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He started by answering a question that some media (ie: MSNBC) keeps asking, namely, why does McCain repeatedly talk about his Viet Nam War experience and POW experience so much? Keith Olberman on MSNBC compared McCain to a bothersome neighbor who brags about his Italian vacation too much. Tonight, McCain told us, in very direct terms, that his POW experience was a crucible that reforged his strength and military service into an intense amalgamation of patriotism and character. He wanted us to know the details because they tell us why he fights so tenaciously for what he finds to be right, just, and in the best defense of American interests.
His maverick "Country First" reputation and his willingness to challenge his own Party flows directly from this crucible experience and McCain just wanted us to know where it came from.
Later in his speech Senator McCain told us about his commitment to bipartisanship and achieving real reform by reaching across the aisle. His very real consideration of Joe Lieberman as his Vice Presidential pick provides some evidence of this just as the tip of an iceberg hints at the mass below. I cannot ever recall either a Democratic or Republican Presidential nominee telling a convention assembly of his Party's national leaders that he reserves the right to oppose them and their initiatives IF he finds that the best interests of America are not being served. As you could imagine, this received a restrained applause from the Floor, but probably received hearty cheers in millions of American living rooms where folks are sick of partisan rancor.
Vintage McCain.
He wrapped up his speech with a rapid fire Churchillian call for renewed patriotism and service.
And then the Floor went nuts.
Randy Minchew
Virginia Delegation
2008 Republican National Convention
Cindy McCain addressed the Convention and told us about her family and her husband. Candidate spousal speeches are a uniquely American tradition. The reason behind this is because Americans view the family and the marital compact as the fundamental building blocks of our society. Thus, we want to hear about Michelle Obama's and Cindy McCain's views about the candidates, even though we are never really surprised when we hear intensely glowing commentary.
Cindy McCain is an human relief activist and would be even if her husband was not in politics. Her story about rescuing a young orphan girl from Bangladesh who suffered from a severe life-threatening cleft palate and who had recently lost her entire family in a cyclone was gripping. Mrs. McCain joked that it is pretty hard to ever turn down a face-to-face request delivered by Mother Teresa. This young girl was adopted by Senator and Mrs. McCain and is now their beautiful daughter Bridget.
As you could see from the television broadcast and RNC's video feed, Bridget McCain is presenting a world-class smile tonight.
Want to help more kids smile in the world? Go to: www.OperationSmile.org
Now, John McCain is taking the floor and the sound is deafening.
Earlier today, our Virginia Delegation was treated by Minneapolis-based Target Corporation to an outstanding lunch. Target runs a great chain of retail stores throughout our nation and a good portion of our family's disposable income supports the Leesburg Target store
My table featured a great group: Congressman Tom Davis of Virginia's 11th District, Virginia Beach GOP Chairman Kenny Golden, and Ambassador Samuel Assefa from Ethiopia. Tom Davis, who we will really miss in the House next term, is one of our Party's leading political analysts. He has an incredibly asute analytical mind, can recite political demographics from all 50 states, and can give you blow-by-blow historical reports of every Presidential Election. Don't believe me? Call him up without warning and ask him about the Hayes-Tilden race of 1876 and be prepared for an impromptu seminar.
Ambassador Assefa was a warm and engaging gentlemen, educated at Williams College, Princeton, and Swarthmore, but very much a man of Ethiopia. Ethiopia is an ancient nation, mentioned in both Homer's Iliad and Odyessy, and has a rich history from neolithic human settlements 5.9 million years ago to Haile Selassie I, who urged the League of Nations to help his country against the Italian Fascist invasion in 1935 and who is still revered today by the Rastafarians, as Jah Rastafari or God incarnate.
Ambassador Assefa is a student of American politics and goes to every national party convention. He is fascinated by John McCain and wanted to know how a man who had challenged his own party on so many things over many years could actually be receiving his party's nomination tonight. He told me that McCain's story simply could not have occurred anywhere else in the world.
We live in an amazing nation and sometimes it takes a foreign national such as Alexis de Tocqueville or Ambassador Assefa to help us realize how special this place is we call America.
When McCain uttered his well-known but completely unscripted statement that he would rather win a war and lose an election than win an election and lose a war, many Republican pollsters and strategists shuddered.
But, that quote tells us volumes about the kind of man John McCain is.
Randy Minchew
Virginia Delegation
2008 Republican National Convention
Undoubtedly, many will compare his speech tonight to Barack Obama's superb speech delivered at the "Barackopolis" neo-greek temple in Denver last week and to Sarah Palin's equally superb speech last night. But, John McCain has risen to every challenge he has ever met in life and constantly demonstrated his strength, fortitude, and determination in those endevors.
Tonight will be no exception to that McCain tradition.
Randy Minchew
Virginia Delegation
2008 Republican National Convention
