Class

[kcatalyst]

OMG OMG OMG OMG

Comments

[jacflash]

Everyone in the (very blue) room where I was -- Rik and Nancy's -- was favorably struck by his tone (and content, but I think that was less important). He seemed authentic and sincere in a way that he hadn't in months, and it was the bridge-building instinct and palpable concern for the country as an ideal that was most resonant and seemed most authentic. More of that six months ago, we all agreed, and the race would have been far more interesting -- and far better for McCain, both in terms of poll numbers and in terms of how enthusiastic and passionate he would have seemed.

The story of his campaign will obviously be the story of how it got co-opted by the GOP machine. He probably thought he couldn't win without it, and I'm betting he felt it to be something of a deal with the devil. There was a sense of that in his face and voice last night, too. He lost, but he gave everything he felt he could give, and now at least he is out from under.

[veek]

He seemed authentic and sincere in a way that he hadn't in months, and it was the bridge-building instinct and palpable concern for the country as an ideal that was most resonant and seemed most authentic.

That.

[kcatalyst]

Interesting. I didn't get any feeling of authenticity/concern from him, so this could explain a lot of it, since I agree that if I had felt that from his tone it could have made all the difference.

[aroraborealis]

miss_chance said the same thing about his comments on race. I generally thought his speech was gracious, but I missed the first couple of minutes of it -- including the part about race -- because I was in the kitchen getting ice cream, which maybe made it a lot better.

In sum: ice cream is better than McCain.

[kcatalyst]

Ice cream! You know what else is better than McCain?

PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA!!!!

Yeah, I think without the race bit I would have thought "eh, sure, classy whatever." instead of yelling loudly at the TV as I was.

[primal_pastry]

My reaction was about in the middle. I thought his focus on race was clumsy and insensitive, but meant to acknowledge the very powerful reality that Obama's victory represents. His other remarks were exactly the level of class one would want from a concession speech; not boorish but not particularly stellar.

I didn't see the emotional honesty that others report. He was warmer, to be sure, but certainly didn't control the crowd responses in a way that would lead me to believe he didn't understand the urge to boo.

[muckefuck]

I probably gave him too many points for the clumsy race remarks due to the whole "clueless-white-guy-at-least-making-an-effort" factor.

[kcatalyst]

Yeah, in McCain's defense, his understanding of race was not any shallower or more limited than basically any of the news-y type people yammering on on any of the channels. Although it sounded more condescending to me, but I was primed by his behavior over the past year.

[kcatalyst]

Yeah, ok, that sums it up for me, except it sounds like I was a lot pissier about the clumsiness. I'm glad someone else is missing the circuit that interprets the authenticity in his performance. :-)

[muckefuck]

What jacflash said: I felt like I was seeing the gentlemanly opponent of a year ago rather than the core conservative tool he became once things hotted up. It also struck me that he passed out more praise to Obama than mere decorum demands. When you lose, you usually spend as little time as seemly on that part so you can get to praising your supporters and talking about next time. Well, McCain realises there isn't going to be a next time and certainly didn't skimp on gratitude for his campaigners, but even so there was more Obama love than I expected.

Also, for whatever reason, I found the speech overall more moving than Obama's. I'm not sure why--maybe I'm just more moved by pathos. The beginning of Obama's just sounded like an early campaign speech for 2012.

[kcatalyst]

This is a good point, I think you're right I was setting the bar unreasonably high in not counting the Obama love towards graciousness. Others were pointing out elsewhere that plenty of concession speeches don't include any of that.

I am completely boggled by finding it more moving, though. Even if I discount my anger about the race parts, he just seemed really wooden and shallow to me.

[vito_excalibur]

Aw, you didn't like the bit where he explained that racism was clearly over now?

I think this is a bit like speaking ill of the dead. He lost, so now we say "Good game." Even if it wasn't.

[kcatalyst]

Well, duh racism is over now, I mean why are we even talking about race? As soon as CNN called it, race stopped mattering. Which is good, 'cause otherwise we might end up with a Black president!

I am dubious about the "good game" principle, since it clearly didn't extend to Hillary. *cough*

[muckefuck]

Yeah, I missed part of Obama's speech, so I have to ask: Did he shout out to her at all? I really expected to hear that and was surprised when I didn't.

[kcatalyst]

Nope, not a mention. Although really he kept the thank yous very short and everything else was abstract/general.