McCain's Speech

To start with I would like to say that Barack Obama is a far better speaker than John McCain as evidenced by how much smoother his transitions between subjects were. McCain began his speech by thanking all the people that have helped him become nominated for the presidency. He then interjects a paragraph stating that he will win the election before he introduces the vice president candidate he is running with. He makes that introduction in a way that doesn't make sense; he states that Sarah Palin is governor of Alaska (a political position) and that he looks forward to introducing her to Washington (place governors must interact with politically). He immediately shifts to talking about how they will keep their promises and change Washington before jumping to being called a maverick and what he claims to have done to fight corruption. After he talks about Iraq he gives thanks to one general and his men for rescuing us from a demoralizing defeat, which I find odd considering that sending more troops was simply meant to end the war faster, not save us from defeat. Following that he talks about how he has been in fights and will fight for three families specifically chosen for their difficulties that supposedly represent average Americans.
Nearing the halfway point in his speech he stated "...both parties and Senator Obama passed another corporate welfare bill for oil companies." Wouldn't McCain and Obama both fall into the "both parties" category? Shortly after that he starts to directly contradict what Obama said in his own speech about his policies and what they would do. McCain goes from that to how he wants to use and change the school systems, followed by an abrupt change of subject into how we will stop sending 700 billion dollars to "...countries that don't like us very much." and will encourage alternative energy. McCain makes another jump from this paragraph long mention of clean energy produced in America to what sounds like a six paragraph bid to make America into the self controlled police/peacekeeping force of planet Earth: one that will determine what is or is not acceptable for other countries to do. McCain's next few paragraphs re-state how he plans to change things as well as attacking Obama by saying "I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again. I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not." What makes this clear dig at Obama even worse is that from one paragraph afterwards until the end of his speech he talks about nothing except fighting and his own war record. It is interesting to note his statement, "If you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you're disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and work to correct them. Enlist in our Armed Forces. Become a teacher...", when you combine this with his statements about war being horrible, and ensuring the peace, the positioning of, "Enlist in our Armed Forces.", right at the top of the list of ways to make the country better is suspect. I think it becomes even more suspect when combined with all of his references to war and seeming desire to have America become the Earth's police force.
This analysis of McCain's speech may not seem as objective as I had hoped to make it, but that may be due in part to how confusing this speech of things that don't quite add up right was to me; personally. I also think that McCain's war record is worth looking up because it is significantly less flattering than he makes it out to be.

I think that the site below provides a clear: These are the facts, point of view about McCain's war record but I leave it to you to decide for yourself.

http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnmccain.com/mccain_post_card_word%5B1%5D.pdf