Thumbs Down

(Political Animal)  THUMBS DOWN.... For those who didn't turn in to watch John McCain's acceptance speech, the "conventional wisdom" as articulated by media figures will help shape perception as to whether the speech was a success or a failure. Even for those who did tune in, media analysis can help subtly change minds.

With that in mind, it probably won't help that no one seemed to think McCain's speech was any good.

* Jeffrey Toobin on CNN: "I thought it was the worst speech by a nominee that I've heard since Jimmy Carter in 1980.... I personally cannot remember a single policy proposal that he made because they had nothing connecting them. I found it shockingly bad."

* Former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson on MSNBC: "The policy in the speech was rather typical for a Republican. Pretty disappointing. It didn't do a lot of outreach to moderates and independents on issues that they care about. It talked, about issues like drilling and school choice which was really speaking to the converted. I think that was a missed opportunity."

* David Gergen on CNN: "It was mostly a rerun, retread of a lot of old Republican ideas that have brought us to where we are now. I think the country is looking for fresh answers."

* Rachel Maddow on MSNBC: "Honestly it was sort of like a long term paper about Bush Republican economics.... But people aren't mad at Barack Obama about the economy people are mad at George Bush about the economy and he just proposed a lot of Bush's economic ideas. I think he really missed that."

* Juan Williams on Fox News: "I don't think it worked very well at all."

* New York Times Liveblog: "Sleepy? Our colleague Patrick Healy reports from the floor: There is a delegate in the Utah section and a delegate in Puerto Rico who are both drooping, eyes closed -- look asleep -- both are men."

The word "homerun" doesn't exactly come to mind.