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ST. PAUL — John McCain needs to give an acceptance speech that shows substance over rival Barack Obama’s “theatrical” style, according to Republican officials and strategists.
About 38 million people watched Obama accept the Democratic nomination in front of a crowd of 80,000-plus at Invesco Field in Denver last week. To compete with that, strategists said, McCain will need to give a meatier speech on Thursday that stresses he is a leader with good judgment while Obama is a “celebrity” capable only of lofty but empty rhetoric.
Robert “Mike” Duncan, chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), said in an interview with The Hill on Wednesday that McCain will present a detailed picture of “his vision for America” that will contrast with Obama’s vacuous speech in Denver.
“He was a mile high and an inch deep,” Duncan said of Obama’s speech, echoing the RNC’s appraisal of the Democratic National Convention. “Tell me what he said in that speech.”
Republican strategist Kevin Madden noted that McCain has “never been somebody who has tried to get by on the big theatrical production,” but added the media, and even Democrats, will compare the two men’s speeches.
“People will want to compare it and the theater,” Madden said. “In that regard, expectations are probably high.”
Duncan said the decision to cancel most of convention’s proceedings Monday night because of Hurricane Gustav would not dampen the GOP’s energy, adding that the enthusiasm returned almost immediately after programming returned to its normal schedule.
“You never go wrong doing the right thing,” Duncan said. “We got back on track [Tuesday] night.”
Ultimately, for McCain to be successful, strategists said, he will need to connect to ordinary voters and offer them concrete reasons to vote for him.
“He needs to paint a picture in his speech of what a McCain presidency would look like,” Republican strategist Todd Harris said.
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