You know, I don't care what people say, McCain's Concession speech was fantastic...

[RollWithIt]

And I really thank god that he didn't run his campaign with such class.

(snip that got to me)

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/us/politics/04text-mccain.html

Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country. I applaud him for it, and offer in my sincere sympathy that his beloved grandmother did not live to see this day, though our faith assures us she is at rest in the presence of her creator and so very proud of the good man she helped raise.

Senator Obama and I have had and argued our differences, and he has prevailed. No doubt many of those differences remain. These are difficult times for our country, and I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.

I urge all Americans -- (applause) -- I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises, to bridge our differences, and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. agreed. frankly, I was shocked that he said what he did.

almost like losing freed him from his current persona.

[jaxx]

2. Now he can fade into oblivion.

So long McSame, you ran the nastiest campaign in years. And I've got the scars to show it.

[arcadian]

3. McCain in 2012!!!

Wait... what?

[progressivebydesign]

4. I was unmoved. He read a speech WRITTEN for him by someone else.

He cannot erase the trash that came from his campaign. I took his speech to be no more than a man that brings you flowers the morning after he hits you. Even he couldn't control his angry mob of a crowd.. because of what he did. He was reading a script, and while he may have agreed with some of it... his actions over the past year belie that.

[hisownpetard]

6. "I took his speech to be no more than a man that brings you flowers the morning after he hits you."

Perfect!

[Pattib]

9. Me too...I am still not feeling the love after the smear campaign he ran against Obama...

maybe in a few weeks I will feel differently, however, right now I am going to bask in the glow of this win for our country and not think about McGramps.

[godai]

11. Correct...Don't forget all the hateful things he said so quickly.

He's a classic politician who would do anything to get elected. He sold his soul in a desperate attempt to win.

[elocs]

5. I agree. I don't understand how people could believe he would not be magnanimous.

There was a thread here yesterday with posters making all kinds of bizarre things which McCain would say or do. It was not a long thread, but I think I was the only one who believed McCain's concession would be magnanimous.

[dpbrown]

7. He had to make that speech to disengage himself from the rabid lynch mob he created

Now he can say "I did everything I could."

[keith the dem]

8. Sounded like "McCain version 2000"

That version would not have made through the primaries. The nastiness of the Repug base was revealed in this election.

[Betsy Ross]

10. He returned to the old John McCain.

The man even some of us on the Left had respect for. Had he spoken throughout his campaign as he spoke last night, it would have been a very different race. (Oh, and he would have had to pick a different VP.)

[Stagecoach]

12. When they boo'd

If he'd have reacted to his supporters at his rallies during the campaign like he did last night when they boo'd.....he may have done a little better.

[Renew Deal]

13. I thought it was a good speech to.

I agree. Thankfully that wasn't the guy that campaigned.

[LisaL]

14. It was pretty good. Very gracious.

If he had run his campaign like that-who knows. Although I think when he picked Palin he made a fatal mistake.

[zonkers]

15. I had a big problem with it.... When McCain said, "I recognize

..the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight", not only did he seem to project a tone of "us" verse them" them but referring to blacks in the third person seemed cold and distant and anything but heartfelt and concillatory.


I don't think its his fault. I just don't think McCain can fake it. It's just not him.

[Loge23]

16. Viva la difference - us & them

His speech was well-written, but the real difference for me in listening to both speeches was the crowd reaction.
McCain's band of country-clubbers were booing loudly and shouting out all kinds of indecipherable angry bile.
Yes, it was nice of McCain to at least try and quiet them down.

President Obama's speech, on the other hand, was received with polite applause when he referred to his competition - no angry shouts (from tens of thousands, I might add), no audible booing.

I also didn't find McCain's praise of Palin's campaign performance to be particularly conciliatory either.

[Two Sheds]

17. My God, was that man relieved he lost

sure it was a good concession speech. It's easy to give a good speech when you're as happy as he was.

[PresidentObama]

18. He looked tired and felt relief that the GOP doesn't control him anymore. He was gracious.

He thanked Palin because he had to. But the cold 'hug' they gave at the end told the story, I think John regrets picking her and regrets the unfortunate strategy that he used in this campaign. He seemed his use this speech to be gracious, and start to rebuild his reputation. John you've had a long career, and I don't agree with most of it. But this is your time to be a part of history, or let history pass you by. Please work with President Obama in the White House, and let's get CHANGE done.

[Window]

19. Yes, it was very well done.

[Overseas]

20. It was one of his best but doesn't make up for the buckets of slime.

It definitely does not make up for his trashing of the elder statesman of the civil rights movement, John Lewis, when Lewis accurately criticized him and Sarah for stirring up Wallace-era type hatred in their rallies.

