The Convention

(For earlier in the day, click here.)

I don’t agree with several of John McCain’s policies, but man, what a great speaker he is. And nice touch opening with a quote from FDR, then taking the mickey out of Michael Moore (who’s in the audience, soaking up the boos) in the middle of the speech.

Update (7:45 PM PST): Moving tribute to the Americans killed on 9/11, ending with “Amazing Grace”.

Update: Here’s a transcript of McCain’s speech. And some thoughts on it from Jim Geraghty.

Rudy Giuliani’s on now. More in a little while.

Update (7:56 PM): Rudy’s talking about terrorism going back to 1972. His line about the Germans releasing the Palestian terrorists from the 1972 Olympics after only serving three months is damning.

Brilliant–he just mentioned Arafat winning the Nobel peace prize.

He just mentioned the Bush Doctrine. Check out Norman Podhoretz’s recent article for more–lots and lots more–on that.

Update (12:33 AM): The above were just off the cuff remarks, made as I was watching McCain and Giuliani in realtime. Orrin Judd, James Lileks, and Power Line each have some thoughts about tonight. Meanwhile, Hugh Hewitt makes a key point about Senator Kerry:

[Author Richard Wirthlin] judged “the salute” to have been too obvious and too great a stretch from the reality of Kerry’s rather complicated Vietnam story to the picture he was trying to present. The salute remained on the public’s mind even as the public was reminded of Kerry’s ’71 testimony and the truthful charges of exaggeration were surfaced and authenticated. Candidates cannot overreach in that fashion without alienating the electorate, and Kerry has.

Probably The Last Update: the great Roger L. Simon has the last word.