Well Done, Sir.

After Sarah Palin's awesome performance Wednesday night, all McCain had to do was get through his speech without falling over. And for the first 2/3 of his speech, that seemed to be the plan. Lines delivered clearly, if robotically, stayed on point, remained calm and actually delivered a halfway decent zinger through the protesters and drownout chants of "John McCain!" (Or "USA!" Or maybe it was both.) It was shaping up to be a safe speech. Not one for the ages, but enough to get the job done.

Which made it all the easier for him to floor us with the last third. He didn't just recount his experience as a POW in Vietnam, but shared how he drew from that hellish experience a humility and a reverent love for his country. And for all the talk of Obama's taking on the mantle of JFK, I don't think Obama has ever said anything as JFK-esque as these words, with which McCain drew his speech to a close:

My friends, if you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you’re disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and work to correct them. Enlist…
Enlist in our Armed Forces. Become a teacher. Enter the ministry. Run for public office. Feed a hungry child. Teach an — an illiterate adult to read. Comfort the afflicted. Defend the rights of the oppressed.
Our country will be the better, and you will be the happier, because nothing brings greater happiness in life than to serve a cause greater than yourself.
I’m going to fight for my cause every day as your president. I’m going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank him, that I’m an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on Earth. And with hard work — with hard word, strong faith, and a little courage, great things are always within our reach.
Fight with me. Fight with me.
Fight for what’s right for our country. Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.
Fight for our children’s future. Fight for justice and opportunity for all.
Stand up to defend our country from its enemies. Stand up for each other, for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America.
Stand up, stand up, stand up, and fight.
Nothing is inevitable here. We’re Americans, and we never give up.
We never quit.
We never hide from history. We make history.
Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America.