Not only did he lay out the stark differences between his opponent and himself, but he highlighted specific goals, such as increasing the child tax exemption. He said that he will eliminate failed programs, reduce tax burdens for both families and small businesses, and update assistance for unemployed workers.
Senator Obama’s best option for a response would be to counter all accusations that he will raise taxes and use facts to explain how he would institute new programs and nationalized health care without increasing the burden on American citizens.
McCain targeted the ‘average’ American family. Most of his dialogue was directed towards middle class Americans, as was Obama’s acceptant speech.
on Sep 7th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Last Thursday’s nomination speech by Senator McCain was an overall effective presentation of his beliefs and programs that he will fight to put into place if he is elected. He had the benefit of speaking a week after Senator Obama did, so he was able to strategically make some jabs against his opponent based on information from that previous speech, but I feel his most significant argument, and one that we all knew he was going to make, was about fiscal responsibility. The Republican party is infamous for claiming to cut taxes and government spending, and this time, McCain laid out some ways he intends to do this. He will cut taxes on small business owners and families with children, encouraging businesses and families to grow and be healthier, financially. His plan will also reduce government spending on failed programs and on energy from foreign countries who dislike us and charge us outrageous amounts for oil.
McCain’s development of his argument is a sound one, but Obama would respond with a nearly identical argument. Who would say in this race that they want to RAISE taxes? No one! Obama would disprove the criticism that he will encourage taxes on the middle class or small businesses, and he would also discuss ways of making the government be held accountable for its programs intended to help the American people.
All Republican voters were McCain’s primary audience, those who were anticipating their typical “Republicans lower taxes” argument and certainly heard what they wanted. While the tax cut argument may not be the deciding factor for undecided voters or Democrats in the audience, the patriotic actions of McCain that we’ve heard a million times were certainly effective and will certainly induce sympathy votes from many military families and a combination of other voters. In comparing McCain with Obama, Senator Obama was the more effective and engaging speaker, but only for his charisma and appeal to the American people, which some would argue McCain also had in smaller doses.
on Sep 7th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Like many people have already said, I think Sen. McCain’s most important argument was education. Beginning this topic with “education is the civil rights issue of this century”, McCain stresses the significance of choices parents should be entitled to have regarding their children’s education whether it be a public, a private, or a charter school. Although Americans do have equal access to public education, McCain stresses the importance to improve this country’s education system (a topic lightly touched upon by Sen. Obama). Teachers should have the training to be well-qualified and should be rewarded as a beneficial instructor. Sen. McCain states his expectations of schools to meet the obligations of the students and the parents. Not only did he express the importance of education for children, he also stated that improving the education system in this country gives industry workers a chance to receive better training to ensure “new emploment at a decent wage.” I think this is a very imporant argument because education is a powerful thing that can benefit the lives of every American. Many schools in this country need to improve to increase the number of students graduating and the number of high school graduates that attend college.
Just as Obama did in his speech, McCain compared his plans for presidency against the plans Obama had mentioned. Obama can respond to these accusations and once again persuade the American people why his plans will be more effective and beneficial.
Like Obama, I think McCain was generally speaking to the middle-class–families that do run into financial turmoil with jobs, mortgages, children in school, etc. McCain mentioned families that lost their real estate investments, their jobs, or families that raise childen with mental diseases or who serve our country in war. He stays personable with the American people and repeatedly states that he’s fighting and serving for us as an American people.
I think McCain’s speech was very effective. The content of his speech spoke to the American people and he definitely had something to say. He embellised on his experience in the war which was a good strategy to let Americans know that he’s seen it all and he’s been on both sides. He understands that it’s not about Republican versus Democrat versus Independents. It’s about setting aside the differences and focusing on the purpose to do what’s right and what’s needed for the American people. McCain’s deliverance was straightforward, serious, and slightly bumpy mechanically as he stumbled through some phrases. Also, it lacked a lot of the charisma and passion set forth by Obama. Overall, I thought it was an effective speech.
on Sep 8th, 2008 at 12:11 am
I feel that the most important issue Senator John McCain spoke about in his acceptance speech was the American economy. McCain acknowledged that the economy is in a rut and things need to change in order for it to pick back up. He promised to veto the first bill brought to him that would benefit “big-spenders” more than it would benefit the average American citizen.
Another important part of McCain’s speech was the part where he introduced Sarah Palin. McCain chose a running mate most of America had never even heard of before he formally announced who his vice presidential candidate would be. This part of the speech was crucial in that it would be a major part of the opinion people formed of Palin. McCain listed many fine qualities Palin has as a politician and described her as an extremely competent individual.
In one part of his speech, McCain spoke of many specific individuals who had fallen on tough times, mainly due to the poor economy, whom he had tried to aid. These stories show that he was trying to catch the attention of lower and middle class Americans. This approach was a smart one because these citizens make up a majority of the United States population.
Senator McCain openly confronted Obama’s presidential plans and argued why his own plan would be better. McCain also began by speaking about the large amount of respect he has for Senator Obama. This move was strategic because it paints a picture of McCain as a humble, friendly man. He never directly insulted Obama or Obama’s platform.
Although I did not dislike McCain’s speech, I felt it was not as engaging as Obama’s acceptance speech. McCain is not a poor public speaker he was just not able to connect to his audience in the same way that Senator Obama was able to. McCain’s speech was effective, but I feel he could have improved his delivery to make it even more effective.
on Sep 8th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Overall, I felt that McCain’s speech was an effective speech. Although it lacked the charisma and charm of Obama’s speech, and even Palin’s speech, I felt McCain did a fine job.
