McCain's Fine Acceptance Speech

John McCain capped his nine-year quest for the Republican nomination for president this evening with a marvelous acceptance speech to the convention in St. Paul. His address should earn him the affection of most Republicans while exerting a strong appeal to independents. It was one of his finest hours in public life.

McCain's talk exuded sincerity, reasonability and purpose. His tone was gentlemanly toward his opponent, honest with regard to the failings and possibilities of government as he sees them, and often self-deprecating in that winning way that reflects well on the teller. This was McCain at his best.

The Republican nominee offered specific examples of policy proposals on energy, taxes, education and the economy. He sounded his well-known foreign policy themes, though endeavoring to soften them by stating, "I hate war" and, "I will work to keep relations with Russia on a good footing and prevent relapse into the Cold War."

He drew distinctions with Barack Obama, but without resorting to the sarcasm and distortion that marked his running mate Sarah Palin's address last night. There were only two such instances: when he said Obama opposes nuclear power when he is actually open to it, and when he said Obama favors letting "bureaucrats and unions" determine education policy. For a partisan Republican speech to mischaracterize Democratic positions only twice is an exceptionally high degree of decorum.

Instead, McCain concentrated on the task at hand should he be elected, highlighting his willingness and history of working across the aisle to accomplish needed change. He obliquely though strongly criticized recent Republican misgovernance, declaring, "We came to Washington to change it and let it change us." He rebuked the record of special interest favoritism and policy failures. He did not specifically name his party but his meaning was clear. In so doing, he largely succeeded in rebranding the Republican Party as a conceivable engine of reform, at least with him now at its head. He underscored again and again his commitment to service and his declaration, "I don't work for any particular party," not only to distance himself from President Bush, whom he complimented once, but to reassure the voters that he would try his best not to be as polarizing as Bush has been.

He spoke effectively of his life's story and the lessons he learned as a POW in a way sure to win the hearts of many Americans. He stoked the enthusiasm of the assembled delegates by shouting, "Make no mistake, we are going to win this election!" He concluded on an inspiring and positive note urging the arena with a call to "Stand up! Stand up!" and fight the good fight.

Last night Sarah Palin gave an inflammatory and divisive speech. It riled up the hard right Republican base and inspired a McCain campaign record $4 million in contributions in the following 24 hours. However, it also aroused the Democratic faithful, who poured an even more amazing $8 million into Obama's coffers in the same time period.

Tonight was different. McCain's appeal was to the middle, with a conservative emphasis, to be sure, but to the moderate, undecided people who are still mulling things over. He came across as caring and sensible. I expect he will be rewarded with polls in the next few days that show him pulling back very close or even in the race again.

The first debate will be in three weeks, on Friday the 25th. The topic? Foreign policy.