Boy howdy, was that underwhelming. I'm left wondering if they paid the protesters to help wake up the audience. Every time the camera panned the audience somebody was yawning.

Yeah, paid protesting fluffers!

I switched away to one of the football games and went back about 15 minutes later. It seemed like I missed nothing.

I think this election is Palin vs Obama.

Pedantic.

John McCain is an honorable man who has served his country with distinction. He deserves our thanks for his service and ought to be President. . .of the American Legion or the Veterans of Foreign Wars or the National Rifle Association. Hell, he's probably a great Senator.

But he's 72 years old. He looks like he's up past his bedtime.

He is a stiff public speaker and pales in comparison to his running mate.

He successfully divorced himself from George Bush, Newt Gingrich, Tom Delay, and the rest of those effin' crooks that sucked the public teat from Jan 2001 on. . .but it's too late for that, John. Your renunciation of your pals comes too late in the game. You even hired the rat bast--d ( to coach Palin ) who worked for Rove in 2000 who dragged you and your family through the mud.

He threw Shrub under the bus tonight and hopes it will help him get elected.

He chose a hell raisin' running mate who adds the energy he lacks, even if she carries some unwelcome baggage in the form of a flip-flop on earmarks and an unmarried daughter with a bun in the oven.

McCain couldn't be satisfied that 99% of the speakers at the convention invoked images and anecdotes of his time as a Vietnam War POW; he had to trot it out himself tonight and tell us why that awful, horrible, inhuman existence made him the uber -patriot we see today. We get it, John. It made you who you are and most Americans appreciate your service. Even the Swift Boaters think you're a cool dude.

But it was over 30 years ago. . .between the Hanoi Hilton and the Excel Energy Center, you were hauled before the Senate Ethics Committee for your role in the S & L scandal, the economic forerunner of the ENRON disaster and the current mortgage meltdown. You voted yes with Bush 90% of the time. How much of a maverick are you? Your pledge of allegiance to your fellow citizens is outweighed by your pledge of allegiance to the politics of privilege.

McCain's speech was about what I expected from him. But the crass exploitation, once again, of 9/11 was fucking disgusting. McCain even took the stage at exactly 9:11 p.m.

And what was up with that video montage leading up to the speech. Am I the only one who thought that looked like it was spliced together in about 10 minutes?

"Mavericks are Americans who can get at least 10 other people to call them mavericks."

- Jeffrey Rowland, Overcompensating.com

McCain is often inconsistent in his speeches. I've seen 4 of his convention speeches, this was the worst delivery.

He said what he needed to, which is basically scold the Republican party and state he'll reach out to Democrats, and layout an agenda, but Palin's speech delivery was much better.

To me, both conventions were a bit flat. Both sides can do better.

CBS poll data is odd though. Hard to imagine the race was tied on Wednesday. We'll see what the weekend brings.

I didn't expect that. The McCain that spoke tonight was the McCain of last summer, humble, careful, and looking for Purple America.

Thing is, that isn't the McCain that the Republican Party nominated. That's the McCain that was alone on a bus for months, encouraged to drop out by both press and party.

There were a lot of confused faces tonight. Lots of silent applause breaks as confused Evangelicals tried to make sense of what they were hearing. "Woooooo McCain! .... wait, did he just say?.... Er, I mean, Wooooo McCain!"

most of the rightwing fundamentalist freaks (read, republicans) wanted Palin on the top of the ticket and McSame as the VP candidate.

Only problem is by completely selling out to the "extra chromosome" repuglican base they have alienated everyone else. The fact is the repug base is a small minority of the population.... Thank God!

I kind of like the guy. I appreciated a lot of what he said, especially when he addressed his failings as a soldier and a prisoner. I also appreciated him offering an olive branch of sorts to Democrats once this whole mess is over. I think he's a decent man.

But, good lord, I hope America votes for Obama this fall. Both men are rich in character, but Obama has ideas, leadership ability, charisma, less of a tie to lobbyists (though some might debate my assertion on this), and less political baggage.

Also, let's admit it right here: Republicans in general are a hateful, fearful people. If McCain gets in, the door is left ajar for the greedy, morally bankrupt hordes to follow. Actually, they're already there. What the White House really needs is a thorough fumigation.

I'm not buying the hero argument at all. He dropped napalm on innocent civilians and children...he volunteerred to "kill gooks" and he admitted he was a war criminal back in 1998. The TRUE HEROES were the grunts ON THE GROUND who were drafted, served and were permanently marred by an abysmal war promoted by generals and admirals like McCain's father. Look around you and see all the Vietnam Vets who quietly go about their daily lives without pointing to their sacrifice...the hero argument is all he's got, and it has worn thin. And his wild cohorts make fun of community service which has always been at the core of social change and progress.

I didn't see it yet, but now Alex has mentioned it along with Mortimer over at OpenSalon:

"It was poignant, watching this little gray man beg for an end to the tumult. Thankfully, the rabble-rousers were swiftly dealt with, and McCain diffused the tension with an benignly amusing remark...'Please, please don't be diverted by the ground noise and the static,' he quipped, to thunderous applause and laughter. Up in the nearly empty bleachers, a man held a sign that read: "McCAIN VOTES AGAINST VETS."

Can you really see that sign in the audience or is Mortimer Smyth embellishing a little bit?

I guess I can go look on youtube for it.