COUNTRY FIRST

I thought McCain's speech last night was truly inspiring. No, he does not have the speaking talent of Palin or Obama, but he has authenticity, grit, and honesty. And that made for a gripping speech last night.

Not only did he gives his story from his side, he also laid out his policies. I would have liked more detail, but the speech was pretty long so I don't think much more detail could have been fit in! What I liked most was his bit at the end:

"If you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you’re disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and work to correct them. Enlist in our Armed Forces. Become a teacher. Enter the ministry. Run for public office. Feed a hungry child. Teach an illiterate adult to read. Comfort the afflicted. Defend the rights of the oppressed. Our country will be the better, and you will be the happier. Because nothing brings greater happiness in life than to serve a cause greater than yourself."

Why do I like this so much? Because he emphasized a huge point that I think the Democrats are completely oblivious to: personal responsibility. Every single American is responsible for this country. We don't want government getting bigger, controlling more aspects of our lives. And if Washington is broken, we are the ones that can fix it. You. Me. Each one of us. That's what McCain believes. That's what I believe.

"Fight with me. Fight with me.

Fight for what’s right for our country.

Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.

Fight for our children’s future.

Fight for justice and opportunity for all.

Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.

Stand up for each other; for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America.

Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. Nothing is inevitable here. We’re Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history."

And as a side note...it looks like McCain's speech outperformed Obama's in ratings. Amazing.