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McCain’s First General Election Speech Falls Flat |
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Even John McCain would have to acknowledge the symbolism when television coverage of his tired, cliche-laden speech tonight was abruptly cut off by the announcement that Barack Obama is the presumptive Democratic nominee: move over McCain, you are yesterday’s news. McCain clumsily, and bizarrely, tried to cast Obama as stuck in the past, clinging to old ideas, even as McCain repeated one worn-out chestnut after another: watch out, Democrats are trying to nationalize health care (not true), Obama is for “big government” (I’ve been hearing that one since 1980 personally and can’t think of many cliches more tired and stuck in the past than that one). McCain conceded Obama’s point that this is a “change” election, but argued that he, Senator 95% voting with Bush, is the one to bring change. This is the ground Obama wants to fight on. McCain will be hard pressed to present himself, a member of President Bush’s party, a man who worked to re-elect Bush, who accepted Bush’s endorsement and appears at fundraisers with Bush, as the one to change the failed course set in the last eight years.
McCain’s argument tonight, delivered in an uninspiring, subdued tone, boiled down to is (a) he’s not Bush and (b) he, McCain, is best positioned to bring change. If this campaign is about electing someone who’s not Bush and will bring change, Obama will win going away. McCain’s argument that he represents the future while Obama is the past is simply laughable.
But, but, but. . . he had a new, green background!
I loved when Harold Ford said that–hilariously idiotic