Editorials

There's no question John McCain has a fight on his hands. His quest to succeed an unpopular U.S. president -- of McCain's own party -- is hampered by a sagging economy, a war unpopular on many fronts, and even doubts about his age and long-term health.

But, on Thursday night, McCain showed he's a fighter, and the battle for the White House is now getting very interesting.

He didn't gain any ground Thursday night with his rhetorical skills. He can't match his Democratic opponent, Barack Obama, for oratory, or even his own vice presidential pick, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

But the substance of his speech is what matters.

"To the old, big-spending, do-nothing, me-first, country-second Washington crowd: Change is coming," he said at the Republican National Convention. "Again and again, I've worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed. That's how I will govern as president."

It's a tricky business for McCain to campaign as an "agent of change" when his Republican Party has held the White House for eight years. But Americans know McCain, and know he's never been a lockstep GOP vote. The record of bipartisan action that hurt him in the primaries will help him now.

"I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again," McCain said. "I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not."

Yet he made a point of praising his opponent.

"We'll go at it over the next two months," McCain said. "That's the nature of these contests, and there are big differences between us. But you have my respect and admiration. Despite our differences, much more unites us than divides us. We are fellow Americans, an association that means more to me than any other."

He also acknowledged his party's missteps.

"I fight to restore the pride and principles of our party," McCain acknowledged. "We were elected to change Washington, and we let Washington change us. We lost the trust of the American people when some Republicans gave in to the temptations of corruption. We lost their trust when, rather than reform government, both parties made it bigger."

And he offered something his Democratic counterpart didn't last week: specifics. While Obama simply said the United States will be independent of Middle Eastern oil in 10 years, McCain outlined a plan to actually become so.

"We will drill new wells offshore, and we'll drill them now," he said. "We will build more nuclear power plants. We will develop clean coal technology. We will increase the use of wind, tide, solar and natural gas. We will encourage the development and use of flex fuel, hybrid and electric automobiles."

He seemed to acknowledge he'll have an uphill battle in the next 60 days.

"Nothing is inevitable here," he said. "We're Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history."

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