Unlike Senator Obama, Senator McCain had created low expectations for his acceptance speech last night.  Like Senator Obama, for the most part, he didn’t disappoint.  Overall, the speech was mediocre.  It was too long, McCain was frequently out of synch with his audience, he’s a wooden presenter, and there was absolutely nothing new in it. 

But some moments rose above – and fell below – this mediocre standard.  When McCain was talking about his war experience, he was briefly riveting, because the story is a compelling one and his suffering and heroism are undeniable.  And in the middle two-thirds of the speech, when McCain was wandering through a dreary set of generalities about taxes and security, he sounded like he was channeling George Bush or any of a number of other Republicans die-hards from the past 8 years.  The only lively parts of that section were provided by the protestors who were dragged off, whatever they were shouting drowned out by the audience’s vigorously intoning “USA, USA, USA,” until McCain almost begged them to stop so that he could get on with his speech.  All in all, a public speaking low point of either convention. 

Highs and lows aside, the striking thing about the speech was how different it was from Obama’s.  Greater even than the doctrinal differences between Republican and Democrat was a huge spread in tone.  Obama’s speech was full of hope, change, ideas for the future, and calls for all of us to work together.  McCain’s speech was full of fight.  Almost literally; he repeated the word “fight’ obsessively and absurdly at the end in a weird attempt at creating a final frenzy of enthusiasm with the audience.  It didn’t work; the audience was already off on its own celebration that had little to do with the speaker. 

What we’re seeing, as clearly as anyone could want, is more of a generational difference than anything else.  McCain is the old warrior, talking about bi-partisanship but clearly not meaning it much, except in the way George Bush did:  bi-partisanship means you agree with me.  McCain’s political instincts were fired in the crucible of that POW camp.  His world consists of black and white, good guys and bad guys, noble causes and enemy combatants. 

Obama, on the other hand, is cooler, more thoughtful, dispassionate, and ready to solve problems.  He’s all about teamwork to get things done.  McCain is all about leading a charge to glory or death.  Whose is the attitude we want in the White House?  You couldn’t ask for a starker choice.