political speech analyst and communication coach
Political speech analyst and communication coach who covered the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Republican and Democratic National Conventions; co-author of Words that Shook the World: 100 Years of Unforgettable Speeches and Events
What's Next for the Presidential Campaigns? John McCain had a high bar to reach last night with his acceptance speech at the GOP convention in St Paul. Not only was he following Barack Obama's historical performance in front of 80,000 Democrats the week before, he was also following the highly effective speech delivered the night before by his running mate Sarah Palin. McCain brought the party faithful to their feet with a mixture of his emotional personal story and a rousing promise to do battle with the powers-that-be in Washington. But can he resurrect the maverick persona with a voting record that's supported the current administration? We look at what's next for the campaign. Can both candidates to be the agents of change the country needs? Will Palin lead the charge in a sequel to the culture wars of the past? Should Obama fight back or take the high road?
Obama's Speech, McCain's VP, from Denver to the Twin Cities In front of a crowd of 80,000 in a Denver football stadium, plus millions watching on TV, the country's first African American presidential nominee mixed soaring rhetoric and down-to-earth detail in an effort to give new momentum to his campaign. It was an historic moment, coming on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's ' I Have a Dream ' speech. Polls have showed Barack Obama losing ground, but last night he showed a more combative side. He did the obligatory nod to John McCain 's service and then launched into the most scathing attack against him and the Bush Administration we've heard so far. This morning, McCain and his just-announced running mate , Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, are gearing up for next week's GOP convention with rallies in three battleground states. Did Obama accomplish what he needed to? What impact will Palin have on McCain's campaign?
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.