The Jed Report posted a short video that juxtaposes passages from the speeches made this past week by the two presidential candidates. While I know that it is possible to edit video in such a way that it makes one person look bad and another look good, I don’t think there was that much picking and choosing of worst/best moments in each of these speeches. And you don’t even have to listen hard to the words; just look at the speaking styles of each man:
The difference between the two in temperament couldn’t be clearer. If McCain is looking to be the strong leader who takes charge during a critical period, he’s going to have to work on less petulance and blame, and present a more calm, measured message. Like many, I was nervous about the meltdown in markets in the the US this last week and government takeover of AIG. I had also feared that typically uninformed American voters might flee to Republican John McCain during such a crisis because he might be a symbol of stability and maturity, like a father figure. Instead, in this speech, he’s more like a cranky old gent you have to humour during a meeting on the street, blaming others on the current state of affairs. Obama, on the other hand, is acting like the grown-up. After eight years of a man with a child’s mind inhabiting the Oval Office, a true adult would make me a lot more confident in the US’s ability to make their way in the world.