McCain's Speech: What Does He Need To Do?

ST. PAUL -- For John McCain -- prisoner of war, congressman, senator and now the GOP presidential nominee -- his entire life has been building to his address tonight before the Republican National Convention.

The lead-in to his address could hardly have been more ideal. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, McCain's choice for vice president, surpassed all expectations last night with a speech that established her as both a rising star on the national scene and, at least for now, a major asset for the Republican ticket.

With the Republican base energized for the first time in this general election race, McCain's job tonight is to keep the ball rolling, taking full advantage of his compelling life story and character traits that helped him through the roughest periods of his long drive for for the presidential nomination.

Sound simple? It may not be for McCain, whose appeal as a politician has always been his personal story and not his skills as a speaker. McCain has undoubtedly been practicing this speech for days -- if not weeks -- and is almost certain to deliver a solid address tonight.

What should be in that speech? We asked that question of a group of influential Republican strategists who are not tied to the McCain campaign and gathered their best ideas -- coupled with a few of our own thoughts -- below:

• Tell the Story: It's assumed that everyone in America knows McCain's story of heroism. Not so, according to one senior party insider. "He needs to share his personal story of service," the source advised. "Not everyone has heard it. Especially those who aren't inside the building." It's an important point. These acceptance speeches are far less about the people inside the convention hall (99 percent of whom are going to vote for McCain no matter what he says) and far more about the millions watching the address on television. And, while most people in America almost certainly have some sense that McCain was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, it's not likely that they are intimately familiar with the incredible hardships and personal perseverance of his brutal five-and-a-half year captivity. Typically when he speaks of his POW experience, McCain does so in a matter-of-fact tone; he would do well to give viewers a more intimate look at how he made it through those times.

• It's the Economy, Stupid: McCain's biggest weakness heading into the fall campaign is the concern that he doesn't know or, worse, doesn't care about the economic struggles of working families. The perception -- created by McCain's own statement that he knows far more about foreign policy than the economy and coupled with former senator Phil Gramm's "whiner" comment -- is a VERY dangerous one for the Republican nominee given the pre-eminence of the issue in voters' minds. "He needs to demonstrate and connect with voters that he has an economic vision to support the average American family," said one GOP operative. That's easier said than done. McCain has never been a domestic policy wonk during his long career in public life and his ardent commitment to limit spending and earmarks doesn't amount to an economic policy. While these speeches tend to skirt policy specifics, McCain would do well to spend significant time on the struggles of middle-class families and his plan to help them.

• Divide and Conquer: Although President Bush addressed the convention just 48 hours ago, McCain must (we repeat, must) find ways to make clear that he is not promising four more years of the Bush Administration's policies. The problem for McCain is that on the major issues he has broken with the current president -- global warming, campaign finance reform, taxes, torture -- the attendees of the convention are on Bush's side. If McCain touts his breaks with Bush on these issues, the reaction of the crowd will be important to watch. Stony silence or mixed applause will be a sign to the media that for all of McCain's attempts to reach the party base, the conservative core remains estranged from him on key issues. What then can McCain do? Talk generally about his differences in governing style from Bush rather than specific policy disagreements. Promise a more inclusive approach to the United States' role in the world. It's not easy but it's doable.

• Be funny: One of McCain's most endearing traits is that he is genuinely funny. The genius of the Straight Talk Express was that in giving reporters close to unlimited access to McCain, his campaign allowed reporters to not just see that side of the candidate but also to broadcast it to viewers. Since becoming the nominee -- and especially over the last few weeks -- McCain's access to reporters has been drastically limited and, until the Palin pick, he seemed touchy and remote. McCain, 72, is at his best as a candidate when he is the "happy warrior" and tonight is as good a time as any to reclaim that mantle. One Republican strategist advised: "Be energetic and be funny and make a great joke about how old he is." Remember that Ronald Reagan combined his wit and his age together in a potent combination during his 1984 debate with Sen. Walter Mondale (D-Minn.). If McCain can even come close to replicating that line, he will have scored a major success.

• Reclaim Change: When McCain ran for president against Bush in 2000, he was cast -- at time to his detriment -- as the anti-establishment candidate, the guy running to shake up business as usual in Washington. But, in this campaign, McCain has been portrayed as the status quo in direct contrast to the fresh-faced change of Democrat Barack Obama. If that dynamic continues into the general election, McCain simply can't win. He must use his speech tonight to reclaim the mantle of change by not only defining how he has brought about change but by pointing out that Obama has not. "He needs to attack and shape what 'change' really means for the average Joe," said one GOP operative. McCain's pick of Palin -- and her successful speech last night -- sets the groundwork for the Arizona Senator to make the case that it is the GOP ticket, not the Democratic ticket, that represents average Americans' best chance to remake Washington. McCain needs to sell that argument hard tonight.