Laura Ingraham (from her daily e-blast):
RATING THE SPEECHES: On style and substance:
Obama A Hillary B- McCain C (graded on a B mean…in other words, it’s really a D) Look, it kills me to say this but last night Obama looked and sounded like a general election winner. Yes, his “this is our time” and “this journey will be hard” lines are light as air, but he also hit numerous patriotic notes — “We may call ourselves Democrats and Republicans, but we are Americans first. We are always Americans first.” Of course Obama is a willing participant in his own deification, predicting future generations will look back at his nomination as “the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal.” What’s next? “This is the moment when I turn water into wine!”
Hillary did the best she could, still holding out the carrot of concession only to pull it away at the end.
As for McCain, God bless him, he simply does not inspire at the lectern. He looks bored and we feel bored. And while there were a few fun lines in his address, he still has the stiff “screen-lock” look reading the teleprompter. It’s too bad that Obama capitalized on the “Change” brand because McCain is the one who needs it most: he needs a change in approach, a change in emphasis, a change in substance. McCain emphasized ending “partisan rancor” and boasted “I have never refused to work with Democrats…if I’m elected president the era of the permanent campaign will end.” President Bush thought he could do the same by having Ted Kennedy write his education bill and by massively expanding Medicare. Look where that got him. Here’s a clue: If you truly believe the left’s agenda for America is destructive, working with Democrats ain’t that honorable.