I had a thought today to go back and compare the Presidential Announcement speeches of both Mitt and McCain. I thought it would be interesting to see how well defined their focus was almost a year ago (Mitt announced in February, McCain in April), and how their campaigns have evolved since then. It would be interesting to hear what differences you notice between the two speeches, and any discrepancies you see between what each candidate was saying then versus now.
For me, the obvious difference was how much broader Mitt’s vision was (and is), compared to McCain’s. Notice as you read through them, that McCain mentions absolutely nothing about families, while Mitt’s speech is abundant in references to his family and the need to strenghthen America’s families. Next, as you scroll down Mitt’s speech, especially towards the end, there are a lot of “we’s” and us’s” throughout. Scrolling through McMe’s speech, there are a lot of “I’s” and “me’s.” The very last sentence is actually very indicative of McCain’s whole approach to the Presidency:
I’m running for President of the United States, a blessed country, a proud country, a hopeful country, the most powerful and prosperous country and the greatest force for good on earth. And when I’m President, I intend to keep it so.”
Contrast this with Mitt’s last statement:
With freedom, nothing can hold us back.
“Freedom has made the American dream possible. Freedom will make the new American dream possible. And with the work, sacrifice, and greatness of spirit of the American people, freedom has made America - and will keep America - the greatest nation on earth. God bless The United States of America.”
I’ve been frustrated over the past 6 months or so with conservatives complaining that there is no true Reagan conservative in the race - no one upholding the 3-legged stool that Reagan advocated. Mitt has been putting forth this conservative message all along, beginning with his speech:
At this critical time, we must first transform the role we play in the world [i.e. strong military], secondly strengthen our nation [strong economy], and third build a brighter future for the American family [strong families].
So my question to the conservative pundits is - where have you guys been? Letting the MSM do your homework and thinking for you, without even bothering to check something as basic as the candidate’s announcement speeches to see what platform they are really running on. Let’s hope the recent wave of endorsements, while positive and welcome, aren’t too little too late!
Mitt’s speech is excellent, McCain’s speech is very telling. Check them both out and share what you think!
(One last note, I’m not sure about McCain, but I know that Mitt writes most or all of his own speeches, including this one and his Faith in America speech.)
Click “Continue Reading” below for McCain’s speech
