Shields and Brooks Reflect on Democrats’ Big Week

JIM LEHRER:

And back to Mark Shields and David Brooks.

Mark, 24 hours later, how does the Obama speech look to you?

MARK SHIELDS, syndicated columnist: Well, Jim, in my own reporting today, I'd have to say that the response has been overwhelmingly positive from Republicans, as well as Democrats.

That's one reason the Republicans were so happy to see John McCain move and to make news today, that it succeeded in what, as Democrats said, were his tasks last night, to define himself, to make known that he was not this elitist, Harvard Law School product that just emerged out of nowhere, that he was someone who'd grown up the way he did grow up, with grandparents, and a single mom, and student loans.

Then, secondly, to get specific about what he intended to do, which he…

JIM LEHRER:

You disagree, then, with Jack Kelly about being specific enough?

MARK SHIELDS:

Well, I think he got specific. I mean, I think Jack Kelly has got a point, and it's a legitimate one. How's it going to be paid for? And I think he has to answer that.

But, I mean, I don't think — programmatically, he was far more middle-class-directed and forward-looking, I think, than the Republican agenda has been, certainly, to this point.

And I think, third, he did confront John McCain. And I think that's what cheered Democrats so much. I mean, Ruben Navarrette pointed out on…

JIM LEHRER:

He said he hadn't done it enough before.

MARK SHIELDS:

That's right. "We are patriots. We all love this country." And I think that was important.