I found the most important argument he laid out to be about taxes and the new economy. I find this to be most important because I think the economy is the biggest concern of most Americans. He outlined what he will do about lowering taxes and cutting government spending, while contrasting himself against Obama. This was effective because it not only informed Americans of McCain’s own plans, but it showed how his plans are different from Obama’s. Then he continued to expand on his economic plan saying he will help workers find new jobs and keep them, rather than trying to get back their old jobs that no longer exist. His plan will allow the unemployed to keep a lower paid job while training to learn a new trade or skill that will help them find new employment at a decent wage. I felt that his knowledge about the economy was especially important since he has been criticized throughout his campaign and even in Obama’s speech about not “getting” the economy.
I think Obama could respond by outlining his economic plan even further by showing where he needs to raise taxes to achieve his overall goals, and where he will cut taxes to keep money in Americans’ pockets. In McCain’s speech, he simply said Obama will raise taxes and government spending, which is probably true in some cases, so I think Obama needs to respond with a better detailed economic plan so Americans can see the differences more clearly.
Just like Obama, I think that McCain was targeting the middle-class with his arguments because the middle class workers are most people losing their jobs right now. Also, he identified specific people and families, not just areas where people are struggling like Obama did, that are losing their jobs, or children to the war in Iraq. I think this was effective because it personalized McCain and helped Americans relate to him.
As I mentioned earlier, although McCain may not be as poised and naturally a speaker like Obama, I felt that his acceptance speech was effective. I thought it was important that McCain made a point to show that he stands for change as well because Obama’s camp is trying to label him as another 4 years of Bush, and I think that Americans fear there will be no change in the next 4 years should McCain be elected. I think he did a good job of distancing himself from the politics in Washington in general by saying he fights for us, not for a party or platform, and that he has the history to prove it.
on Sep 8th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Some of the most important comments of Senator McCain’s speech were on his policies against the corruption of the government. McCain reassured the voters who had heard rumors of his immoral actions but were unsure if they were true. He promised them that he would never pass a bill that was beneficial to a particular group or party. He also stated that he would investigate who was trying to manipulate the government and publicly humiliate them. The Senator continued by saying that he’s also had experience with fighting lobbyists and tobacco companies. He explained that in the time of a slowing economy, when gas prices are high and people struggle to pay their mortgage, he would not favor his beneficiaries for they help during the election. These comments are important because it separates McCain from those who manipulate the government who help pay back debts. Many candidates borrow large amounts of money from companies who in return ask for favors they can give them as president. McCain wanted everyone to know that he would not take part in this corruption and would fight to restore purity in the white house. He also recognized the high prices of gas, groceries, and mortgages and showed he was looking out of those less fortunate.
In order to respond to this, Senator Obama must take an offensive approach. He should attack McCain and point out the opinions of those who think he is a crook. Obama should show that putting McCain in office will be no different than the presidency of the past two terms. He should then share his plans to get rid of the corruption and support it with examples of how he has already started to do so.
This speech was far less effective than that of Senator Obama’s. America knew before the event that McCain was not a good formal speaker to a large audience. While he may have presented himself professionally and kept his composure during the distractions of some of the audience members, he still did not impress me. I believe what really hurt Senator McCain were all the clichés and all the comments that sounded like they originated from Hallmark cards. Senator McCain will have to show his strength during the debates because his speech the other night was far from impressive.
on Sep 8th, 2008 at 9:39 am
In his acceptance speech, Senator McCain used one word over and over again: fight. He emphasized his long record of service to the United States by referencing the many fights he has fought in his career. McCain is fond of his “maverick” image. He made sure that his audience knew that his level of experience is considerably higher than Senator Obama’s.
McCain’s most important argument was the same as his opponent’s: the economy. He was able to respond to and criticize some of Obama’s economic reforms, claiming that they will do more damage than good to the average American. McCain’s plan emphasizes fiscal responsibility: lowering taxes, cutting “failed” programs, keeping health care privatized.
Senator Obama could respond that some of McCain’s economic proposals sound like President Bush’s. He could also criticize McCain’s energy plans, which involve offshore drilling and increased nuclear power.
Sen. McCain’s speech was far less effective than Sen. Obama’s. Although he reached out to middle class Americans, McCain’s previous gaffes (how many houses does he own?) continue to plague him. After all, his running mate ACTUALLY knows what it’s like to struggle to make mortgage payments; does Sen. McCain? On a more positive note, McCain’s emphasis of his battle on corruption in Washington and campaign finance reform give credence to his claims of bipartisan work. This could sway some independents watching his speech.
on Sep 8th, 2008 at 9:51 am
I was surprised when I listened to Sen. McCain speak, I had never listened to him previously but I was expecting a very boaring speach. When in fact he acctually grabed my attention and kept it the whole time, similar to Sen. Obama. I liked the way he gave examples to the ways he was helping individual families. It has been a big question for me weather he will help out the middle class families in this country and this speach some what eased this concern. He also did a fine job of adreesing the fact that e will lower taxes and while Sen. Obama says he will, it will not help out most people in America.
Now he speach also had some question marks for me, the main oe was that he did not seperate himself fro President Bush. The main point the Obama party has made is that Sen. McCain has stood by bush and his decisions. He did not address this well in my oppion, he should have didtanced himslef from Bush. He aslo sated that he voted to send more troops into the Middle East which was also a bad move seeing as how most of the country that is undecided right now does not want to hear that he played a key role in sending troops over seas. Obama has and will continue to attack these two points.