Projo Politics Blog

By John E. Mulligan, Journal Washington Bureau

"We're not done yet,'' Rhode Island delegation Rob Manning said today of the Republican presidential nominee John McCain's sendoff to the fall campaign.

With running mate Sarah Palin's convention job done -- and received by the rank-and-file here with mingled joy and relief -- "McCain needs to speak to the country and not just do the partisan back-and-forth. He has to connect to the country on what he feels about America and how he perceives the people's problems and what he's going to do as a leader.''

It's a pretty tall order, Manning said, and not just because Palin is a tough act to follow. "In the past McCain has not been as compelling an orator as Obama, who is a classic political orator. Big themes. Defines large word pictures and uses soaring rhetoric,'' Manning said. But McCain has an opportunity to exploit because "you don't really connect with Obama the person,'' so a speech in plainspoken, personal terms could give McCain a big boost,'' he said.

The marquee speech, McCain's, will come between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., Eastern time, after a video tribute to him.

The speakers between 8 and 9 p.m. will feature a video about Palin and speeches by Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge and -- introducing her husband -- Cindy McCain.

 Tags  McCain Palin Pawlenty Republican Convention Ridge video tribute

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