Barack Obama’s speech was a historic event. From where I was sitting, the stadium shook. But Obama was clearly playing defense. People have said he isn’t specific enough, so he filled the speech with specifics. He found it necessary to respond to McCain’s jokey (and effective) “celebrity” ad. He spent paragraphs proclaiming his patriotism – though McCain has never questioned it. He responded to John McCain’s convention theme, “putting country first,” by saying, “We all put our country first.” Really? Everyone? To those who say the election is a referendum on his ability to lead in a dangerous world, Obama said, “This election has never been about me. It’s been about you.” No it hasn’t. It really is all about him. Yuval Levin highlights a few of Obama’s evasions, issues he did not mention in the text. There is also this section:
In a gesture to compromise, Obama skirts taking a stand on critical divides. We all know where he stands on those issues, of course. He’s a liberal. But he seeks to mask his liberalism in a gauze of sentiment and straw men. It worked at Invesco Field. It may no longer work by November 4.
