Quick 'n' Dirty

I’m upside down yet again… up all danged night and sleeping until the day is literally half-gone. But that’s neither here nor there, I suppose.

So… didja watch McCain’s acceptance speech last night? I did… in its entirety the first time, and bits and pieces of it when it went to re-runs in the wee hours this morning. I have yet to read any of the overnight comment and op-eds, but I couldn’t help but hear the instant after-the-fact analysis by Brit Hume and His Merry Band. A few quick ‘n’ dirties:

I was very disheartened that McCain couldn’t bring himself to say those three lil words: “George W. Bush.” His direct thanks to “the president of the United States” for keeping the country attack-free over the past seven years lost 90% of their impact by his refusal to use Dubya’s name. While this approach is probably good politics… given The One’s constant hammering and yammering about “George Bush’s third term,” it IS entirely out of character for someone who takes pride in the label “Maverick.” It also makes ME wonder… jes a lil bit… about McCain’s sense of loyalty. I do believe this is the first time…ever… in American politics where a nominee failed to mention his party’s sitting president by name. Not an auspicious beginning to the speech.

I was pleased that McCain gave a tip o’ the hat and a nod to Senator Obama and his supporters. Like Aretha sings… “R-E-S-P-E-C-T… find out what it means to me…” That’s Class… with a capital “C”… and I think we need MUCH more of that in American politics. McCain is right: we’re all of us Americans first, Republicans and Democrats second. That said, I was also pleased with Senator McCain’s final words in that paragraph of the speech: “But WE will win this election!” (paraphrased, of course, I’m writing from memory)

I was pleased that McCain declared war on the teacher’s unions, and, by inference, the American educational establishment. Making schools accountable to parents and students is something that is LONG overdue in these United States. Both parties have just “thrown money” at the problem for what seems like forever. It remains to be seen exactly HOW a McCain administration would make schools accountable, but I like the premise. There’s a reason so many Americans are home-schooling these days, and it ain’t because America’s Moms don’t have anything else to do. Good on Senator McCain for this move.

GOOD on McCain for explaining, in detail, what his campaign’s theme… “Country First”… means, both to him and to us. I think it was either Karl Rove or Newt Gingrich who commented that waiting until his acceptance speech to explain the theme led Obama into thinking the term was a slur on The One’s patriotism… and it’s NOT. As either Gingrich or Rove said: “Obama thought it was all about HIM… and he thinks everything is all about The One.” A GREAT move by the McCain campaign, as it makes Obama look like the self-absorbed, egotistical twit he IS.

I’m not sure this “bi-partisan” thing is gonna work, on either side of the aisle. The naïve optimist in me HOPES it will, but the realist in me sez “No frickin’ way.” We’re about as polarized as we’ve ever been, and that isn’t a good thing. The Moonbats won’t accept McCain’s overture, and there are those frickin’ nut cases on the right who feel the same way. Still and even: Good on McCain for trying. At least he has a record to stand on where forging compromise is concerned… Obama and Biden have ZIP in this space.

My bottom line: I give the speech a “B.” It was average in delivery, good on content, but not even close to Governor Palin’s speech. Still and even, it was more than just acceptable. I think we have a real horse race for a campaign now… and a better than even chance of winning.

Finally… and this ain’t part of McCain’s speech, as she came on earlier in the evening: Cindy McCain is HOT. In that rich-girl-who-owns-a-beer-distributorship-and-17-mansions sorta way. You know… sophisticated. But hot.