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John McCain Speaks

A condensed version of John McCain's convention speech:

I want to thank the president for keeping us safe from more attacks like the one that he failed to prevent during his first term.

As a first lady, Cindy will rock.

I respect Sen. Obama. We're both Americans. But only one of us was a POW.

After I win, I'll work closely with any other patriot who was a POW.

My friends, please shut up with the "USA" chants. I have to finish this in prime time, before I get cut off for the local news.

I know it's tough to be unemployed. If we didn't have a government, you'd all still have jobs. Sarah Palin will help me do away with government.

Sarah Palin has a lot of kids, just like me. We could start our own little town in Alaska.

Change is coming. We'll fix stuff. We're maverick repairmen.

I fought corruption. You don't remember that Keating thing, do you? I'm the only Republican who didn't take money from Jack Abramoff.

Everything the crazy Democrats in Congress want to spend money on, I'll veto. Everything. I swear I will.

I won the war in Iraq. The surge was all mine. I'd rather lose an election than see my country lose a war. Have you ever heard that before?

Let me give you the names of some people I'm fighting for. I can't tell you exactly what I'll do for them if I'm elected, but I'm fighting for them anyway. Mostly I'm fighting to get elected.

Republicans lost your trust by being corrupt. I want nothing to do with Republicans. I'm all about change. And Lincoln. And Roosevelt (not saying which Roosevelt).

Republicans believe in stuff. We believe in letting rich people keep their money. We believe in judges who don't legislate from the bench unless they're overturning laws that regulate businesses.

My opponent will raise taxes. (Boo.) He'll increase spending. (Boo.) He'll eliminate all your jobs. (Boo.) He won't let you visit your doctor. (Boo.)

Unemployment compensation is outdated. We're going to eliminate it. That will help the economy by forcing you to find a job, even if it's at McDonald's. In the meantime you can go to a community college to study fast food restaurant management.

We need to give parents a choice about which underfunded school their kids should attend. Rich parents will be able to send their kids to private schools, just like always. That's change.

We're going to cut the rest of the world off from foreign aid. That'll make other countries stop hating us.

We're going to drill, drill, drill. We'll even drill in the back yards of all the nuclear power plants we'll build. This will make our planet healthy.

It's time to start new wars. Iran and Russia come to mind. That's change. I hate wars, but I love to start them. We can only achieve peace by starting new wars.

I will reach out my hand to anyone who doesn't bite it. I have scars. Call me Scarface. Obama is scarless. Can you trust a man who isn't scarred?

Did you know I was a POW? No really, I was. I never loved my country until I became a POW. Wait, didn't Michelle Obama get in trouble for saying something like that?

I don't think I'm all that and a bag of chips like Obama does.

You should join the military or become a teacher or whatever so you can serve a cause greater than yourself. My cause is becoming president of the greatest country on Earth.

I'm going to keep talking through the applause in the hope that the broadcast network stations haven't switched to local news.

< John McCain's Acceptance Speech: Live Thread | Reactions to John McCain's Speech >
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  • Display: Sort:
    LOL. I'm printing this one TChris. (5.00 / 3) (#1)
    by Teresa on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:17:48 PM EST


    "We can only achieve peace (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by byteb on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:18:33 PM EST
    by starting new wars."  :)

    Great job.

    I hope you know (5.00 / 3) (#12)
    by Lil on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:27:22 PM EST
    what a service you have provided. Keeping countless people like me from self inflicted wounds. Funny and salient at the same time.

    I'll second that (5.00 / 1) (#82)
    by Claw on Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 08:01:30 AM EST
    I think I'm losing my sense of humor but "maverick repair men" was too much.  Best laugh I've had in a while and a great line.  I can hear McCain saying it.  Thanks TChris.  

    Parent
    Tom Ridge on MSNBC (5.00 / 0) (#13)
    by litigatormom on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:27:26 PM EST
    is saying that McCain said a lot about the economy.  Also, Governor Hockey Mom is going to play really well in PA.

    Olbermann worried about Andrea Mitchell. Brokaw calls her Boom Boom Mitchell.

    Sigh.  Is there no watchable news network anymore?
     

    Boom Boom Mitchell was in a bit (none / 0) (#16)
    by nycstray on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:29:05 PM EST
    of a pickle, lol!~

    Parent
    Ridge has a mental map of PA that's about (none / 0) (#18)
    by andgarden on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:30:02 PM EST
    10 years out of date.

