McCain to focus on having enacted political reform

[Dark Silver]

By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer
Wed Sep 3, 11:00 PM ET
ST. PAUL, Minn. - John McCain will use his convention speech to lay out a vision for the presidency and draw contrasts with Barack Obama over which candidate has a record of enacting political reform, aides to the Arizona senator said Wednesday.

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Concluding a convention truncated by Hurricane Gustav and dominated by the unorthodox selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, McCain was scheduled to deliver the final rallying cry Thursday for Republicans as they head into the final two months of the general election campaign. Aides said the GOP hopeful is well aware of the stakes he faces and say he has been editing the speech and practicing it intensively for the last two weeks.

Mark Salter, McCain's closest adviser and top speechwriter, said the address will focus on specific policy proposals but would also shine a light on the promise of transforming Washington and asking which candidate was better suited to make good on that promise. It will also portray McCain as a selfless public servant who has repeatedly taken political risks and challenged his party when necessary, Salter said.

"Both campaigns view the election as changing the way Washington does business," Salter said. "My guy is very credible, he's got a long list of accomplishments. It's fair to observe that Barack Obama does not."

The issue of which candidate can upend the calcified Washington culture has been an underlying theme of the election, with Obama and McCain using each other's experience — or lack thereof — to cast themselves as the better change agent.

McCain has been in Congress for most of his entire career, spending four years in the House before winning election to the Senate in 1986. His long career in Washington has been grist for Obama's argument that little has improved in the nation's capital during McCain's tenure.

Obama, a former community organizer and law professor, was elected to the Senate in 2004 after seven years in the Illinois state Senate. That's provided fertile ground for McCain, who's argued that Obama may speak eloquently about change but has a record of doing little other than pursuing his own political ambition.

Still, McCain has work to do to flesh out his own image for voters.

Aides said that while he is a familiar figure to voters, many know little about his record or his policy proposals. They said he needs to address a range of issues in the speech including energy independence, foreign policy and ways to help the limping economy.

McCain acknowledged as much when discussing his speech in a televised interview Wednesday.

"The important thing right now is to tell Americans why I can restore our economy, get them affordable and available health care, a decent education, get these jobs back ... and keep our nation secure," he told ABC News.

He also said he would refrain from much direct criticism of Obama in the speech, even though Obama had taken on McCain quite aggressively in his own convention speech last week. Salter, for his part, said Obama had "aggressively distorted" McCain's record in his speech and that McCain wouldn't respond in kind.

"He sounded like a typical Democratic attack machine," Salter said of Obama.

But with memories of Obama's well-received address before 80,000 people at Denver's Invesco Field still fresh, Salter acknowledged inevitable comparisons McCain will face.

Salter praised Obama's oratorical skills, calling him a "once in a generation talent," but argued the Democratic hopeful has little else going for him than delivering an effective speech.

McCain, by contrast, has never been considered a great speaker — often stumbling while reading a TelePrompTer and pausing and smiling at all the wrong moments.

Anticipating the inevitable contrasts with Obama, Salter said his goal for McCain was simply a smooth delivery.

"We aren't trying to out-Obama Obama," Salter said. "McCain has spoken to many national conventions, and he's done really well. We know he can do it."

[SirNitram]

Your party and policies rule for eight years, and you want to run as a reformer?

Sir, are you high?

[Jason_Firewalker]

here here nitram