Black Box Report

This:

...to this:

QOTD from Attaturk at Eschaton:

"Oh, Go with the Green Background"

"It'll make you look like the cottage cheese in a lime jello salad" Always a good look for an older gentlemen.

The aesthetics of McCain's speech, just mercifully completed before a slightly energized crowd of literally dozens, was awesome in how dreadful it was.

On substance, it's kind of hard for anyone to compare to the first African American acknowledging his nomination as standard-bearer for a major political party and odds-on favorite to be the next president of the US. But when McCain's substance consisted of loud protestations that he's not really a third term for Bush, while mirroring him on just about every major policy point, perhaps he should have just taken a pass Tuesday night.

On style...? While I doubt the lime green background was McCain's idea, his PR handlers should be thoroughly horse-whipped for letting him stand in front of it. On rhetorical style, McCain's halting, sweating speech, riddled with difficulties reading his teleprompter in front of a (small) roomful of 200 or so bored supporters in which he bltantly ripped off the Obama campaign message (to an awkward effect)...Well...I'll let his biggest fans weigh in with what they thought:

QOTD II:

I’m listening to John McCain’s speech (live) down in Louisiana as I type this.

My prediction: the Republicans are going to get beat like a red-headed stepchild this fall. Sigh.

Do presidential debates have mercy rules?