    Palin won't play well enough there.

    Parent

    The reality is... (none / 0) (#25)
    by DudeE on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:32:00 PM EST
    ...a week after their selection, veep nominees cease to matter.

    Parent
    not sure about this one. (5.00 / 0) (#27)
    by Lil on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:32:55 PM EST
    More or less (none / 0) (#28)
    by andgarden on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:33:34 PM EST
    Then the question becomes: how are the as surrogates? Both could have picked better, but there was only one better choice for Obama. . .

    Parent
    I don't think so this time. I listened to a local (none / 0) (#32)
    by Teresa on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:35:22 PM EST
    radio show while I was getting ready for work today. It is sometimes political...they are coming out of the woodwork for her. They're so excited they can't stand it. I think she will be a huge focus in this election, for good or bad.

    Parent
    Time will tell I guess... (none / 0) (#44)
    by DudeE on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:40:16 PM EST
    ...but it's hard to explain why a ticket featuring Dan Quayle beat a ticket with Lloyd Bentsen and why the Reagan/Bush ticket won 55% of women over the Mondale/Ferraro ticket.

    Parent
    No. (none / 0) (#23)
    by Dadler on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:30:45 PM EST
    Great recap! (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by Grace on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:28:27 PM EST
    One line of McCain's I thought was funny:  "We're going to help bad teachers find new jobs."  I wish he would have said that about government employees too!  

    McCain will retrain (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by litigatormom on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:30:04 PM EST
    the bad teachers to become unemployed auto workers.

    Parent
    Or bad teachers can become (5.00 / 0) (#49)
    by Grace on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:41:26 PM EST
    unemployed textile workers.  

    I didn't hear a lot of his proposals because of "outside interference" so I'm going to have to read his speech.  

    I missed Cindy completely.  

    Parent

    He's also not going to interfere (5.00 / 0) (#52)
    by litigatormom on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:43:28 PM EST
    with the relationship between patients or their doctors. Because giving people a way to pay them would be interference.

    Parent
    Yeah, but who does he think are (none / 0) (#71)
    by gentlyweepingguitar on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 11:29:56 PM EST
    good teachers? I guess the ones who teach creationism, or maybe the ones who teach only for high standardized test score results, or maybe he's talking about the ones who teach at private schools where all the rich kids go, and where he wants our tax dollars to go, too.

    Parent
    the obsession with test scores is a fad (none / 0) (#79)
    by bigbay on Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 03:24:48 AM EST
    Like everything in education, starting with the esteem movement of the 80's.

    Yes, everyone needs to be literate , as well as functional in math. Testing can measure that. It has little to say about curiosity, risk-taking or innovation, which are important characteristics in life success.

    Parent

    He forgot Poland! (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by desmoinesdem on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:30:15 PM EST
    Great Cliff's Notes version of the speech.

    Whoa, Toobin just trashed the speech (5.00 / 1) (#40)
    by Lil on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:38:18 PM EST


    Good (none / 0) (#50)
    by litigatormom on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:42:01 PM EST
    Hillary Clinton just released a statement saying she didn't hear anything about how McCain proposes to deal with the economy, and "amend my remarks in Denver, 'no way, no how, no McCain/Palin.'"

    Chuck Todd says he was surprised by the harshness of Gerson's critique, but then he says, "Well, this convention will not be remembered for McCain's speech, but for Sarah Palin.  McCain was cheered for picking having the foresight to pick Sarah Palin."

    WTF?  What happened to the semi-rational Todd?  

    Parent

    It's make up for open mic time. (5.00 / 1) (#54)
    by Teresa on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:44:02 PM EST
    It's the new media meme... (none / 0) (#55)
    by DudeE on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:44:31 PM EST
    ...that Palin has 'proved' herself by being capable of reading from a teleprompter on national television.  Perhaps we misunderestimated her.

    Parent
    Toobin said it was the worst acceptance (none / 0) (#51)
    by byteb on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:43:00 PM EST
    speech he ever heard.

    Parent
    Finally, Toobin Said Something (none / 0) (#56)
    by JimWash08 on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:45:25 PM EST
    that I can totally agree with.

    Parent
    Where's this Toobin article? (none / 0) (#63)
    by NealB on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:51:04 PM EST
    (not on Toobin's home page)

    Parent
    Toobin was interviewed on CNN (none / 0) (#64)
    by byteb on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:54:01 PM EST
    I have a feeling (5.00 / 1) (#66)
    by litigatormom on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 11:07:02 PM EST
    that we could be surprised too - but not in a good way. McCain's abandoned many of his "principles" over the last eight years, and I think we'd see a few more desertions.

