Beyond the Dome

Now that Sarah Palin has softened up Barack Obama and strengthened up the Republican base, John McCain did what he clearly felt he had the freedom to do tonight: reach out to independent voters.

He did draw a few of those all-important “contrasts” with Obama, the term we like to use instead of attacks, particularly on taxes, trade, and health care. But he stayed away from some of the toughest and most misleading ones he’s used in the past, such as claiming that Obama has voted against funding for the troops when he actually opposed the bill for a different reason (it didn’t have a timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq).

He even extended an olive branch to Obama — despite a few boos from the crowd — saying he has “my respect and admiration.”

Instead, McCain spent much of his speech playing up his independent streak — and his combative nature:

“I’ve fought corruption, and it didn’t matter if the culprits were Democrats or Republicans. They violated their public trust, and had to be held accountable. I’ve fought big spenders in both parties, who waste your money on things you neither need nor want, while you struggle to buy groceries, fill your gas tank and make your mortgage payment — and you will know their names, you will know their names.

“I’ve fought to get million dollar checks out of our elections. I’ve fought lobbyists who stole from Indian tribes. I fought crooked deals in the Pentagon. I fought tobacco companies and trial lawyers, drug companies and union bosses. …

“I don’t mind a good fight. For reasons known only to God, I’ve had quite a few tough ones in my life. But I learned an important lesson along the way. In the end, it matters less that you can fight. What you fight for is the real test.”

He also provided a window into his own, complicated definition of the Republican Party — which includes one of his heroes, trust-busting Theodore Roosevelt — and implicitly rejected much of what has happened during the Bush years.

“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,” McCain said. “The party of Lincoln, Roosevelt and Reagan is going to get back to basics.”

He even promised to appoint Democrats and independents to serve in his administration. That may be little more than a sign that Joe Lieberman will have a job, though everyone sort of figured that anyway. But he used his acceptance speech as a way to set up the ultimate contrast, between Obama’s rhetoric and his own record: “I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again. I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not.”

It may have been the best strategy McCain could have hoped for at this convention, letting Palin work the base while he works the independents. But it only comes after a long season in which McCain has tried to do both jobs, veering all over the political road as he did it. Over the long run, his strategy may work — but only if the voters are convinced they’ve finally seen the real McCain this time.