Althouse: McCain is speaking.

June 3, 2008

McCain is speaking.

Oh, he's making a big appeal for the Hillary supporters! What a wonderful, valiant fighter she's been. An inspiration to my daughters!

UPDATE: CNN interrupts McCain to say that Obama has enough delegates to win the Democratic nomination. "This is an historic moment," says Wolf Blitzer.

AND: Lots of mocking of McCain's speech on CNN.

NOW: Hillary (with Bill) enters.

AND: Let's take a moment to recognize what Obama has accomplished, she says. Now, she's talking about what a big effort the primaries have been, how many people have voted, etc. Issues, issues, anecdotes, bromides... "I will be making no decisions tonight."

AND: Ha ha ha. I told you she wouldn't concede!

26 comments:

vbspurs said...: I'm constantly struck by what discrepancy there is between Senator McCain's face, and his unbelievably youthful voice.

I was in the other room, having put Fox News on low volume. I wandered back when I thought there was an unusually well-spoken young man addressing a crowd.

BTW, the crowd are doing their level best to shore up his points with woot woot!s. But the NAACP, they ain't.

Cheers,
Victoria; 6/3/08, 7:54 PM
Alan said...: I was worried about Obama competing against McCain after all the hits he's taken by the Right and Hillary's team. But this speech is very encouraging. He's awful. OMG awful. Heh heh.; 6/3/08, 8:01 PM
Chris Althouse Cohen said...: Alan: Actually, I thought McCain did an excellent job and showed what a good general election candidate he could be. They timed the speech pretty badly, though. Should've made sure they had enough time to not get interrupted.; 6/3/08, 8:06 PM
TitusSheBop said...: Mccain slapped Bush all over the place.

Thank God they cut away from his speech.

I was about to shoot myself.

God, he is boring...but I love him.; 6/3/08, 8:13 PM
TitusSheBop said...: This campaign will be pitting the young cool future of the country against old. stale and bitter.

Should be exciting.; 6/3/08, 8:13 PM
XWL said...: They timed the speech pretty badly, though. Should've made sure they had enough time to not get interrupted

I suspect that no matter when he delivered the speech CNN would have found an excuse for cutting in.

Much better to repackage the speech in bite-sized chunks with any akward moments amplified, and any trenchant points blunted, then to let people judge for themselves.; 6/3/08, 8:33 PM
Alan said...: Hillary will continue to fight for the nomination. She's even asking for donations. This is too funny.; 6/3/08, 8:51 PM
Padre Steve said...: Obama is a gaffe machine and the Dems will soon realize what a mess they have gotten into. He would be the most inexperienced and ultra liberal President ever. Is the nation really that leftist? I really don't think so. Let's pray that voters pick the true leader come November! God bless! Padre Steve; 6/3/08, 9:02 PM
Elliott A said...: Fox News didn't cut away from the speech. Showing them all in entirety. More of you folks should watch them when this type of thing is going on. Even Hillary conceded they were the only fair network.; 6/3/08, 9:02 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: "I told she wouldn't concede"

Yeah but you have inside scoop since you are probably her double-secret unpaid advisor!; 6/3/08, 9:07 PM
Zachary Sire said...: his unbelievably youthful voice.

!?!?

McCain sounded like he was talking to a room full of school children. His creepy, whimsical, high pitched tone, and all that smiling, was bizarre and amateurish, at best.

So glad he's the nominee. The Republicans will have no way to sell this old man. He has nothing...it's almost sad. It's Dole 2.0!

President Obama...get used to it.; 6/3/08, 10:12 PM
Palladian said...: "President Obama...get used to it."

lol. It's so cute when kids have their little fantasies!; 6/3/08, 10:17 PM
Zachary Sire said...: Haha Palladian...I've saved your comment and will remind you of it on 11/4. It will be a wonderful moment for you, I'm sure.; 6/3/08, 10:31 PM
Anonymous said...: Haha Zach...I've saved your comment and will remind you of it on 11/4. It will be a wonderful moment for you, I'm sure.; 6/3/08, 10:36 PM
Anonymous said...: Every time I hear this repetition of chaaaange from Obama, I think of the little boy in Shane crying "Shaaane" as Shane rides away.

I kept on waiting for substance from Mr. O. I am still wating.; 6/3/08, 10:58 PM
vbspurs said...: Actually, I thought McCain did an excellent job and showed what a good general election candidate he could be.

I don't like McCain so maybe my mini-bias is showing, yet I thought it was a great speech (on paper).

But his delivery and puppetmaster pulling-the-strings-smiles-from-nowhere were both bizarre.