    Tweety and others are saying that McCain is "divorcing" Bush and the Republican Party.  Just because he is acknowledging that some Republicans are corrupt.  "It's a statement of confession, but he's confessing George Bush's sins!"  Uh, no Tweety.  Because McCain is complicit in all those sins.

    Now Tweety is saying that McCain is confessing to betrayal by the Republican Party by approving a tax cuts for oil companies -- a line that the crowd did not applaud.

    Tweety is now salivating over the prospect that McCain has found a successful way of getting out from under the toxic legacy of Bush.  Tweety and Buchanan say "the bad guy is George Bush."

    But McCain was for Bush before he was against him.

    I think a guy (none / 0) (#68)
    by Grace on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 11:17:34 PM EST
    who figured out how to survive for 5 1/2 years as a POW, just figured out how to survive for 8 years under Bush/Cheney.  Bush/Cheney were all about "being a good soldier" and a lot of people, including Colin Powell, just fell in line rather than buck them.  

    We'll probably never know (because polls say he won't win), but I think McCain in charge could have been a totally revealing experience.  

    Parent

    Anything McCain would reveal to me ... (5.00 / 1) (#69)
    by TChris on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 11:20:09 PM EST
    I don't want to see.

    Parent
    Ooooh, I'd like to see (none / 0) (#72)
    by gentlyweepingguitar on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 11:34:52 PM EST
    his notes, e-mails, Blackberry and desk calendars during the period of time right after we lightened up on our hunt for Bin Laden in Afghanistan and right before we entered this war with Iraq, and shortly thereafter.

    I'd also like to see all the communications between him and Joe Lieberman.

    I'd like to see that.

    Parent

    I'd like to see all of (none / 0) (#74)
    by Grace on Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 12:18:03 AM EST
    Cheney's papers.  Every last one of them.  I still want to know about those secret energy meetings.  McCain voted against that plan but Obama voted for it so I don't know if Obama would ever open that stuff up.  

    Parent
    If Obama wins? (none / 0) (#76)
    by gentlyweepingguitar on Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 01:28:38 AM EST
    Let's write him and ask him to open them up! I want to know, too.

    Parent
    Grace is limited to four comments a day (none / 0) (#77)
    by Jeralyn on Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 02:29:37 AM EST
    Stop chattering your support for McCain here please. Four comments in 24 hours.

    Parent
    I posted this (none / 0) (#80)
    by Grace on Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 03:36:06 AM EST
    We'll probably never know (because polls say he won't win), but I think McCain in charge could have been a totally revealing experience.  

    And I'd like to know how you think this constitutes support for McCain?  

    I don't think he'll win.  Neither do the polls.  Does this constitute support in your brain?  

    Just because I think we might have seen a different side of him IF he could've won, doesn't mean I am supporting him.  

    You need to figure out what is actually support of a candidate and what constitutes impartial discussion.  

    Just like Obama said:  Words mean something.    

    Parent

    Wow! (5.00 / 1) (#70)
    by Bluesage on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 11:28:25 PM EST
    I'm certainly no McCain supporter but I feel like I've stumbled into Kos or Huff Post.  Geez people!
    Why is anyone giving credence to the opinions of the talking morons on tv.  Can we not be even a little bit gracious?  

    gracious about what? (none / 0) (#78)
    by Jeralyn on Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 02:30:13 AM EST
    throwing our country down the drain?

    Parent
    pretty much (5.00 / 1) (#75)
    by cpinva on Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 12:19:02 AM EST
    sums it up in a nutshell. you do that real good TChris, ever thought of becoming a tv script writer, it's about on the same level. lol

    what was really weird is that the redskins-giants game ended at exactly 10pm, just right on time for sen. mccain's speech.

    by the way, did you know that sen. mccain was a POW?

    So McCain rained... (none / 0) (#3)
    by JimWash08 on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:18:33 PM EST
    ... on Obama's post-convention parade with Palin last Friday.

    Any predictions what'll happen tomorrow?

    Obama must have a big endorsement still in the bag (none / 0) (#6)
    by ruffian on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:20:37 PM EST
    Colin Powell?

    Parent
    He Ditches (5.00 / 0) (#8)
    by JimWash08 on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:23:20 PM EST
    Biden and puts Hillary on the ticket.

