McCain’s acceptance speech for the Republican presidential nomination definitely seemed duller than any other speech that came before, whether in the Democrat or Republican National Convention. While Palin and Obama served to energize the crowds, McCain seemed to bring a little bit of a solemn approach. Joe Klein covered the speech for Time and discussed how he felt McCain’s speech was “odd” and “flat.” The speech was different than what McCain typically delievers. He gave a moving speech that left many in the audience in tears, but was definitely not as exciting as any of the other speeches given. His speech was more about the message than the manner used to convey that message.
Some points of the message were unexpected though. McCain talked about the torture he faced in Vietnam and how he was “broken” by it. He also talked about the Republican Party’s failure in Washington over the past eight years: "Instead of changing Washington, Washington changed us ... We lost. We lost your trust." Klein talked about how surprising these statements were. He reiterated that politicians never normally admit weakness but that was exactly what John McCain did. He also stated that it was the first time he had ever heard a presidential candidate admit his own party’s failures in such a direct way.
While Klein felt that McCain’s speech “lacked the drive and creativity of a true presidential acceptance,” he and many others feel that it gave a true look into John McCain as a person. In some ways, his awkward delivery was beneficial to him. While it may have caused some to lose interest in the speech, it caused others to see the “man” behind the person. And at least for a little while, his speech and the speeches of others at the Republican National Convention have led to a lead for McCain over Obama in the national polls.