If you read my last article evaluating Obama’s acceptance speech in Denver on August 28th, you are aware of the Apelquist System for Widely-Acceptable Guessing (A SWAG), which I employed to judge Obama’s address as more ‘positive’ in tone and substance than not.
As threatened in that prior article, I promised to study McCain’s remarks (139 paragraphs), judge whether each paragraph was Positive, Negative, or Neutral, and pass along my results. I am also sharing examples of what I considered Positive, Negative, and Neutral so you would appreciate my thought process and biases. In keeping with that, allow me to cite some specific phrases in McCain’s address and how I rated them.
As I did last time, I will provide two (2) examples for each category, one with which I believe most people would agree, the other one where some may view it as borderline or totally disagree.
I will begin, as I did with Obama, with Neutral comments. “I’ve fought the big spenders in both parties...and the first big-spending pork-barrel earmark bill that comes across my desk, I will veto it.” [Paragraph 40] “I’ve fought for the right strategy and more troops in Iraq when it wasn’t …popular…” [42]
As for Positive examples, here are two, with the same qualifiers as above. “And, finally, a word to Senator Obama…you have my respect and my admiration.” [18] “I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else’s.” [123]
And now for the Negative examples: “I know these are tough times for many of you.” [23] “The worst attack on American soil in our history [9/11/2001] and keeping us safe from another…” [6]
You may recall two more categories (“memo counts” because the paragraphs were already labeled Positive, Negative or Neutral): Specific and Attack. Below are examples of those times McCain when made a Specific proposal or spoke what some would consider an Attack.
Specific: “Doubling the child tax exemption from $3,500 to $7,000 will improve the lives of millions of American families” [64] “I will open new markets to our goods and services.” [59]
Attack: “My tax cuts will create jobs; his [Obama’s] tax increases will eliminate them” [61] “My friends, I have that record [working with both parties] and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not” [65]
Here is my final tally:
Attack – 9 (3%)
Specific – 9 (3%)
There you have it. Both candidates delivered speeches that were quite different in tone. Obama’s was more positive (53%) while McCain’s was more neutral (46%), although nearly the same amount (45%) was positive. McCain’s was a bit less oriented towards the Specific (3% v. Obama’s 6%) or Attack (3% v. 14%). His comments were decidedly less Negative (9% v. Obama’s 24%). McCain’s remarks seemed more of a life narrative than a rousing political speech. Perhaps he and his handlers hope to present a man who has paid his dues and earned a ticket to the White House.
Of course, on November 4th, the voters will determine which candidate’s gambit was successful.
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Fred W. Apelquist, III, M.Ed.
Approximately 570 words.
© September 5, 2008
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