    John, Cindy, Sarah and Todd can pack it up and head home.

    Parent

    Yeah (none / 0) (#7)
    by gentlyweepingguitar on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:21:13 PM EST
    I'm going to have to hire a cleaning service to mop up the puke off my floor.

    Parent
    August $$$$ (none / 0) (#9)
    by andgarden on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:24:28 PM EST
    I could almost imagine an endorsement by Chuck Hagel.

    Parent
    that could actually happen (5.00 / 1) (#17)
    by litigatormom on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:29:18 PM EST
    and then Hagel could debate Lieberman in the Traitor to Their Parties Debate.

    Hagel would wipe the floor with Lieberman on the war, but then he and Joe would agree that rape victims can be denied access to the morning after pill by hospitals.

    Parent

    I want you & TChris in a snark off. (none / 0) (#21)
    by Teresa on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:30:25 PM EST
    I'm game (5.00 / 1) (#39)
    by litigatormom on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:38:11 PM EST
    if only because I could learn a lot about snark from him!

    Parent
    heh (none / 0) (#22)
    by andgarden on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:30:40 PM EST
    There's a reason it would a bombshell endorsement.


    Parent
    Didn't they just release McCain (none / 0) (#24)
    by nycstray on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:31:44 PM EST
    August $$$ @ 47 million?

    I'm sure Obama did better, but still, if my brain isn't messin' with my head, that's not a bad number for McCain/RNC

    Parent

    If Obama had a $100M month, that'll be news. (none / 0) (#30)
    by andgarden on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:34:10 PM EST
    when is that expected to be announced? (none / 0) (#33)
    by Lil on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:35:34 PM EST
    no idea (none / 0) (#36)
    by andgarden on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:36:26 PM EST
    The Wall Street Journal (none / 0) (#47)
    by JimWash08 on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:40:36 PM EST
    has a comprehensive report on the finances of both campaigns.

    Fund-raising reports through July show that the DNC and Sen. Obama have raised about $150 million but spent much of it already; going into August, the campaign reported having $68.5 million on hand. The reports also showed that in July, the campaign was spending at a rate that was faster than donations were coming in.


    Parent
    I believe the Obama Campaign + DNC (none / 0) (#81)
    by JoeA on Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 05:06:47 AM EST
    combined had about $96 million on hand,  which was virtually identical to McCain+RNC.

    Parent
    Yes. That would be. (none / 0) (#41)
    by nycstray on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:38:36 PM EST
    Do you think it happened? I could see it happening in Sept now that the stakes are totally layed out.

    Parent
    LOL. You should get a job on TeeVee! (none / 0) (#4)
    by robrecht on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:18:53 PM EST


    I wasn't sure I completely understood (none / 0) (#5)
    by gentlyweepingguitar on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:20:12 PM EST
    what he was saying, but now I get it. Thanks, TChris.

    Oy (none / 0) (#10)
    by limama1956 on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:26:20 PM EST
    McCain looked old and exhausted. He was the walking Grim Reaper.

    Love the Analysis (none / 0) (#11)
    by CoralGables on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:26:27 PM EST
    One of the great things about a TChris analysis is I could watch South Carolina and Vandy and still sneak in the speech in cliff note form during a sixty second commercial.

    The best part was the end. I saw the youngest (none / 0) (#15)
    by Teresa on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:28:31 PM EST
    Palin daughter headed down the walkway waving. Her mom pulled her back. I do like that little girl.

    She is a cutie (5.00 / 0) (#34)
    by robrecht on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:36:02 PM EST
    Eh (none / 0) (#37)
    by litigatormom on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:36:43 PM EST
    Sasha Obama is much cuter!

    Parent
    They are both cute (5.00 / 1) (#53)
    by Grace on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:43:47 PM EST
    but the "spit in the hand/slick down hair" really made us laugh yesterday.  That's something only a child can get away with!  

    Parent
    This one has a special kinda spunk though (5.00 / 0) (#58)
    by nycstray on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:46:33 PM EST
    not saying Sasha doesn't, they're just a bit different.

    I'm actually glad to see some young girls on both sides participating. And being themselves. You can see the reflection of their parents, but this adds a whole new chapter to their lives.  

