Posted by: LO in Calabasas, Ca @ 8/26/2008 5:15 AM
I am a retired 35 year experienced speech teacher and coach. Mc Cain needs to stop saying "my friends" immediately, if not yesterday. It is condescending and does not achieve its intended goal of making him appear to be one of us. We Americans do not want to elect one of us, or one of our friends. We want a strong leader, who is honest, clear thinking, personable and with a good track record. His constant , and I do mean constant, attempts to interject "my friends" into his speeches is an annoyance at best. He is losing votes because of this speech pattern, and is endearing himself to no one ! Hopefully somebody who is reading this can get the message to him.
CAMPAIGN 2008
Solitude For McCain’s Wordsmith
Published Aug 23, 2008
From the magazine issue dated Sep 1, 2008
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Like any writer, Mark Salter has his comfort zone. He often rises before dawn to draft his boss's speeches, drinking coffee and chain-smoking Marlboro cigarettes in the quiet before the day gets hectic. Recently, he retreated to his cottage off Penobscot Bay in Maine to work on the most important draft of his career: John McCain's Sept. 3 acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. But even that wasn't without its distractions. Sitting on his deck with his laptop early one morning, Salter noticed a doe and two fawns tiptoeing nearby. "And that was it. I just stared," he said, joking that the speech may now include a Bambi reference or two.
Speechwriters often consult memorable addresses of the past for inspiration. Salter went back and read just one: George H.W. Bush's 1988 convention speech, written by Peggy Noonan, which is best known for the indelible line, "Read my lips: No new taxes." The speech was a huge hit and helped redefine Bush to voters. Down nearly 20 points in the polls in the summer, he went on to beat Michael Dukakis. Salter and aides are tight-lipped about what McCain will say, though the candidate will likely stick to themes he's already touted on the trail, including his military service and his time as a prisoner of war. McCain will also likely flash his willingness to buck his party, though its unclear how far he'll go to distance himself from President Bush, who is still popular with hardcore conservatives.
The pressure for McCain isn't just what he'll say, but also how he'll say it. The senator enjoys the combat of unscripted town halls but hates giving long, formal speeches, and it shows in his sometimes awkward delivery. McCain began practicing the speech last weekend at his cabin near Sedona, Ariz. Aides say it will likely run about 20 minutes—shorter than past acceptance speeches, which usually clock in at about 35 minutes. Already, McCain himself has been playing the expectations game. "Senator Obama will give a great speech at their convention … and I don't expect to match up with that," he recently told GOP donors at an event in Iowa. "But I think it's going to be substance that matters."
© 2008
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