He's not targetting younger people who need to be energised.

He has to concentrate on the seniors, blue-collar crowd, the angry Hillary voters, the Hispanics, Jews and Catholics, who Obama is sorely failing to connect with.

I fall into this category, and when he mentioned this line:

"I don't seek the Presidency on the presumption I am blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save my country in its hour of need.

My country saved me."

I tell you, I gulped hard with pride.

It wasn't for show. He's got the scars of the Hanoi Hilton to prove how his duty and love for his country sustained him.; 6/3/08, 11:07 PM
Jeff with one 'f' said...: TitusSheBop said...

"This campaign will be pitting the young cool future of the country against old. stale and bitter."

Barack "Jimmy Carter" Obama's paleoliberal bromides were old. stale. and bitter back when Reagan vanquished them in 1980. As much as he and Hilary want to reimose punitive liberalism on us, I rather doubt the great unwashed will agree come November.; 6/3/08, 11:10 PM
former law student said...: I'm constantly struck by what discrepancy there is between Senator McCain's face, and his unbelievably youthful voice.

I'm surprised McCain sounds youthful to you. His voice reminds me exactly of the judge in Preminger's Anatomy of a Murder. The judge was played by 68 year old lawyer Joseph N. Welch, who served his country extraordinarily well as the Army's attorney during the McCarthy hearings. Welch died in 1960, the year after the movie came out. The Iowa native was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance.; 6/3/08, 11:37 PM
vbspurs said...: I'm surprised McCain sounds youthful to you.

I guess it's down to being an opera fan. I much prefer the light tenor to the Chaliapin bass of Obama.

Was he a smoker?

(Wags, just one "crack pipe" joke per post, please); 6/3/08, 11:40 PM
Beth said...: victoria,

McCain's voice makes my skin crawl. I mean I wince, and have all sorts of physical reactions, a "no! make it stop!" response, especially when he leads off with "My friends!" He's quite nasally, and sounds like a carnival barker, sort of distracted and half-sincere.

My reaction to his speaking isn't about the content, it's not about what he runs for or his positions on any issue. It's a pure reaction to the aural package.

Maybe it's like how some people go into seizures when they hear Mary Hart's voice (Entertainment Tonight?) -- just a nerve thing.; 6/4/08, 12:37 AM
Anonymous said...: Beth -- Does Bush's voice make your skin crawl, too? Maybe it's a too-personal-politics thing.; 6/4/08, 1:50 AM
vbspurs said...: Beth, let's try this exercise. You choose a Republican whose voice you like, and I'll choose a Democrat. Me first!

I like Bill Clinton's voice (it sounds like Elvis, of course) and I really like Harold Ford Jr's voice.

I also like the latter's candour. When questioned why he attended Playboy Mansion parties, he said "Yes, ma'am. I like football and I like girls".

If only Clinton had been this straightforward.

Cheers,
Victoria; 6/4/08, 6:20 AM
Beth said...: I don't mind W's voice. It's not political, I just hate the sound of McCain. And I loathe that "my friends" thing.

Politicians are just talking heads to me, for the most part. I usually feel I'm the target of a scam when any politician starts talking.

Rudy G's kind of fun to listen to, I suppose. Fred Thompson's okay, vocally. I'm sure out of all the politicians in all the precincts and districts out there, there's a melifluous Republican or two.; 6/4/08, 11:11 AM
MadisonMan said...: I agree with Beth about the timbre of McCain's voice. He's a tenor doing Brando doing the Godfather. Take the cotton wool out of your cheeks Senator!

Hillary's speaking voice also is dreadful. A contest between her and McCain would have really jangled my nerves.

As for politicians I can listen to: Fred Thompson. Rick Santorum. Olympia Snowe. They have nice musical voices. Tip O'Neill, too.; 6/4/08, 12:46 PM
Titusastarisborn said...: It's Mac vs PC-it reminds me of that commercial.

I don't mind Mccain's voice. I like him. He gives an awful speech. The smiling and pauses are just weird.

I love Olympia Snowe. I like Kay Bailey Hutchinson too and Susan Collins. I like to hear Dick Lugar speak too.

I can't listen to Bush-it makes me cringe and I have to turn off the tv set. It is the combination of arrogance and incompetence and ignorance that is just offputting.

Now get me.; 6/4/08, 3:14 PM
Titusastarisborn said...: The southern twang bugs the shit out of me too. Sometimes I lose my center when I hear that accent.

I love to hear Amy Klobacher from Minnesota speak. She is so St. Olaf and smiley and happy I just want to give her a big hug.; 6/4/08, 3:30 PM