Because do not forget that even in response to his attempt at a noble concession speech, the rabid hatred he had stimulated roared up from the crowd one last time.

He cannot pretend that he didn't do that.

If he wants to redeem his image he can just go away for a year. Come back later pal. 2008 was really disgusting from you.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

21. Would you like to buy a bridge?

McCain's speech was as phony as any televangelist begging for money, and you should be ashamed for falling for it.

You'd think McCain's racist dogwhistle in referring to Robert E. Lee would have tipped more people off.

[Bonobo]

22. Then you won't care when I say you are wrong.

Booker Washington being "invited" to the White House?

Jackie Robinson, for Chrissakes?

Fuck him and his ilk. I piss down their selfish, morally bankrupt throats.

[Ajaye]

28. Said what needed to be said

He kept it classy. He was right to acknowledge the historic character of the race, and the African American community.

Many people say he is more honorable than the campaign he ran. That may be true, but he will have a lot of work in the next few months to convince me of that. He needs to work on calming down all that hatred his campaign stirred up. It will take more than one speech.

He had the chance to run a clean, honorable campaign. He had the chance to run an inclusive campaign. But he didn't. I don't remember a worse campaign than this in my lifetime. I've been voting for 30 years and I cannot remember a Democratic candidate just being baldly called a socialist, Marxist, terrorist. There's a lot of healing that needs to be done.

[Hippo_Tron]

23. I thought it was gracious, but I wonder if he popped a few of Cindy's pills before giving it

McCain's time was 2000 and not 2008. The GOP threw him under the bus for Bush and they are paying for it dearly.

[Whisp]

24. I grudgingly had to admit that to myself too.

and what you said - thank goodness he didn't run his campaign that way. ;)

[RedLetterRev]

25. While his speech was gracious and pretty

the nastiness of his crowd was still apparent. The shouts that didn't quite make audibility, one could well imagine what vileness was contained in them from the expressions on his face when he tried to talk over them or shush them. It was clear to anyone watching that the only thing missing from the crowd was their white sheets. They must have left them in their cars for the benefit of the the TV cameras.

From other posts and what I'm reading in emails today, the reaction around the country from people who weren't at the McCain concession are even more ill-behaved, knowing TV cameras aren't on them.

But the rest of us are watching, by damn, and won't put up with it. They've shown their asses and acted complete fools because their dear leader chimpenfuehrer showed his ass and acted like a complete fool. This is a whole new day. Their day of nastiness, ugliness, bullying, and loud bullshit is Oh. Ver.

John McCain and Sarah Palin will never be able to divorce themselves from the monsters they actively encouraged and brought out from under rocks and rotten logs. It's on video, all over YouTube, and we can haul it out any time. Deny it if they will, but the proof is already committed to indelible memory.

[paparush]

26. Meh...To my ears, he blamed the loss primarily on Race.

[Waiting For Everyman]

27. It was necessary. He knew he lit the fuse on a stick of dynamite.

And his speech won't fix it. But if he had NOT urged backing off from the hate he and Palin stirred up, at least that much, he would've drawn criticism for it. This was "plausible deniability", a political maneuver.

It was an "Elizabeth Hasselbeck", she did the same thing on The View today. It was to avoid being rejected and marginalized.

That doesn't mean we have to be nasty ourselves in response, or ungracious just for principle. But we should be aware at the same time. Nothing but their rhetoric has changed, and that's only to hold onto their platform to continue promoting the same predatory agenda as before.

Yes, improving the public tone is in itself, a good thing and a victory for us, and we should hold onto that ground which WE insisted on and won. I'm glad the hate-talk is being repudiated and shoved back into the closet where it belongs. At least there, it discourages public acceptance of it.

The only difference is that now, they won't be able to promote hate so overtly. And as Martha said, that's a good thing. McC recognized that. As he should have to. We, the public, forced him to. So yes, I'm glad for that. But it's no credit to him. When he had the chance to take that high road himself, without being forced to, he refused. His hate ads ran even all election night in my area and others. Think about what that says about whether this sudden graciousness was voluntary on his part.

[Generator]

29. I did too and the irony of it is

all the talk about "Who is Obama, really?" Well WHO THE HELL is John McCain? Practically a different person every time he speaks-and he changes his mind every other day if it seems to be politically expedient or IF he's angry?? Whew. They guy is scary. But yes I actually felt sorry for him. (CAVEAT AFTER HE LOST AND LOST LARGE) And he always seemed to be played for a sucker. The GOP didn't want him,the independents didn't want him, the Dems sure as shit didn't. And what was with the Cheney last second endorsement? A big Fuck you from his buddies in the White House.

But we do not need people with shaky personalities like that in positions of power.