Going into their respective conventions this year, neither presidential nominee enjoyed the full support and faith of their parties. Normally, by the time of the convention, nominees turn from appealing to their parties to appealing to the electorate as a whole. In short, they move toward the center.
Yet, as the Antiplanner observed last week, Obama’s acceptance speech was an appeal primarily to the left wing of the Democratic Party, not to the nation as a whole. Similarly, McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate was an appeal to the right wing of the Republican Party (though Palin also appealed to McCain as a maverick who stood up to Alaska’s political establishment and won).
Both appeals were successful, but they raise the question of how the candidates can win without broader support. Of course, someone has to win, but usually the winner is the one who gains the support of the “independents” and other swing voters.
Perhaps Senator McCain’s acceptance speech, then, was the first effort to win that broader support. Although his speech contained policy proposals, it was mainly an expression of McCain’s philosophy and ideals. He also spent as much time congratulating Obama as criticizing him; it is clear that he intends Palin to be the attack dog in this campaign.