    Aren't Sasha and Piper about the same age? They should have a BBQ and let the youngsters go wild :)

    Parent

    Well, mly two buddyboys are the cutest actually (none / 0) (#42)
    by robrecht on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:38:42 PM EST
    Sorry I missed that. (none / 0) (#29)
    by oculus on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:34:01 PM EST
    I was waiting for your comment! She needs to (none / 0) (#38)
    by Teresa on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:38:10 PM EST
    get together with the youngest Obama daughter. She was waving like she was just crowned Miss America. It was when the McCain's walked down the aisle alone. She made it a few feet before her mom gently grabbed her. I wish she had made it to the end!

    Parent
    She is so cute and so much (5.00 / 1) (#45)
    by oculus on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:40:20 PM EST
    in awe of her Mom.  I see a future Miss Congeniality, if beauty contests are still around when she reaches 18.  

    Parent
    Here's the deal. I have googled but (none / 0) (#67)
    by oculus on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 11:15:26 PM EST
    haven't retrieved that photo/video.  I'll offer a TalkLeft tote back to the first person to provide the link!!!!!! <snark>

    Parent
    Michael Gerson (none / 0) (#26)
    by litigatormom on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:32:39 PM EST
    Dubya's former speechwriter, is struggling to find good things to say about McCain's speech.  Policies were the same old same old.  He was preaching to the converted.

    But he did a nice job of talking about his POW experience.  Because no one knew about it before.

    Ann Curry notes that the crowd was more excited by Palin.  Gerson is talking about how McCain's discussion of his brokenness was good.  Curry asks if it was the speech of a maverick.  Gerson says it was the speech of a past maverick.  

    Gee, I am surprised by that candor.

    A maverick who... (none / 0) (#31)
    by Dadler on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:35:06 PM EST
    ...leads the effort to normalize relations with Vietnam, but still clings to the right wing's nonsense about Cuba.  If just one reporter woulda actually point out the illogic in most of his positions I'd be happy.  But they are afraid if they go too hard on him that the next time they meet he'll punch them.

    Parent
    No (none / 0) (#35)
    by litigatormom on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:36:08 PM EST
    what they are really afraid of is that they won't be invited to the barbeque at the ranch in Sedona next year.

    Parent
    perhaps, but i still think... (none / 0) (#43)
    by Dadler on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:40:00 PM EST
    ...they worry he'll snap and kill them.  there is a palpable physical fear the press has of him, it's just weird (considering his age, tho not his thug rep) and very evident.  imo, of course.  

    Parent
    Thug rep? (none / 0) (#62)
    by Grace on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:50:47 PM EST
    I hear he has a grill but it's got the teeth attached...  He's also got a baggy tracksuit.  

    ;-)

    Parent

    I'm not sure they will allow Jeffrey Toobin to (none / 0) (#46)
    by Teresa on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:40:29 PM EST
    even enter the state. He just totally ripped the speech as the worst one ever...worse than Jimmy Carter, he said.

    Parent
    What network is Toobin on? (none / 0) (#60)
    by litigatormom on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:48:15 PM EST
    I hope it shows up on YouTube.

    Replay of McCain saying he can't wait to introduce Palin to Washington. She can teach the Democrats how to dress a moose.

    Parent

    CNN (none / 0) (#61)
    by Teresa on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:50:27 PM EST
    some republicans suck songs for the night (none / 0) (#48)
    by Edgar08 on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:41:09 PM EST
    link

    It was written for Ronald Reagan, of course.

    I don't want to offend any of the Obama supporters out there who like Ronald Reagan so I found a version where he says "of the president" instead of "ronald reagan."

    it's off of "key lime pie" Camper Van Beethoven's last album before they broke up and david lowery's songwriting skills were really coming into their own.

    here is the songwriter shaking the hands of a president who didn't suck.

    link

    here's another rupublicans suck song from my generation.

    link

    Go team!

    David Gregory (none / 0) (#59)
    by litigatormom on Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 10:46:59 PM EST
    says that it is not a problem that the delegates liked Palin better than McCain.  Because now he is finally the leader of the Republican Party.  Because even in Bush's second term,  McCain was fighting (and caving to) Bush on torture, even as he was moving closer to Bush on economy and the war.

    Gregory does express some surprise at the lack of policies.  He also notes that McCain's line about education being a new civil right is actually a rip-off of a Bush line from 2000.

    McCain trying to say he is the leader of the GOP but doesn't work for it?  

    So WTF is he?  An independent contractor?  Does McCain work for Halliburton?  

    That was priceless, TChris (none / 0) (#73)
    by andrys on Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 12:09:41 AM EST
    I forwarded it to friends, who can use some merriment...